The Gathering Storm (TV 2002)

A love story offering an intimate look inside the marriage of Winston and Clementine Churchill during a particularly troubled, though little-known, moment in their lives.

Director:

Richard Loncraine

Writers:

Larry Ramin (story), Hugh Whitemore (story),

Stars:

Albert Finney, Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 13 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Albert Finney	...	Winston Churchill
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Clemmie Churchill
Jim Broadbent	...	Desmond Morton
Linus Roache	...	Ralph Wigram
Lena Headey	...	Ava Wigram
Derek Jacobi	...	Stanley Baldwin
Ronnie Barker	...	David Inches
Tom Wilkinson	...	Sir Robert Vansittart
Celia Imrie	...	Violet Pearman
Hugh Bonneville	...	Ivo Pettifer
Gottfried John	...	Friedrich von Schroder
Anthony Brophy	...	Brendan Bracken
Edward Hardwicke	...	Mr. Wood
Tom Hiddleston	...	Randolph Churchill
Tim Bentinck	...	Marlborough (as Timothy Bentinck)

Storyline

In the 1930s, Winston Churchill was out of government, sitting as a backbench MP. His was a lonely voice warning about German rearmament and the coming of a second major war on the Continent. He lost a great deal of money in the Wall Street crash and now writes - a biography of his ancestor the Duke of Marlborough, a newspaper column - and it's his only means of support. He has a close-knit group of supporter not the least of whom is his wife Clemmie, who he loves very dearly. As he continues to press his concerns about Hitler, he is cast as a warmonger and frequently shouted down in Parliament by members on both sides of the aisle. With reliable information from a Foreign Office civil servant who feels the government is not accurately reporting on rearmament, he provides accurate figures to Parliament and the tide begins to turn. With the onset of World War II in September 1939, Churchill returns to government as First Lord of Admiralty.

---

Plot Keywords:

parliament | politics | winston churchill | 1930s | christmas tree | 

---

Taglines:

Germany was arming itself for war. But they didn't count on one man.

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

---

Details

Official Sites:

HBO [us]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Lonely War

Filming Locations:

Chartwell House, Westerham, Kent, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, BBC Films, Scott Free Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 120 min (Filmfest Hamburg)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The poem that Churchill recites, beginning "Who is charge of the clattering train?", is "Death and his brother sleep" by Edward James Milliken.

---

Goofs

During the 'Battle of Blenheim' scene, the Union Jack is shown as one of the colors of the English army. The Union Jack was only used as a battle-standard after the Act Of Union in 1707, three years after the Battle of Blenheim.

---

Quotes

Winston Churchill: I've lived too long, I'm in the ruck, I've drunk too deeply of the cup, I cannot spend, I cannot fuck, I'm down and out! I'm buggered up!

---

Connections

Version of The Gathering Storm (1974)

---

Soundtracks

"Everybody Dance"
Music by Harry Revel
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Performed by Joe Loss & His Orchestra

User Reviews

Excellent if just a bit historically inaccurate

A superb film with a very good cast. Albert Finney is a brilliant Churchill and Vanessa Redgrave makes a very good Clemmie. The storyline is excellent but historically inaccurate. For instance, the year given is 1934 and we see Churchill making his infamous speech about Gandhi in the House of Commons but that speech was made in 1931. Stanley Baldwin, played superbly by Derek Jacobi, was not Prime Minister in 1934, Ramsay McDonald was until Baldwin took over in 1935. More importantly where was Neville Chamberlain, the true appeasement supporter? However, overall it was still a superb production and seeing Churchill or Finney strutting the steps of Admiralty House with the stirring music was brilliant and uplifting. A great film , shame about the slight inaccuracies