The Gathering Storm (2002) (TV)

Director:

Richard Loncraine

Writers (WGA):

Larry Ramin (story) and
Hugh Whitemore (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 April 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Parliament | Politics | Winston Churchill | 1930s | Christmas Tree

Awards:

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 13 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

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)
Diana Hoddinott	...	Mrs. Landemare
Dolly Wells	...	Sarah Churchill
Emma Seigel	...	Mary Churchill
Lyndsey Marshal	...	Peggy
Nancy Carroll	...	Diana Churchill
Walter Sittler	...	German Diplomat
Danielle King	...	Ethel
Laurie Flexman	...	Charley Wigram
Rohan McCullough	...	Lady Moyne
John Standing	...	Lord Moyne
Simon Williams	...	Terence Philip
Kenneth Hadley	...	Harry Whitbread
Joanna McCallum	...	Marjorie
Gerrard McArthur	...	Vic Oliver
Russell Barr	...	Guard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Natalie Hallam	...	40's Cinema woman
James Embree	...	Soldier (Dream Scene) (uncredited)
Philip Harvey	...	Club Doorman (uncredited)
Jane Kahler	...	Junior Secretary (uncredited)
Barry Lee-Thomas	...	John Ferguson MP (uncredited)
Andy Rashleigh	...	Middle-Aged Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Loncraine

Writing credits (WGA)
Larry Ramin		(story) and
Hugh Whitemore		(story)
Hugh Whitemore		(teleplay)

Produced by
Sue Berger	....	co-producer
Frank Doelger	....	producer
Lisa Ellzey	....	co-executive producer
Michael Halpern	....	associate producer
C. Cory M. McCrum-Abdo	....	associate producer (as Cory McCrum-Abdo)
Julie Payne	....	executive producer
Tracey Scoffield	....	executive producer
Ridley Scott	....	executive producer
Tony Scott	....	executive producer
David M. Thompson	....	producer
Nick Gillott	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Howard Goodall

Cinematography by
Peter Hannan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jim Clark

Casting by
Irene Lamb

Production Design by
Luciana Arrighi

Art Direction by
Paul Ghirardani		(supervising art director)
Kate Grimble

Set Decoration by
Philippa Hart

Costume Design by
Jenny Beavan

Makeup Department
Frances Hannon	....	key makeup artist
Belinda Parish	....	makeup artist (as Belinda Parrish)
Daniel Parker	....	personal makeup artist: Mr. Finney
Daniel Parker	....	prosthetic and makeup effects
Stephen Rose	....	key hair stylist
Tracy Smith	....	assistant hair stylist (as Tracey Smith)
Annie Townsend	....	assistant hair stylist
Darren Robinson	....	animatronics designer (uncredited)

Production Management
James Bigwood	....	unit production manager
Jo Burn	....	production manager
Simon Crook	....	unit manager
Ray Freeborn	....	production supervisor
Sally French	....	production manager: additional shooting
Tracey Gibbons	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tamana Bleasdale	....	second assistant director
Richard Goodwin	....	third assistant director
Richard Whelan	....	first assistant director

Art Department
David Balfour	....	property master
Frances Bennett	....	graphics designer
Stephen Bream	....	draughtsman
Anna Bregman	....	art department coordinator
John Butler	....	scenic painter
David Cheesman	....	dressing propman (as Dave Cheesman)
Aaron Chetwynd	....	stand-by art director
Marlon Cole	....	dressing propman
Rick Dunning	....	stand-by stagehand
Andy Evans	....	construction manager
Glyn Evans	....	scenic painter
James Foster	....	stand-by art director
Mark Geeson	....	dressing propman
Lee Goddard	....	scenic painter
Ian Green	....	supervising carpenter
David Haynes	....	chargehand painter
Robert Hill	....	stand-by chargehand prop
Steve Marquiss	....	scenic painter (as Stephen Marquiss)
Dave Morris	....	production buyer
John Pledger	....	chargehand carpenter
Denis Rich	....	storyboard artist
Ian Richards	....	stand-by painter
Barry Smalls	....	stand-by carpenter
Anthony Szuch	....	drapes
Gregor Telfer	....	stand-by prop
Keith Vowles	....	storeman
Josephine Warne	....	art department assistant
John Wells	....	supervising prophand
Laurence Wells	....	dressing propman
Tom Whitehead	....	draughtsman
Paul Wiltshire	....	supervising painter
Lotta Wolgers	....	art department runner
Robert Allen	....	stagehand (uncredited)
Jack Garwood	....	dressing props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Christopher Ackland	....	supervising sound editor
Ed Colyer	....	foley mixer (as Edward Colyer)
Felicity Cottrell	....	foley artist (as Felicity Cotterell)
Gillian Dodders	....	dialogue editor
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer
Grahame Peters	....	foley editor
Richard Pryke	....	sound re-recording mixer
Amie Stephenson	....	sound assistant
David Stephenson	....	production sound mixer
Jason Swanscott	....	foley artist
Kevin Taylor	....	adr mixer
Andrew Wilkinson	....	assistant sound editor
Colin Wood	....	sound maintenance
Rick Ash	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Andrew Caller	....	sound technician (uncredited)
Rick Fatke	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Mark Sheffield	....	preview re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Clive Beard	....	special effects supervisor
Caimin Bourne	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Angus Bickerton	....	visual effects supervisor
Sean Farrow	....	visual effects artist
Barrie Hemsley	....	visual effects producer
Duncan Kinnaird	....	visual effects artist
Adrian Ratley	....	visual effects artist (as Adrian 'Metso' Ratley)
Neil Culley	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Andrew Francis	....	HD mastering (uncredited)
Didier le Fouest	....	digital colorist (uncredited)
Courtney Vanderslice	....	head of production: Cinesite (uncredited)
Tim Walton	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Bruce Cain	....	stunts
Stuart Clark	....	stunts
Steve Dent	....	stunts
Jim Dowdall	....	stunt coordinator
Neil Finnighan	....	stunts
Steve Griffin	....	stunts (as Steve Street)
Paul Heasman	....	stunts
Nick Hobbs	....	stunts
Derek Lea	....	stunts
Mark Lisbon	....	stunts
Mark Mottram	....	stunts
Lee Sheward	....	stunts
John Street	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Kenneth Atherfold	....	key grip (as Kenny Atherfold)
Paul Borg	....	electrician
Dave Brennan	....	electrician
Peter Casey	....	generator operator
Gary Colkett	....	best boy
Chris Dowling	....	gaffer
John Ferguson	....	focus puller
Michael Hannan	....	camera trainee
Gordon Hayman	....	camera operator
David James	....	still photographer
Nick Kenealy	....	video operator
Philip Kenyon	....	key grip
Eddie Knight	....	gaffer
Oliver Loncraine	....	clapper loader
Alan McPherson	....	electrician
Paul Mills	....	stand-by rigger
Stewart Monteith	....	best boy (as Stuart Monteith)
Ronnie Phillips	....	rigging gaffer
John Turner	....	electrician
Gary Dormer	....	electrical rigger (uncredited)

Casting Department
Emily Craig	....	casting assistant
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Andrew Hunt	....	costume assistant
Anna Kot	....	assistant costume designer
Sunita Singh	....	costume assistant
Clare Spragge	....	costume supervisor
Lee Clayton	....	costume cutter (uncredited)
Lee Croucher	....	daily costume assistant (uncredited)
Joe Kowalewski	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Gavin Buckley	....	first assistant editor
Simon Cozens	....	first assistant editor
Vivien Jordan	....	post-production coordinator
Deborah Richardson	....	second assistant editor
John Stanborough	....	color timer
Cas Casey	....	off-line editor (uncredited)
Christopher Learmonth	....	digital intermediate editor: opening sequence (uncredited)
Vincent Narduzzo	....	telecine colorist: high definition (uncredited)

Music Department
P.J. Bloom	....	music coordinator
Ray Espinola Jr.	....	music coordinator
Liz Gallacher	....	music supervisor
Evyen Klean	....	music consultant
Angus Meryon	....	music copyist
Graham Sutton	....	music editor
Gary Thomas	....	music recordist
John Wilson	....	conductor
John Wilson	....	orchestrator
Nick South	....	music editor (uncredited)
Jake Walker	....	musician (uncredited)
Robin Whittaker	....	music editorial (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Terry Naff	....	driver
Colin Simmons	....	driver
Robert Smith	....	driver
Bob Taylor	....	transportation captain
Jason Taylor	....	driver
Terry Wilde	....	driver
Matthew Strange	....	vehicles: 4x4 (uncredited)

Other crew
Mona Adams	....	researcher
Luke Alkin	....	development executive
Terry Blyther	....	location manager
Debbie Brodie	....	home economist
Matt Curtis	....	title designer
John Darley	....	photo library photographer
Steve Dent	....	horse wrangler
David Dilks	....	historical consultant (as Professor David Dilks)
Stephanie Dölker	....	assistant production coordinator
Sarah Eastel	....	location: Chartwell
Brian Gibbs	....	production accountant
Ben Gladstone	....	location researcher
Jonathan Goderey	....	office production assistant
Leah Hamilton	....	assistant: Mr. Doelger
Ann Hummel	....	stock footage researcher
Carole Kenwright	....	administrator: Chartwell Location
Nichola Kerr	....	cashier
Ali Keshavji	....	floor runner
Diana Lander	....	unit nurse
Deborah Leakey	....	assistant accountant (as Debbie Leakey)
Milly Leigh	....	assistant to executive producer
Andrew Mollo	....	military advisor
Boo Motjuoadi	....	office producer's assistant
Frances Pardell	....	unit publicist
Dilip Patel	....	assistant accountant
Kay Raven	....	dog/cat wrangler
Natalie Taylor	....	assistant: Mr. Loncraine
Bruno Tonioli	....	choreographer
Joyce Turner	....	production coordinator
Anna Worley	....	script supervisor
Daniel Bird	....	rushes synchronization: Telefilm (uncredited)
Ian Creed	....	marine coordinator (uncredited)
Jack James	....	datacine supervisor (uncredited)
Julie Rasmussen	....	assistant to vice president of production (uncredited)
Matthew Sampson	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Emma Short	....	production accounts assistant (uncredited)
Tom Stourton	....	location scout (uncredited)
Andy Taylor	....	digital laboratory production coordinator: opening title sequence, Cinesite (uncredited)
Samantha Thomas	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• HBO Films
• BBC Films (in association with)
• Scott Free Productions

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2002) (UK) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (UK) (DVD) (special edition)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• HBO Video (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (2002) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (Argentina) (all media)
• mediacs AG (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• Artemedia Ltd.  voice casting
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Cine Image Film Opticals  end titles
• Cutting Edge  negative cutting
• Lee Lighting  lighting equipment
• London Editing Machines Ltd.  editing
• Movie Lot, The  security
• Panavision  camera and grip equipment
• Pepper  final telecine mastering
• Pinewood Studios  re-recording studios
• Reelsound  sound post-production
• Universal Combat Limited  casting consultants

Also Known As:

Runtime:

96 min | Germany:120 min (Filmfest Hamburg)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | UK:12 (DVD/VHS release) | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Chartwell House, Westerham, Kent, England, UK

Company:

HBO Films

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:

Anachronisms: The infamous speech Churchill wants to revise (and later delivers in the House of Commons) in the beginning of the film ("To see Mr Gandhi, a seductive Mid-Temple Lawyer ... posing as a half-naked fakir in a manner quite well known in the East, striding up the steps of the Vice-Regal palace to parley on equal terms with the representative of the King Emperor") was actually delivered in 1930, whereas the film starts some years later.

Quotes:

Winston Churchill:Now that I'm in charge of the Navy, Mr. Hitler and his Nazi thugs had better look out. We're going to teach them a lesson that they'll never forget.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Happy Days Are Here Again

Where does Finney end and Churchill begin?

This is Albert Finney's defining film role. I have never seen Churchill portrayed in a movie so I cannot compare what I have seen here to anyone else's attempts. However, Churchill is now, in my mind, as portrayed in this excellent made-for-TV-film. HBO have hit the nail on the head with this one and the historical accuracy shows how incredible the events leading up to WW2 actually were. We enter the personal life of arguably the most famous Briton ever. By the end, we find out why the country loved this man so much.

He is brash, he was clever, and he was right. Annoying to give in to such a arrogant man but he fully deserved it. Albert Finney brings a performance to the screen as equally compelling as De Niro's la Motta, or Pacino's Scarface. Finney is masterful in his performance and I can find no flaws. Clemmie, Vanessa Redgrave, provides a brilliant portrayal of a equally engrossing suffering wife and pleasant cameos by Ronnie Barker, Jim Broadbent and Derek Jacobi add superb pedigree to an already perfect film. There I said it, this film is flawless, magnificent and a joy to watch over and over.