Plot Summary for
The Gathering Storm (2002) (TV) More at IMDbPro »

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. Written by garykmcd

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. In the years before World War II, Churchill found himself on the fringe of British politics: a lone voice in crying out in the wilderness as he warned his country and the world of a Nazi threat. Together with Clementine, he had to confront the personal demons of depression, and the specter of insolvency, before he could reemerge as a reinvigorated political leader and hero. Written by <Laffz00@aol.com>

Albert Finney offers an excellent presentation of Winston Churchill in the years immediately before World War II. Facing a rising Nazi Germany, most of the British Parliament chooses to look the other way in hopes of peace. Parliament even votes to send Germany airplane engines. Against the wisdom of the other party members, Churchill preaches against the Nazi threat. But the aspect of the film that makes the story a standout is the personal relationship and love he had with his wife, Clementine. Churchill's arrogance strains his family and personal relationships, including his wife. When she announces she wants to go on a trip, Churchill accuses her of being selfish, which ignites her. She goes on the trip, leaving Churchill with the worry that she will not return or has started a shipboard romance with an art dealer. Eventually she does return and Churchill welcomes her with the same passion he has for his politics. Written by John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>

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