Sylvia (2003)

Director:

Christine Jeffs

Writer:

John Brownlow (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 January 2004 (Greece)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Life was too small to contain her...

Plot:

Story of the relationship between the poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath.

Plot Keywords:

Poet | Writing | Love | Infidelity | Poetry

Awards:

1 win

Cast

David Birkin	...	Morecambe
Alison Bruce	...	Elizabeth
Amira Casar	...	Assia Wevill
Daniel Craig	...	Ted Hughes
Blythe Danner	...	Aurelia Plath
Lucy Davenport	...	Doreen
Julian Firth	...	James Michie
Jeremy Fowlds	...	Mr. Robinson
Michael Gambon	...	Professor Thomas
Sarah Guyler	...	Ted's Cambridge Girlfriend
Jared Harris	...	Al Alvarez
Andrew Havill	...	David Wevill
Theresa Healey	...	3rd Woman at Ted Hughes' Lecture
Liddy Holloway	...	Martha Bergstrom
Robyn Malcolm	...	1st Woman at Ted Hughes' Lecture
Michael Mears	...	Charles Langridge
Siobhan Page	...	Young American Girl Student
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Sylvia Plath
Derek Payne	...	Vicar
Sonia Ritter	...	Midwife
Billy Seymour	...	Telegram Boy
Anthony Strachan	...	Michael Boddy (as Antony Strachan)
Katherine Tozer	...	Myra Norris
Sam Troughton	...	Tom Hadley-Clarke
Eliza Wade	...	Infant Frieda
Ben Want	...	Baby Nicholas
Joel Want	...	Baby Nicholas
Hannah Watkins	...	Tom's Girlfriend
Tandi Wright	...	2nd Woman at Ted Hughes' Lecture
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David House	...	Dancer (uncredited)
James Hurn	...	Shepherd (uncredited)
Naomi Westerman	...	Office Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Christine Jeffs

Writing credits
John Brownlow		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jane Barclay	....	executive producer
Tim Cole	....	line producer: additional shoot unit
Sharon Harel	....	executive producer
Robert Jones	....	executive producer
Alison Owen	....	producer
Mary Richards	....	line producer
Phil Rymer	....	associate producer
Tracey Scoffield	....	executive producer
Neris Thomas	....	co-producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Gabriel Yared

Cinematography by
John Toon

Film Editing by
Tariq Anwar

Casting by
Karen Lindsay-Stewart

Production Design by
Maria Djurkovic

Art Direction by
Jane Cecchi
Joanna Foley
John Hill

Set Decoration by
Philippa Hart

Costume Design by
Sandy Powell

Makeup Department
Michele Barber	....	additional hair stylist
Michele Barber	....	additional makeup artist
Anita Brolly	....	makeup artist
Denise Kum	....	hair stylist
Denise Kum	....	makeup artist
Dominie Till	....	hair stylist
Dominie Till	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Meg Clark	....	post-production supervisor
Su Hucks	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Caroline Chapman	....	third assistant director
William Dodds	....	third assistant director: dailies
Carlos Fidel	....	second assistant director
Candy Marlowe	....	crowd second assistant director
Richard Styles	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Nicola Barnes	....	production buyer
John Bohan	....	construction manager
Dean Clegg	....	draftsman
Paul Frost	....	assistant art director
Thomas Martin	....	assistant construction manager
Anthony Szuch	....	drapes master
Nick Turnbull	....	props
Clive Ward	....	head scenic painter

Sound Department
Christopher Ackland	....	supervising sound editor
Paul Carr	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Casali	....	boom operator
David Crozier	....	sound mixer
Phillip A. Hamilton	....	adr recordist
James Harris	....	sound assistant
David Madigan	....	sound mixer: New Zealand unit
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Nigel Mills	....	supervising dialogue editor
Nathaniel Méchaly	....	sound programmer
Jamie Roden	....	adr mixer
Nigel Stone	....	sound editor
Andy Thompson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Hugo Tichborne	....	boom operator
Richard Welsh	....	dolby sound consultant

Special Effects by
Dave Crownshaw	....	snow effects supervisor
David Johns	....	snow effects trainee
Lucien Stephenson	....	snow effects technician
Neil Toddy Todd	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Mark Curtis	....	digital compositor
Stefan Drury	....	visual effects producer
Douglas Larmour	....	digital compositor
Stuart Lashley	....	digital compositor
Jessica Norman	....	visual effects supervisor
Sally Spencer	....	visual effects coordinator
Niki Wakefield	....	digital compositor
Tom Wood	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Steve Griffin	....	stunts
Allan Poppleton	....	stunt double: Daniel Craig
Dayna Porter	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
David Appleby	....	still photographer
Harry Bowers	....	second assistant camera
Chuck Finch	....	gaffer
Stephen Finch	....	electrician
Wick Finch	....	electrician
Bill Kaye	....	still photographer
Alison Lai	....	clapper loader: second unit
Joe McGee	....	practical electrician
Billy Merrell	....	rigging gaffer
Richard Merrell	....	electrician
Peter Versey	....	camera operator: second unit

Casting Department
Buffy Hall	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Emily Barr	....	wardrobe assistant
Andrew Hunt	....	costume assistant
Joe Kowalewski	....	wardrobe assistant
Linda Lashley	....	costumer
Sophie Norinder	....	crowd dresser
Jenny Rushton	....	personal costumer
Sunita Singh	....	costume assistant
Clare Spragge	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Saska Simpson	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Jean-Pierre Arquie	....	music supervisor
John Bell	....	orchestrator
Sophie Cornet	....	music editor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Nick Ingman	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Steve Michard	....	driver: Daniel Craig (uncredited)

Other crew
Rebecca Chambers	....	location scout
Philip Clark	....	location scout
Matt Curtis	....	title designer
Patsy de Lord	....	production coordinator
Cathy Doubleday	....	script supervisor
Nick Hussey	....	production assistant
Claudia Kalindjian	....	unit publicist
Charlotte Keating	....	production assistant
Jack Murphy	....	choreographer
Samar Pollitt	....	set runner
Adam Richards	....	location manager
Ben Rimmer	....	location manager
Isaac Sananes	....	assistant accountant
Nick Savva	....	production finance coordinator
Joan Scheckel	....	script editor (as Joan E Scheckel)
Shruti Shah	....	production accountant
Emily Ann Sonnet	....	production runner
Nicki Sung	....	development executive
David Theodore	....	oboe soloist
Clayton Tikao	....	location manager: North Island
Jenny Turner	....	assistant to actor
Faye Ward	....	assistant to producer
Rachel Wardlow	....	production assistant
Tonia Wright	....	assistant: Christine Jeffs
Francesca Franklyn	....	script editor (uncredited)
Michael J. Harker	....	completion bond company representative (uncredited)
Amy Irvine	....	utility stand-in: dailies (uncredited)

Thanks
Al Alvarez	....	special thanks
Isabel Begg	....	special thanks
Will Evans	....	special thanks
Vince Holden	....	special thanks
Kevin Hyman	....	special thanks
Hannah Leader	....	special thanks
James Schamus	....	special thanks
Elizabeth Sigmund	....	special thanks
Glenn Williamson	....	special thanks
Jane Wright	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• BBC Films
• British Film Council
• Capitol Films
• Focus Features (in association with)
• Ruby Films

Distributors

• Elephant Picture (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Filmhouse (2005) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Focus Features (2003) (USA) (theatrical) (limited)
• RCV Film Distribution (2004) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• TriPictures (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Xanadeux Company (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2006) (UK) (TV) (BBC2)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD) (VHS)
• Medyavizyon (2004) (Turkey) (all media)
• Paradise Group (2003) (Russia) (all media)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2008) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Cine Image Film Opticals (main and end titles) (digital effects) (opticals)
• Moving Picture Company (MPC)
• Snow Business International (snow effects)
• Snow Business (snow effects)

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• ARRI Media  camera and grip equipment supplied by
• Blowup  stills laboratory
• Film Music Services  music supervision
• Gearbox Sound and Vision  additional ProTools systems supplied by
• Goldcrest Post Production London  ADR Facility
• Ingenious Film Partners  special thanks (as Ingenious Films)
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Lightworks  edited on
• London Editing Machines Ltd.  editing equipment
• Mediacom 24-7  travel agent
• Moving Picture Company (MPC)  special thanks
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack published by

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality/nudity and language

Runtime:

110 min | USA:100 min | Canada:114 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Netherlands:6 | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Japan:R-15 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | South Korea:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

During some of the filming, Gwyneth Paltrow stayed in Q staircase of Tree Court, Gonville & Caius College as this was minutes away from the mocked-up old street at the back of Caius.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sylvia Plath is crying, towards the end of the film, she raises her hand to her face in one shot, but immediately following this both hands are in her lap.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sylvia:Sometimes I dream the tree, and the tree is my life. One branch is the man I shall marry, and the leaves my children. Another branch is my future as a writer, and each leaf is a poem. Another branch is a good academic career. But as I sit there trying to choose, the leaves bring to turn brown and blow away, until the tree is absolutely bare.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Music by Gabriel Yared (2007) (V)

Start From the Beginning.

When I rented this movie, I thought it would be about Sylvia's entire life, or at least starting from her days at Smith College. I didn't realize that her marriage with Ted Hughes would be the entire storyline. I think this movie would've been better had they shown more about Plath's life BEFORE Ted Hughes. For people who don't really know much about Plath and her poetry, understanding her life before Hughes would've made the film much more substantial. The audience has to realize that Plath led a very, very hard mental life even before she met Hughes, and her ideas for her poetry and 'The Bell Jar' mostly originated from her bachelorette days. She never recovered from her depression as a young woman and it branched out still as she married Hughes. Without understanding Plath from the beginning hinders the audience from understanding Plath at all.

I feel like the movie only told half the story. Plath's mind was beautiful, colorful, and brilliant. It wasn't just about the jealousy, depression, and paranoia. Putting her works on the back burner really took away most of this movie. I would've liked to see more narration by Plath and giving us an insight into her mind, the way her unabridged journals do. However, I really enjoyed the dialogue of this movie; the lines were poetic and beautiful.

Unfortunately, I am still waiting for a better Sylvia Plath movie. I recommend people to read 'The Bell Jar' and 'Ariel' before or after seeing this movie though.