Wondrous Oblivion (2003)

Eleven-year-old David Wiseman is mad about cricket but no good at it. He has the entire kit but none of the skill, and he's a laughingstock at school. So when a Jamaican family moves in ... See full summary »

Director:

Paul Morrison

Writer:

Paul Morrison

Stars:

Sam Smith, Leagh Conwell, Dominic Barklem

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sam Smith	...	David Wiseman
Leagh Conwell	...	Jessop
Dominic Barklem	...	Pritchard
Jo Stone-Fewings	...	Mr. Pugh
Emily Woof	...	Ruth Wiseman
Yasmin Paige	...	Lilian
Richard Ashton	...	W.G. Grace
Carol MacReady	...	Mrs. Wilson
Stanley Townsend	...	Victor Wiseman
Osnat Schmool	...	Mrs. Glickstein
Mark Penfold	...	Head Teacher
Tom Roberts	...	James Bryce
Philip Whitchurch	...	Mr. Woodberry
Angela Wynter	...	Grace Wiseman
Petra Letang	...	Loretta Samuel

Storyline

Eleven-year-old David Wiseman is mad about cricket but no good at it. He has the entire kit but none of the skill, and he's a laughingstock at school. So when a Jamaican family moves in next door and builds a cricket net in the back garden, David is in seventh heaven. But this is 1960s Britain, and when the neighbours start to make life difficult for the new arrivals, David's family is caught in the middle, and he has to choose between fitting in and standing up for the new friends who have turned his world upside-down.

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Plot Keywords:

1960s | neighbor | friendship | bigotry | interracial relationship | 

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Taglines:

Catching onto the game if one thing... but grasping it is another.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic material, some violence, sensuality, language including racial remarks, and brief smoking by minors

Details

Country:

France UK Germany

Language:

English Hebrew Yiddish

Release Date:

23 April 2004 (UK)

Also Known As:

Davids wundersame Welt

Filming Locations:

Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$10,740 (USA) (28 July 2006)

Gross:

$88,560 (USA) (10 November 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

APT Films, Met Film Production, Met Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

A beautifully produced story.

While this could never be considered a true masterpiece, as such, there's plenty going for it. Richly textured, this film goes beyond the realms of superficiality, reaching for a wider base in its coverage of the issues at hand. The relations between the people in the neighbourhood are at once entertaining, riveting and tense - causing the odd chuckle and plenty of lurching in the stomach. The racial tensions and the unnerving line that is drawn between the events and other racial notables in history such as apartheid and the Nazi regime makes this a superb watch - there is one particularly chilling scene (that I will not divulge) that sends a massive shiver down the spine of the viewer. The characterisation is what really makes this film in terms of the actual watching of it, and no character is left without something to analyse on - making it an excellent English film text. Overall, a superb example of cinematic beauty.