Agatha Christie Marple: 4.50 from Paddington (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Andy Wilson

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Stephen Churchett (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 December 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot Keywords:

Miss Marple | Christmas | Murder | Murder Mystery | Train

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Geraldine McEwan	...	Miss Jane Marple
Griff Rhys Jones	...	Dr. David Quimper
David Warner	...	Luther Crackenthorpe
Niamh Cusack	...	Emma Crackenthorpe
Ben Daniels	...	Alfred Crackenthorpe
Charlie Creed-Miles	...	Harold Crackenthorpe
Ciarán McMenamin	...	Cedric Crackenthorpe
Pam Ferris	...	Mrs. Elspeth McGillicuddy
Tim Stern	...	Attendant
Michael Landes	...	Bryan Eastley
Kurtis O'Brien	...	Alexander Eastley
Toby Marlow	...	James Strickland-West
Rob Brydon	...	Inspector Awdry
Rose Keegan	...	Lady Alice Crackenthorpe
Pip Torrens	...	Noël Coward

Also Known As:

Marple: What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw (USA)
What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Eltham Palace, Court Road, Eltham, London, England, UK

Company:

Chorion

Quotes:

Agnes Crackenthorpe: If I'm asleep when they come, tell them from us: it's only love that matters.

Movie Connections:

Remake of Murder She Said (1961)

"Quite dismal adaptation that badly lacks period flavor."

Miss Marple's closest friend Elspeth McGillicuddy (Pam Ferris) sees a man strangling a woman on a passing train. However, as the police can find no trace of a corpse either on the train or by the line side, they dismiss her story as a nightmare. However, Miss Marple (Geraldine McEwen) is unconvinced and conducts her own investigation, which takes her to the estate of the miserly Luther Crackenthorpe (David Warner) and his squabbling family, all of whom are after his estate. The body finally turns up in their stable and the Crackenthorpe's believe it to be the body of a french farm girl whom was once married into their family. However, two more murders occur in the family before Miss Marple can bring the culprit to justice.

Quite dismal adaptation of Christie's whodunit, which had been filmed better twice before as Murder She Said (1962) starring Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple and later in 1987 as part of the BBC's acclaimed series with Joan Hickson. Here, the script sticks reasonably close to the original, but like the other episodes in this series it is robbed of period flavor by unatmospheric cinematography that seems more suited to a pop video than period mysteries. Performances throughout are wooden and it wastes a lot of good talent such as David Warner and McEwen is miscast as Miss Marple.