Our Hidden Lives (TV 2005)

Based on the best-selling book by award-winning writer Simon Garfield, four stories from Britain's 'lost decade' (1945 - 1955) are presented from the diaries of four very distinct people. ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Samuels

Writers:

David Eldridge (adaptation), Simon Garfield (novel)

Stars:

Richard Briers, Richard Dillane, Michael Fassbender

Cast

Credited cast:
Richard Briers	...	Herbert Brush
Richard Dillane	...	S
Michael Fassbender	...	German POW
Mathew Horne	...	Davy
Ian McDiarmid	...	B. Charles
Sarah Parish	...	Maggie Joy Blunt
Lesley Sharp	...	Edie Rutherford

Storyline

Based on the best-selling book by award-winning writer Simon Garfield, four stories from Britain's 'lost decade' (1945 - 1955) are presented from the diaries of four very distinct people. In his book, Garfield selected some of the most expressive diarists, and focused on the post-war years giving a vivid portrait of how Britain coped in the post-war years and how little, or how much, attitudes have changed over the past 60 years.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC Four [uk]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 2005 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Bethnal Green Town Hall, Bethnal Green, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£415,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Diverse Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Fascinating and beautifully acted docu-drama

Imaginative production intertwining and examining the 'hidden' daily lives of three 'ordinary' people in post war Britain, touching on homosexuality, single women making their way in life post-war and a housewife handling the less than welcome return of her husband. Not an east thing to watch sometimes, and quite moving in parts, its an excellent piece of social history taken from the post war Mass-Observation studies that documented peoples daily lives in honest detail. Sarah Parish is particularly good, portraying an intelligent but frustrated young woman who has made her own life for herself but has to make way for the men returning from war - I was very impressed by the way even her physical movements and the way she sat and walked was perfect for the period. A very good piece of work all round.