Mysterious Creatures (TV 2006)

A middle age couple struggle to find a diagnosis for their adult daughters erratic behaviour with tragic consequences.

Director:

David Evans

Writer:

Gwyneth Hughes

Stars:

Timothy Spall, Brenda Blethyn, Rebekah Staton

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Timothy Spall	...	Bill Ainscow
Brenda Blethyn	...	Wendy Ainscow
Rebekah Staton	...	Lisa Ainscow
Judy Flynn	...	Anne Buckley
David Crellin	...	David Kirwan
Stephen Boxer	...	Martyn Bowler
Mark Penfold	...	Judge Bryn
Laura Handley	...	Shoe shop assistant (as Laura Jane Handley)
James Curran	...	Mr. Justice Mitchell
Joanna Phillips-Lane	...	Julie Kirwan
Alastair Galbraith	...	Dr. David Yorke
Gary Cargill	...	Merseyside PC 1
Carla Henry	...	Kelly
Daryl Fishwick	...	Nurse Eileen Hume
Gary Pillai	...	Dr.Ramesh

Storyline

In November 2004 Bill and Wendy Ainscow took an overdose of sleeping pills and waded into the warm Atlantic ocean off Tenerife to commit suicide. Wendy Ainscow survived but tragically Bill died. The couple's bizarre suicide pact was the culmination of years of trying to cope with and get state help for their daughter Lisa, who suffers from Aspergers Syndrome.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | mental illness | mental institution | based on true story

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 October 2006 (UK)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Leopardrama

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 90 min (original)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[to social worker, about Lisa]
Wendy Ainscow: So... She's not mad enough for the doctors and the lawyers, and she's not sad enough for you. Which box does she fit in?

User Reviews

Powerful drama with Oscar worthy performances

This was an outstanding drama which depicted how life was for the Ainscows, a family living with their daughter's condition which they found difficult to have diagnosed by medical and mental health professionals.

The story was written based on the accounts of Mrs Ainscow, (played by Brenda Blenthyn). And while it's gritty portrayal of Lisa may not leave you full of empathy for her as the user above has stated, I don't believe that is the responsibility of the drama. It does however display the real life difficulty the family faced and what led Mr and Mrs Ainscow to do what they felt they had to.

The performances were excellent by the three lead characters, Brenda Blethyn gave a performance reminiscent of her turn as Cynthia Purley in Secrets and Lies and Rebehak Staton is an actress to watch for in the future.

While at times harrowing to watch it was truly gripping and one of the best things on TV for a long time.