My Talks with Dean Spanley
(2008)
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My Talks with Dean Spanley
(2008)
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| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jeremy Northam | ... | ||
| Sam Neill | ... |
Dean Spanley
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| Bryan Brown | ... |
Wrather
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| Peter O'Toole | ... | ||
| Art Malik | ... |
Swami Nala Prash
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| Ramon Tikaram | ... |
Nawab of Ranjiput
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Xavier Horan | ... |
Harrington Fisk
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Barbara Wilshere | ... |
1st Lady
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Angela Clerkin | ... |
2nd Lady
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Dudley Sutton | ... |
Marriot
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Shaughan Seymour | ... |
Wine Shop Proprietor
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Charlotte Graham | ... |
Woman in Cloisters
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Haydon Downing | ... |
Boy in Cloisters
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Miriama McDowell | ... |
Foxy Lady
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| Bruce Hopkins | ... |
Shepherd
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Each Thursday, a man approaching middle age calls upon his father, aged, caustic, nihilistic, and emotionally distant, perhaps from the loss of a son in the Boer War and his wife soon after. On this day, the son suggests they attend a visiting guru's lecture on the transmigration of souls. There they chat with a vicar and a soldier of fortune; dinner follows. Over glasses of Hungarian Tokay, the vicar, Dean Spanley, tells a story of friendship, freedom, and reincarnation. In what earthly way could this tale connect father and son? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
We found Dean Spanley by surfing Comcast On Demand and were delighted by this witty, thought-provoking and emotional film. It's based on a story by Lord Dunsany, a writer who "imaginatively transforms materials from The Arabian Nights, classical mythology, Celtic, Germanic, and Hindu folklore as well as from medieval lays and quest romances." The cast is amazing for a New Zealand film, the script is excellent, the acting is superb and the climactic scene is totally gripping for all that it takes place in a dinner-table conversation. American film makers should take note of how this is done -- but they won't. Peter O'Toole should get an Oscar for his performance as Fisk Senior -- but he won't. We should all be able to see more movies like Dean Spanley -- but I'm not holding my breath. Don't let that keep you from enjoying this terrific movie. Four enthusiastic thumbs-up for Dean Spanley. (Dean is a title, not a name.)