Dean Spanley (2008)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Toa Fraser

Writers:

Lord Dunsany (book)
Alan Sharp (writer)

Release Date:

12 December 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Set in Edwardian England where upper lips are always stiff and men from the Colonies are not entirely to be trusted, Fisk Senior has little time or affection for his son, but when the pair visit an eccentric Indian, they start a strange journey that eventually allows the old man to find his heart. |

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jeremy Northam	...	Narrator - Fisk Junior
Sam Neill	...	Dean Spanley
Bryan Brown	...	Wrather
Peter O'Toole	...	Fisk Senior
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elizabeth Goram-Smith	...	A young lady of stature
Charlotte Graham	...	Woman in Cloisters
Bruce Hopkins	...	Farmer
Art Malik	...	Swami Nala Prash
Judy Parfitt	...	Mrs Brimley
Eva Sayer	...	Girl
Dudley Sutton	...	Marriot
Ramon Tikaram	...	Nawab of Ranjiput

Directed by
Toa Fraser

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Lord Dunsany		book
Alan Sharp		writer

Produced by
Liz Bunton	....	line producer
Finola Dwyer	....	executive producer
Simon Fawcett	....	executive producer
Alan Harris	....	producer
Matthew Metcalfe	....	producer
David Parfitt	....	executive producer
Alan Sharp	....	executive producer
Karl Zohrab	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Don McGlashan

Cinematography by
Leon Narbey

Film Editing by
Chris Plummer

Casting by
Daniel Hubbard

Production Design by
Andrew McAlpine

Art Direction by
Ben Smith
Steve Summersgill

Set Decoration by
Barbara Herman-Skelding

Costume Design by
Odile Dicks-Mireaux

Makeup Department
Alex King	....	makeup artist
Marese Langan	....	hair designer
Marese Langan	....	makeup designer
Emma Peters	....	makeup artist: second unit

Production Management
Lisa Jordan	....	post-production supervisor
Bobby Prince	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tussy Facchin	....	third assistant director
Daniel Gill	....	third assistant director
Stuart Renfrew	....	first assistant director
Tom Rye	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Stewart Cunningham	....	props
Jason Dickinson	....	illustrator
Peter Dickinson	....	lead designer
Annie Gilhooly	....	production buyer
Julia Hall	....	graphic designer
Paul House	....	construction manager
Piero Jamieson	....	property master
John Knight	....	props
Fionn Rawnsley	....	scenic artist
Anna Thomas	....	art department assistant
Keith Warwick	....	props
David Weatherstone	....	props
Nigel Woodford	....	stand-by chippy painter

Sound Department
Robert Brazier	....	foley mixer
Paul Cotterell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tony Dawe	....	production sound mixer
Sue Harding	....	foley artist
James Harrison	....	sound effects editor
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
Gary Keller	....	sound assistant
Steve C. Shaw	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Ian Wilkinson	....	dialogue editor
Rowena Wilkinson	....	foley artist
Denise Yarde	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Chris Bentley	....	film recorder
Luke Butler	....	digital compositor
Lee Clappison	....	digital colourist
James Clarke	....	DI supervisor
Tom Collier	....	visual effects supervisor
Nick D'Aguiar	....	digital compositor
Stefan Drury	....	head of visual effects
Kim Gordon	....	digital compositor
Yanni Goudetsidis	....	systems engineer
Aileen McIntosh	....	digital lab operator: Lipsync Post
Kevin Phelan	....	head of post-production: Lip Sync Post
Kate Porter	....	digital compositor
Glen Pratt	....	digital compositor
Nadia Probst	....	assistant digital colourist
Angela Rose	....	digital compositor
Jon Stanley	....	senior systems engineer
Daniel Tomlinson	....	digital lab operator
Samantha Tracey	....	visual effects coordinator
Sheila Wickens	....	digital compositor
Blake Winder	....	digital compositor: LipSync Post

Camera and Electrical Department
Barnaby Crocker	....	second assistant camera (as Barney Crocker)
Tom Gates	....	gaffer
Adrian Greshoff	....	grip camera
Alex Howe	....	first assistant camera
Alex Jason	....	camera trainee
Adam Lee	....	electrician
David McAnulty	....	key grip
Dale McCready	....	Steadicam operator
Glen Milner	....	camera trainee dailies
Abby Mounter	....	clapper loader
Leon Narbey	....	camera operator
Bruce Polwart	....	focus puller
Paul Snell	....	camera trainee
Oliver Upton	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Amanda Keable	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Lea Morement	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Don McGlashan	....	conductor
Don McGlashan	....	orchestrator
Luke Tomes	....	music mixer

Other crew
Nicole Dade	....	production executive
Cathy Doubleday	....	script supervisor
Tina Falcone	....	assistant accountant
Denise Hanrahan	....	production coordinator
Max Murphy	....	floor runner
Paul O'Grady	....	location manager
Donna Pearman	....	production secretary
Helen Revington	....	unit nurse
Camilla Stephenson	....	location manager
Sean Tracey-Brown	....	location manager
John William Turner	....	production/rushes runner
Chris White	....	production coordinator
Jennifer Whiting	....	production runner

Production Companies

• Atlantic Film Productions
• General Film Corporation
• Lipsync Productions (in association with)

Special Effects

• Lip Sync Post (visual effects)

Other Companies

• ARRI Media  Arriflex D-20 camera provided by
• HireWorks  Avid equipment rental
• Lip Sync Post  digital intermediate
• Lip Sync Post  sound re-recording
• New Zealand Symphony Orchestra  orchestra

Also Known As:

My Talks with Dean Spanley (UK)

Runtime:

Canada:100 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

New Zealand | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Australia:G | Ireland:G

Filming Locations:

New Zealand

Company:

Atlantic Film Productions

A film to warm even the coldest hearts Dean Spanley though quirky is memorable

Dean Spanley

Peter O'Toole is magnificent as the miserable and obnoxious Edwardian patriarch Horatio Fisk. Fisk's favourite saying is "poppycock". His opinion and beliefs are aired often and loudly, and brooks no challenge or contrary opinion.

His relationship with his son Henslowe Fisk ( Jeremy Northam) at their weekly dutiful meetings are cool and distant. His father's refusal to mourn the death of Henslowe's older Brother in the Boer war, drives an even deeper wedge between them.

The part of Dean Stanley is played by the excellent Sam Neal as a churchman who is regressed into remembering a previous incarnation, whenever he drinks an exotic wine called Hungarian Tokay.

The story is a little like Scrooge with a twist, instead of the ghosts of Xmas past the trigger is the memories of Dean Spanleys previous life as a dog. The dog in question is a Welsh Springer Spaniel (Wag) who is led astray by a mongrel friend and mystifyingly disappears leaving his owner bereft.

The dogs master was the young Horatio Fisk. We are led to believe that because of the loss of an adored pet at such an impressionable age gave the stimulus for his coldness in later life, preventing him from forming a deep and loving relationship with his family. Probably believing that the pain and loss of the dog could happen again if he allowed his emotions free rein.

At a type of séance where the Dean is plied by Tokay, the whole story of what happened to Wag and the splendour and exhilaration of being a dog enfolds. At last the old man can grieve, not only for his long lost dog but his relationship with his family and the loss of his son.

I loved the deep affection and understanding shown between humans and their pets, and the emotion finally shown between father and son. Though I was slightly confused about Wag constantly trying to catch the moon and barking at it with his mongrel friend. This is not a behaviour I ever have to treat. Wolves and wild dogs perhaps but not our domestic dogs Perhaps in 1904, when the original story was set, then dogs had more freedom to roam and were latchkey dogs. Then behaviour like this may have occurred but I doubt it, I think the original author Lord Dunsany possibly had a mad spaniel that bayed at the moon, hence the reference to these actions.

I really enjoyed this quirky, warm, and whimsical film; it brought a lump to my throat. The old curmudgeonly Horatio Fisk finally finds warmth in his heart, helped by a bouncing puppy Spaniel. I think anyone watching this incredibly well acted film will also leave with a warm glow. A fitting Christmas fare.

If O'Toole is not recommended for an award for this portrayal then there is no justice.

Stan Rawlinson (Doglistener) is one of the UKs leading Behaviourists and Obedience Trainers based just outside London near Hampton Court www.doglistener.co.uk