Enid (TV 2009)

Edwardian child Enid Blyton begins to tell stories to her brothers as an escape from their parents' rows before the father deserts the family. Whilst training as a teacher after the Great ... See full summary »

Director:

James Hawes

Writer:

Lindsay Shapero

Stars:

Helena Bonham Carter, Matthew Macfadyen, Denis Lawson

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Enid Blyton
Matthew Macfadyen	...	Hugh Pollock
Denis Lawson	...	Kenneth Waters
Claire Rushbrook	...	Dorothy Richards
Joseph Millson	...	Hanly Blyton
Ramona Marquez	...	Imogen Pollock
Sinead Michael	...	Gillian
Pooky Quesnel	...	Theresa Blyton
Philip Wright	...	Thomas Blyton
Lisa Diveney	...	Enid - aged 19
Alexandra Brain	...	Enid - aged 12
Samuel Hilton	...	Hanly Blyton - aged 8
James Warner	...	Carey Blyton - aged 4
Eileen O'Higgins	...	Maid Maggie
Gabrielle Reidy	...	Mrs Waters

Storyline

Edwardian child Enid Blyton begins to tell stories to her brothers as an escape from their parents' rows before the father deserts the family. Whilst training as a teacher after the Great War she sends her stories to publishers, one of whom, Hugh Pollock,takes her on and also marries her. They have two daughters but Enid is a terrible mother, letting a nanny rear them whilst she, ironically, bestows treats on anonymous children who worship her for her stories. She is completely self-absorbed,driving Hugh to drink and then to another woman. Enid uses the children as emotional blackmail to get a divorce on her terms before marrying Kenneth Waters, a weak man similar to her father. After World War Two she is as popular as ever, despite accusations of using a syndicate to pen her books and will carry on,adored by children who do not know her true nature, for another twenty years and her death in 1968.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

Den sanna Enid Blyton

Filming Locations:

Barrow Hills Golf Course, DERA vehicle testing track, Longcross Lane, Longcross, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Carnival Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

During its premiere, 'Enid' gave BBC4 its third biggest audience since the channel debuted in 2002. The premiere of 'Enid' was watched by 1.28 million viewers, a 5.6% share of multichannel homes in the UK.

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Quotes

[to her father]
Imogen: Do you want to come see our rabbit? We did have two, but Mummy and Uncle Kenneth ate the other one.

User Reviews

Good film, not so good biopic

I enjoyed this film and thought all the performances were excellent. As I watched it, however, I couldn't help but think that no real person is as unremittingly awful as the Enid portrayed here. The film also implied that Enid's life was one of complete lack of fulfilment and success. Erm, this was one of the most loved and successful writers ever?

I could imagine a totally different film where Enid's driven approach to writing and her 'neglect' of personal relationships would have been put down to her artistic genius. As it was, despite her huge success, the Enid here was basically portrayed as a failure and a bad person because she wasn't a chocolate-box mother, she had one affair and had one unhappy marriage. The film seems to be saying that despite her success she ultimately was a failure because she didn't pass the test as a wife and mother.

For this reason, I actually thought the film was a bit sexist, although perhaps reflecting sexist attitudes of the time. A good watch in itself, but didn't make me feel I'd got to know Enid Blyton.