Joe Maddison's War (TV 2010)

Tyneside ship-builder Joe Maddison lost his faith in the trenches at the Somme in 1916. Now that World War Two has begun he is too old to enlist alongside his son and son-in-law and is also... See full summary »

Director:

Patrick Collerton

Writer:

Alan Plater

Stars:

Sammy T. Dobson, James Atherton, Angela Lonsdale

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sammy T. Dobson	...	Sheila Maddison (as Sammy Dobson)
James Atherton	...	Tommy Cowell
Angela Lonsdale	...	Polly Maddison
James Baxter	...	Alan Maddison
Kevin Whately	...	Joe Maddison
John Woodvine	...	Father Connolly
Robson Green	...	Harry Crawford
Trevor Fox	...	Eddie Turnbull
Niek Versteeg	...	Billy Nicholson
Derek Jacobi	...	Mr. Simpson
Jackie Phillips	...	Lily Parkinson
Madelaine Newton	...	Jenny Barlow
Charlie Richmond	...	Sergeant Bull
Judi Earl	...	Woman 1
Sharon Percy	...	Woman 2

Storyline

Tyneside ship-builder Joe Maddison lost his faith in the trenches at the Somme in 1916. Now that World War Two has begun he is too old to enlist alongside his son and son-in-law and is also in a reserved occupation so, after his wife Polly has left him for a sailor,he joins the Home Guard with his friends,Marxist Eddie and cynical,wise-cracking Harry.Harry's anti-authoritarian attitude causes problems with Mr. Simpson,the company commander,and Joe leads the men out on strike after Harry is expelled. However,after he has dealt with an unexploded bomb he is acclaimed a hero,and,along with his friends, reinstated,being promoted to corporal.He also meets widow Selina who brings him out of his shell but Polly returns,with the sailor's child,seeking a reconciliation, a request which splits the family. Come 1945 and the war is ending but Joe still has his personal conflict to resolve.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 2010 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Beamish Open Air Museum, Beamish, County Durham, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mammoth Screen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 110 min

Color:

Color (HD)

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the opening scenes at the shipyard early in 1940 Robson and others discuss joining the LDV (later in the war known as the Home Guard), but the Daily Sketch they are reading has a front page report on the German advance on Moscow which didn't happen until late 1941. Poor research by someone.

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Quotes

[in the shipyard, during the lunch break, Joe and Harry look at their sandwiches]
Joe Maddison: I've got cheese. You?
Harry Crawford: Potted.
Joe Maddison: Potted what?
Harry Crawford: I'm buggered if I know! Mind you, next door's dog's gone missing. It could be potted Rover.
Joe Maddison: I'll take a chance.
[they swap sandwiches]

User Reviews

Really enjoyed this

After reading the reviews here I was not expecting much. However, the film is a worthy send off for Alan Plater who died in 2010. I always like Robson Green, Kevin Whately and Derek Jacobi and their performances make this production. While the special effects were not that special the acting was excellent and the plot gave me some insight into the Home Guard in World War 2, which reflected rather better on them than we are used to from the BBC TV series Dad's Army.

The film deals with the trauma for parents in WW11 and the pressure on relationships, but in the end is uplifting. I have been watching so much rubbish recently, it seems to me, and coming across something like this was a pleasant surprise. I don't think you will regret spending your time watching it.