The Homecoming (1973)

In a dreary North London flat, the site of perpetual psychological warfare, a philosophy professor visits his family after a nine-year absence, and introduces the four men, father, uncle, and two brothers, to his wife.

Director:

Peter Hall

Writers:

Harold Pinter (play), Harold Pinter (screenplay)

Stars:

Cyril Cusack, Ian Holm, Paul Rogers

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Cast overview:
Paul Rogers	...	Max
Ian Holm	...	Lenny
Cyril Cusack	...	Sam
Terence Rigby	...	Joey
Michael Jayston	...	Teddy
Vivien Merchant	...	Ruth

Storyline

Max is a surly pensioner who alternately venerates and vilifies his dead wife. Sam, his brother, is a supercilious chauffeur. Lenny is a smiling, snake-like pimp. Joey is a thick-witted, would-be boxer. These four men live together in a North London flat, the site of their perpetual sadomasochistic battle of words and sometimes physical violence. And then after nine years, Max's third son, Teddy, a philosophy professor living in California, comes back home for a visit. He brings his wife, Ruth. She is immediately drawn in to the family's ugly psychological games and quickly proves a worthy opponent. Soon, the game involves both of Teddy's brothers taking extreme liberties with Ruth, as the coiled Teddy obstinately refuses to spoil the malicious fun by objecting.

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Plot Keywords:

professor | boxer | pensioner | chauffeur | pimp | 

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Taglines:

The share the house. They share the food. They share Teddy's wife. Such a nice happy family.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 April 1977 (France)

Also Known As:

Harold Pinter's The Homecoming

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinévision Ltée, The American Film Theatre

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir Ian Holm won the 1967 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Featured Actor in a Drama for "The Homecoming" as Lenny, and reprised the role in this movie.

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Quotes

Sam: You go and ask my customers! I'm the only one they ever ask for.
Max: What do the other drivers do, sleep all day?
Sam: I can only drive one car. They can't all have me at the same time.
Max: Anyone could have you at the same time. You'd bend over for half a dollar on Blackfriars Bridge.
Sam: Me!
Max: For two bob and a toffee apple.
Sam: He's insulting me. He's insulting his brother. I'm driving a man to Hampton Court at four forty-five.

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Connections

Referenced in Jake's Progress (1995)

User Reviews

does it work as a film?

As the above comments reveal, this is a wonderful, deeply disturbing, but also riotously comic play. I did it for English 'A' level which was pure madness - difficult enough getting my head round it at my now considerably more advanced age. Having seen Ian Holm give a riveting performance in London as Max, I really leapt at the chance to see this as the local arts cinema and it was gripping. Ian Holm was fantastic, with more than a touch of the Del Boy about him (re-watch the play and see its Only Fools and Horses connections- the grotty flat, the brother-uncle-father dynamic, the dead worshipped prostitute mother etc) and Teddy was played with a wonderful swagger. The scene where all four of them stand in a corridor lighting their cigars was comic and tragic and menacing in the best way. But I really wonder how cinematic any of this was? You have the feeling of watching theatrical performance preserved in aspic rather than a film. The scene outside the flat was contrived and unnecessary and other than that pretty much all the action took place in one room. I feel we lost rather than gained from the live experience of watching a play. But, not having been alive when this film was made, it does mean I get to get a glimpse of a towering production of an amazing play. And that can't be a bad thing.