Heart of the Country 

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Stars:

Susan Penhaligon, Christian Bale, Rosalind Bennett

Cast

Series cast summary:
Susan Penhaligon	...	Natalie Harris 4 episodes, 1987
Christian Bale	...	Ben Harris 4 episodes, 1987
Rosalind Bennett	...	Flora 4 episodes, 1987
David Buck	...	Angus Patrick 4 episodes, 1987
Sophie Cook	...	Alice Harris 4 episodes, 1987
Ilona Pike	...	Younger Sister 4 episodes, 1987
Stevan Rimkus	...	Bernard 4 episodes, 1987
Matthew Scurfield	...	Peter 4 episodes, 1987
Jacqueline Tong	...	Sonia 4 episodes, 1987
Derek Waring	...	Arthur Wandle 4 episodes, 1987
Ann Firbank	...	Jane Wandle 3 episodes, 1987
Mary Miller	...	Sally Rains 3 episodes, 1987
Elizabeth Edmonds	...	Ros 2 episodes, 1987
Edward Evans	...	Gerrard 2 episodes, 1987
Amanda Garwood	...	Winnie 2 episodes, 1987
Matyelok Gibbs	...	Pauline 2 episodes, 1987
Sam Kelly	...	Bank manager 2 episodes, 1987
Mandy Rice-Davies	...	Jeanette 2 episodes, 1987

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

tv mini series | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 February 1987 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min (4 episodes)

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Good performance from a young Bale in family drama

I saw this mini series on TV back in '87, and it was really good. Christian Bale was excellent as the spoiled brat. It came prior to Empire of the Sun.

This is a hard story about an upper middle class woman whose husband one day walks out on her, without any warning at all. The poor house wife is left with the house, two spoiled kids and absolutely no money and no car. Before her husband left with his mistress, he had emptied all bank accounts. Her children, even though they hate their father for leaving them, turn their anger on their mother, blaming her for not being able to keep her husband. There is one scene where Bale asks his mother for a new school bag, since he has played with his old one until it broke. His mother tells him to use a plastic bag from the super market to carry his school books, because she simply can't afford to buy him a new one. He then explodes in a spoiled-child-rant about how useless she is, who can't understand how embarrassing it will be for him to turn up at school without a proper bag. He basically blames the whole situation on her.

I'd really like to watch it again now that my perspective has changed from the child's point of view to the middle class mother's point of view, but it seems to be as good as impossible to get hold of it.