Hope and Glory (1987)

A semi-autobiographical project by John Boorman about a nine year old boy called Bill as he grows up in London during the blitz of World War II. For a young boy, this time in history was ... See full summary »

Director:

John Boorman

Writer:

John Boorman

Stars:

Sarah Miles, David Hayman, Sebastian Rice-Edwards

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 16 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sebastian Rice-Edwards	...	Bill (as Sebastian Rice Edwards)
Geraldine Muir	...	Sue
Sarah Miles	...	Grace
David Hayman	...	Clive
Sammi Davis	...	Dawn
Derrick O'Connor	...	Mac
Susan Wooldridge	...	Molly
Jean-Marc Barr	...	Bruce
Ian Bannen	...	Grandfather George
Annie Leon	...	Grandma
Jill Baker	...	Faith
Amelda Brown	...	Hope
Katrine Boorman	...	Charity
Colin Higgins	...	Clive's Pal
Shelagh Fraser	...	WVS Woman

Storyline

A semi-autobiographical project by John Boorman about a nine year old boy called Bill as he grows up in London during the blitz of World War II. For a young boy, this time in history was more of an adventure, a total upheaval of order, restrictions and discipline. The liberating effect of the war on the women left behind. And the joy when Hitler blows up your school.

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Plot Keywords:

warplane | school bombing | london blitz | premarital sex | grandfather grandson relationship | 

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Taglines:

The epic story of a world at war. And a boy at play.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 February 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Esperanza y gloria

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,497, 18 October 1987, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$10,021,120

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Nelson Entertainment, Goldcrest Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's title is a shortening of the title of the flag-waving patriotic 1902 nationalist British song, "Land of Hope and Glory", music composed by Edward Elgar and lyrics by Arthur C. Benson.

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Goofs

The ammo-round would not have fired normally while just being gripped in the jaws of a vise; without the round's being contained in a gun-chamber, the powder would have exploded the brass casing.

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Quotes

Grandfather George: Ohhh, it's only a house...a ghastly one at that. They should all be burned and bombed and the builder hanged.

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Connections

Followed by Queen & Country (2014)

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Soundtracks

We'll Meet Again
Written by Ross Parker and Hugh Charles

User Reviews

A Funny, poignant, truthful, and enjoyable child's-eye view of London during The Blitz.

Since I first saw it, 15 years ago, a little film in a little theater, I have regarded John Boorman's recollections of life as a grade-schooler during "The Blitz" as astonishing. Over the years I've used the movie to bring to life the very points that Anna Freud makes in her diaries of the "War Nurseries" she ran in Hampstead. While the movie is always entertaining, it nevertheless shows the effects on kids and families of life at home during a war: the separations, the losses, the physical damage, the inflammation of aggressive impulses in normal kids, the loosening of parental control over adolescents, the dropping of the curtains we use to keep kids from seeing more than they ought to. The film is wonderfully English, with customary attention to period detail, and a great collection of eccentric and memorable secondary characters. You've just got to see the geography lesson, featuring a middle-aged martinet school-marm who whacks away at a world map, using her pointer to punctuate her lesson on the vastness of England's pre-war empire. I have seen this movie on video, and can say that it translates well to the small screen. In fact it was created for British TV. See it. You'll laugh. You'll cry. And don't tell anyone--You'll learn something, too.