Wish You Were Here (1987)

In a staid English seaside town after the Second World War, young Lynda grows up with her widowed father and younger sister. Rebellious Lynda has been swearing constantly from an early age.... See full summary »

Director:

David Leland

Writer:

David Leland

Stars:

Emily Lloyd, Trudi Cavanagh, Clare Clifford

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Trudi Cavanagh	...	Tap Dancing Lady
Emily Lloyd	...	Lynda
Clare Clifford	...	Mrs Parfitt
Barbara Durkin	...	Valerie
Geoffrey Hutchings	...	Hubert
Charlotte Barker	...	Gillian
Tom Bell	...	Eric
Chloe Leland	...	Margaret
Charlotte Ball	...	Lynda (aged 11)
Pat Heywood	...	Aunt Millie
Abigail Leland	...	Margaret (aged 7)
Susan Valentine	...	Lynda's Mother (as Susan Skipper)
Geoffrey Durham	...	Harry Figgis
Sheila Kelley	...	Joan Figgis
Neville Smith	...	Cinema Manager

Storyline

In a staid English seaside town after the Second World War, young Lynda grows up with her widowed father and younger sister. Rebellious Lynda has been swearing constantly from an early age. At sixteen, she becomes more exhibitionist and seeks out sexual encounters challenging the prevailing lower-middle class attitudes to sex. She eventually becomes pregnant by an acquaintance of her father.

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Plot Keywords:

center of attention | woman flashing her leg | insult | loss of mother | verbal abuse | 

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Taglines:

Some people march to the beat of a different drummer. Lynda's got her own brass band.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 July 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wish You Were Here!

Filming Locations:

The Esplanade, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$3,283,832

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel Four Films, Working Title Films, Zenith Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was selected to screen in the Section Parallèle at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987 where it won a FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Award.

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Quotes

Lynda Mansell: Up your bum!

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Connections

Version of Personal Services (1987)

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Soundtracks

Waltz
(unidentified) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauss
Arranged by Stanley Myers

User Reviews

another canny dissection of English manners and morals

David Leland's companion piece to 'Personal Services' (also 1987) is another dramatized fiction suggested by the life of Cynthia Payne (London's notorious 'Luncheon Voucher Madam'), only here the canvas is smaller and the film, as a result, is less effective. A 'prequel' to the earlier feature, it relives the rebellious teenage years of the sassy young Ms. Payne (the names have again been changed) as she flies in the face of her stodgy English upbringing with a rousing rejoinder of "up yer bum!" Growing up too fast in a very slow corner of the Empire, she struggles through that awkward age when her cynicism about sex hasn't caught up with her curiosity about it, leading to a good deal of engaging if familiar adolescent angst, reinforced by a bland seaside setting viewed through nostalgia. The film succeeds mostly on the charm of young Emily Lloyd, portraying a character who can't decide if hers is a child's mind in an adult's body, or the other way around. Boredom motivates her rude behavior, and it's a pity the film itself didn't follow her good example. After making its point (and making it well), the story can't help losing a little momentum.