Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988)

The lives of an English working-class family are told out of order in a free-associative manner. The first part, "Distant Voices", focuses on the father's role in the family. The second part, "Still Lives", focuses on his children.

Director:

Terence Davies

Writer:

Terence Davies

Stars:

Pete Postlethwaite, Freda Dowie, Angela Walsh

10 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Freda Dowie	...	Mother
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Father
Angela Walsh	...	Eileen
Dean Williams	...	Tony
Lorraine Ashbourne	...	Maisie
Sally Davies	...	Eileen as a Child
Nathan Walsh	...	Tony as a Child
Susan Flanagan	...	Maisie as a Child
Michael Starke	...	Dave
Vincent Maguire	...	George
Antonia Mallen	...	Rose
Debi Jones	...	Micky
Chris Darwin	...	Red
Marie Jelliman	...	Jingles
Andrew Schofield	...	Les

Storyline

The second film in Terence Davies's autobiographical series ('Trilogy', 'The Long Day Closes') is an impressionistic view of a working-class family in 1940s and 1950s Liverpool, based on Davies's own family. The first part, 'Distant Voices', opens with grown siblings Eileen (Angela Walsh), Maisie (Lorraine Ashbourne) and Tony (Dean Williams), and their mother (Freda Dowie) arranged in mourning clothes before the photograph of their smiling father (Pete Postlethwaite). Soon after, the family poses in a similar tableau, but for a happier occasion - Eileen's wedding. While relatives sing at her reception, Eileen hysterically grieves for her dad, and recalls happy times of her youth. Tony and Maisie's memories, however, are more troubled. Davies intermingles and contrasts scenes like the family peacefully lighting candles in church with the brutal man beating his wife and terrorizing his young children. In 'Still Lives', set (and filmed) two years later, the siblings are settled in life, ...

---

Plot Keywords:

singing | liverpool | wedding | 1950s | 1940s | 

---

Taglines:

In memory, everything happens to music.

---

Genres:

Drama | Music

---

Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

UK West Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 1988 (France)

Also Known As:

Entfernte Stimmen - Stilleben

Filming Locations:

Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$688,329

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Film Institute (BFI), Channel Four Films, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The photograph of a man with a pony, on the wall of the living room, is a genuine photo of Terence Davies' father, on whom Pete Poslethwaite's character is closely based.

---

Quotes

Micky: If I'd played me cards right I'd be in America now... Remember that Yank I went out with, Mrs. D? He thought I had lovely eyes. Hated the rest of me, but thought I had lovely eyes!... And I end up by falling for a dwarf.

---

Connections

References Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)

---

Soundtracks

Hymn to the Virgin
Written by Benjamin Britten

User Reviews

Stunning 60´s piece

This film grows on you - the first time I saw it, it was rather bleak and just a bit boring.

However, the more you think about it and if you were lucky enough to record it and watch it again, it slowly but surely turns into a masterpiece.

The characters, the setting, the atmosphere is true England - England which has all but disappeared. This film is so unique it deserves a place up there with the likes of Citizen Kane, Pelle The Conqueror etc. etc.

Don´t miss it!!!