The Remains of the Day (1993)

A butler who sacrificed body and soul to service in the years leading up to World War II realizes too late how misguided his loyalty was to his lordly employer.

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

Kazuo Ishiguro (novel), Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenplay)

Stars:

Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, John Haycraft

Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 33 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Haycraft	...	Auctioneer
Christopher Reeve	...	Lewis
Anthony Hopkins	...	Stevens
Emma Thompson	...	Miss Kenton
Caroline Hunt	...	Landlady
James Fox	...	Lord Darlington
Peter Vaughan	...	Father
Paula Jacobs	...	Mrs. Mortimer, the Cook
Ben Chaplin	...	Charlie, Head Footman
Steve Dibben	...	George, Second Footman
Abigail Hopkins	...	Housemaid (as Abigail Harrison)
Patrick Godfrey	...	Spencer
Peter Cellier	...	Sir Leonard Bax
Peter Halliday	...	Canon Tufnell
Hugh Grant	...	Cardinal

Storyline

Rule bound head butler Stevens' (Sir Anthony Hopkins') world of manners and decorum in the household he maintains is tested by the arrival of housekeeper Miss Kenton (Dame Emma Thompson), who falls in love with him in pre-World War II Britain. The possibility of romance and his master's cultivation of ties with the Nazi cause challenge his carefully maintained veneer of servitude.

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Plot Keywords:

butler | housekeeper | manor | estate | class differences | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for themes

Did You Know?

Trivia

The shop and pub that Stevens visits on his way to Clevedon are opposite each other in the village of Limpley Stoke. The other pub in this movie, where Miss Kenton has a date, is not far (less than four miles (six and a half kilometers)) from Limpley Stoke in Norton St. Philip.

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Goofs

After Richard Carlisle drops off Stevens and empties the can of petrol into the gas tank of the car, the Daimler starts up right away on the first try. Considering that the car stalled because of fuel starvation due to an empty tank, the engine would be unable to start until the fuel pump has operated long enough to pump the gas from the tank to the float bowls of the carburetor. It would start eventually, but not instantaneously.

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Quotes

Reginald Cardinal: You remember that American, Stevens, calling Lord Darlington an Amateur? Well he was right, Stevens. He was damn right.

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Connections

Referenced in Law & Order: Remains of the Day (2007)

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Soundtracks

Sei mir gegrüsst
Composed by Franz Schubert
Text by Friedrich Rückert
Sung by Ann Murray
Piano: Graham Johnson

User Reviews

An excellent adaptation

In the WWII era, Mr Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) is a well experienced, dedicated butler who's loyal to his pro-Nazi master. He is always placid and graceful. Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson) is a new housekeeper and her liveliness and wit somehow touches Mr Stevens' very soul. But he conceals his feeling towards her, and she can never unlock that closed door of his heart.

Mr Stevens looks back on all this while on a road trip for meeting Miss Kenton after twenty years. He now serves a new master, Lewis (Christopher Reeve) who was once one of the guests of his formal master back in the 1940s. On the way his memory slowly flows back to him (and he also realises that his formal master was not an impeccable man after all)...when Mr Stevens and Miss Kenton bid farewell again, she looks into his eyes while her tears roll down her cheeks...a very sad scene.

'The Remains of the Day' is about love that is never obtained...love that is never verbally expressed...love of which you finally has to let go...having read the book (which is finely written), I realise that this film is a wonderfully successful adaptation. Anyone who's into love stories should watch this.

Details

Official Sites:

Merchant Ivory Productions [United States]

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English French German

Release Date:

19 November 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Remains of the Day

Filming Locations:

Post Office, Limpley Stoke, Somerset, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,528,982, 7 November 1993

Gross USA:

$23,237,911

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,237,911

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Merchant Ivory Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby SR (35 mm prints) SDDS (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1