Mrs Dalloway (1997)

In 1923 London, socialite Clarissa Dalloway's (Vanessa Redgrave's) well-planned party is overshadowed by the return of an old suitor she had known thirty-three years earlier.

Director:

Marleen Gorris

Writers:

Eileen Atkins (screenplay), Virginia Woolf (novel)

Stars:

Vanessa Redgrave, Natascha McElhone, Michael Kitchen

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway
Natascha McElhone	...	Young Clarissa
Michael Kitchen	...	Peter Walsh
Alan Cox	...	Young Peter
Sarah Badel	...	Lady Rosseter
Lena Headey	...	Young Sally
John Standing	...	Richard Dalloway
Robert Portal	...	Young Richard
Oliver Ford Davies	...	Hugh Whitbread
Hal Cruttenden	...	Young Hugh
Rupert Graves	...	Septimus Warren Smith
Amelia Bullmore	...	Rezia Warren Smith
Margaret Tyzack	...	Lady Bruton
Robert Hardy	...	Sir William Bradshaw
Richenda Carey	...	Lady Bradshaw

Storyline

London, summer 1923. Clarissa (Vanessa Redgrave), Member of Parliament Richard Dalloway's (Sir John Standing's) wife, sets out on a beautiful morning; she's shopping for flowers for her party that evening. At the same time Septimus Warren Smith (Rupert Graves), a young man who survived the battlefields of Europe, is suffering from a nightmarish delayed on-set form of shell shock. Clarissa's nearly-grown daughter is distant, and preoccupied. In the course of one day, Peter (Michael Kitchen), Clarissa's passionate old suitor, returns from India and is invited to her party, Septimus commits suicide, Clarissa relives a day in her youth (and her reasons for her choice of a life with the reliable Richard Dalloway).

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Plot Keywords:

england | love | friendship between girls | female friendship | friendship | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for emotional elements and brief nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

The dress the young Clarissa (Natascha McElhone) wears the night of the boat outing is a replica of the dress in the John Singer Sargent painting "Lady Agnew of Lochnaw".

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Goofs

In the flashback scenes with the younger actors, Peter is slightly taller than Clarissa. When they dance together at the party, he is considerably shorter than her.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Septimus Warren Smith: [shouting] Edwards! Don't come!

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Palmetto/Senseless/Dangerous Beauty/Mrs. Dalloway/Nil by Mouth/Live Flesh (1998)

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Soundtracks

Time for Old Time
Composed by Jack Trombey (as J. Trombey)

User Reviews

True to Woolf's finest novel, brilliant portrayal of contrasting themes...

While I agree with some of the more perceptive comments made here, I have a few of my own to add. First, the novel on which this film is based is an all-time favorite of mine and I'm happy to have seen it beautifully translated into cinematic form. The contrast between the personal and inner life of an upper class English woman and the horrors produced by war (in this case, symbolized through the experience of one man, brilliantly portrayed) is both moving and exacting. Vanessa Redgrave gives a splendid performance as Clarissa...sensitive, radiant, conservative and uncertain about life decisions as she looks back (nicely depicted in flashback). Michael Kitchen as her would-be lover of old is perfect for the role...quietly romantic, sexy, with just the right British propriety. The troubled young war veteran and his wife are well cast and Marleen Gorris should be credited with graceful directing.

Details

Country:

UK USA Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 February 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mrs Dalloway

Filming Locations:

Duke of York Column, St James's, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$90,127, 22 February 1998

Gross USA:

$3,309,421

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,309,421

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Look International, Bayly/Paré Productions, Bergen Film & TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1