My Life So Far (1999)

Memoir of the lives of a family growing up on a post World War I British estate headed up by a strong disciplinarian, her daughter, her inventor husband, their ten year old son and his ... See full summary »

Director:

Hugh Hudson

Writers:

Denis Forman (book) (as Sir Denis Forman), Simon Donald (screenplay)

Stars:

Colin Firth, Rosemary Harris, Irène Jacob

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Colin Firth	...	Edward
Rosemary Harris	...	Gamma
Irène Jacob	...	Aunt Heloise (as Irene Jacob)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Moira
Malcolm McDowell	...	Uncle Morris MacIntosh
Robert Norman	...	Fraser
Tchéky Karyo	...	Gabriel Chenoux (as Tcheky Karyo)
Kelly Macdonald	...	Elspeth
Roddy McDonald	...	Rollo
Daniel Baird	...	Finlay
Jennifer Fergie	...	Brenda
Kirstin Smith	...	Meg (as Kirsten Smith)
Sean Scanlan	...	Andrew Burns
John Bett	...	Uncle Crawford
Anne Lacey	...	Aunt Eunice

Storyline

Memoir of the lives of a family growing up on a post World War I British estate headed up by a strong disciplinarian, her daughter, her inventor husband, their ten year old son and his older sister. Through the household comes a number of suitors hoping to impress the young woman, including an aviator. When the elder woman's son shows up at the estate with his French fiancé, everything gets thrown into turmoil. The young boy takes a sudden interest in her sexual allure and his father is disturbed by his own non-Victorian feelings.

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Plot Keywords:

wet dream | voice over narration | temptation | swan | scottish highlands | 

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Taglines:

Imagine a summer in paradise with nothing to do except everything your heart desires.

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, including some nude pictures

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was shown in a special benefit screening at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, May 20, 1999, where it was reported: "The child lead is played by an Edinburgh schoolboy Robbie Norman, who was 11 at the time of shooting two years ago. He had never acted professionally before."

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Goofs

While Fraser at age 3 crawls out of his bedroom onto the roof, his older brother, young Rollo in short pants with suspenders (in a shot from behind at 02:27), is on the lawn holding a tennis racket, but (at around 28 mins) the scene cuts to a frontal shot where young Rollo's hands are empty. Later (at around 33 mins), he holds the tennis racket again.

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Quotes

Fraser Pettigrew: [voice-over] I think the Emperor wants to dance with Elspeth because all that's on his mind is slanking. He is French.

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Crazy Credits

Grateful special thanks to the entire Miramax London operation and the people of Stracchur & Cairndow.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: American Pie/My Life So Far/The Blair Witch Project/Arlington Road/Return with Honor (1999)

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Soundtracks

The Sunny Side of the Street
(1930)
Music by Jimmy McHugh
Lyric by Dorothy Fields
Published by Memory Lane Music Ltd./Lawrence Wright Music Co. Ltd./MCA Music Inc./Songwriters Guild of America
Performed by Louis Armstrong
Courtesy of MCA Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Universal Music Special Markets/Universal Music (UK) Ltd.

User Reviews

A kind family & precocious child in a gentle setting

Many summaries have described this film's plot as a love triangle that occurs in turn-of-the-century Scotland. Nonsense. What is this tendency to pigeonhole films by the time and place

in which they occurred? Maybe its because of Hollow-wood's tendency to create shallow "costume dramas." If a film has any merit at all, it is because it TRANSCENDS its setting, and speaks to its audience, whoever and wherever they are.

"My Life So Far" is a story of the intellectual development of a very bright child. His piecing together and puzzling out of the complex emotions of the people around him, in addition to his own feelings and experiences, and the information he receives via overheard conversations, books, music and so forth are interesting and original and seem totally spontaneous. It is a joy to experience what he experiences.

The ensemble acting is effortless, especially the child actor, who is so spontaneous and self-absorbed, you feel you are a member of the family, not an onlooker. Production values are sterling. The shots of the huge Scottish castle and its beautiful lands are somehow comforting. (This is neither a child's film, nor an adult's film. "My Life So Far" doesn't really have a niche, and that may be why it has not been widely distributed).

It is a film to see to renew your memories of being a child and to cause you to meditate on what daily life can be like for a child who is alert, intelligent, and surrounded by love and a good home.

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 August 1999 (Singapore)

Also Known As:

World of Moss

Filming Locations:

Scotland, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$53,937, 25 July 1999

Gross USA:

$635,620

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$635,620

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enigma Productions, Hudson Film, Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1