Wuthering Heights (1998)

Mistreated foundling Heathcliff and his stepsister Catherine fall in love, but when she marries a wealthy man, he becomes obsessed with getting revenge, even well into the next generation.

Director:

David Skynner

Writers:

Emily Brontë (novel), Neil McKay

Stars:

Robert Cavanah, Peter Davison, Orla Brady

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Cavanah	...	Heathcliff
Peter Davison	...	Joseph Lockwood
Orla Brady	...	Cathy
Tom Georgeson	...	Joseph
Matthew Macfadyen	...	Hareton Earnshaw
Sarah Smart	...	Catherine Linton
Kadie Savage	...	Young Cathy
Ken Kitson	...	Mr. Earnshaw
Kevin Knapman	...	Young Hindley (as Kevin Jones)
Terry Clynes	...	Young Heathcliff
Polly Hemingway	...	Nelly Dean
Ian Shaw	...	Hindley
Catherine Chesire	...	Frances
Flora Montgomery	...	Isabella
David Maybrick	...	Gaddick

Storyline

Gipsy boy Heathcliffe is adopted by a god-fearing landowner in northern England and grows up as the soul-mate of the daughter, Cathy Earnshaw. When father dies, stern son Hindley returns and bans Heathcliffe to the stables; when they spy upon their upper class neighbors, Edgar Linton sends the dogs upon them and chases Heath but starts an affair -love comes only from him- with her. When Hindley's socialite wife Frances dies in childbirth, he is completely embittered, becomes a drunk unable to care for his son Hareton and has to sell Wuthering Hights- to Heathcliffe. After a misunderstanding Cathy marries Linton, Heath retorts by a loveless match with his sister. Even Cathy's death doesn't stop the cycle of spite, grief and harm so it poisons the next generation's lives as well while she keeps haunting Heathcliffe...

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | 

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Taglines:

Two hearts that beat as one

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

PBS [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 October 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cumbres borrascosas

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Weekend Television (LWT), WGBH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When filming in Yorkshire, the weather was so bad that machinery brought in to create the storms was redundant, and a couple of scenes had to be dropped.

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Connections

Version of Wuthering Heights (1959)

User Reviews

They changed the book too much!

I completely agree with the comments posted by the reviewer with the cryptic name of hpbfan8790 : this adaptation doesn't come close to the spirit of the book. I LOVE the book Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and just had to get a TV adaptation. I live in Spain, and these things are not easily available here, but as I happened to be in Gibraltar this past weekend I scoured the video stores in search of an adaptation of this timeless classic. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be very popular, though at last I found this version. I sat through the first half hour and could just not bear it any more! I don't expect an adaptation for the screen to be as detailed as the novel on which it is based - that would be impossible - but I have seen a few adaptations of classics that do manage to capture the essence of the book, and at least do not contradict it (see the excellent LWT '86 adaptation of A Little Princess - for further information please contact me ) but in this version so many things were happening that were just not true! Eg, Mrs Earnshaw was alive when the Master brought the boy from Liverpool. And it was so, so rushed. And, dear me, the ages! Cathy and Heathcliff at least twenty-two and playing like children on the moors! They were supposed to be children in the book, that first time they intruded the Grange and Cathy was bitten by the hound! The setting though was nice, but that's about all. I realize it's a difficult novel to bring to the screen, but someone PLEASE do recommend a more faithful (and lengthy) version.