The Gathering Storm (2002)

Winston Churchill's wilderness years prior to World War II, when only he could see the threat that Adolf Hitler and a rearmed Germany posed to Europe.

Director:

Richard Loncraine

Writers:

Larry Ramin (story), Hugh Whitemore (story)

Stars:

Albert Finney, Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 19 wins & 31 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Albert Finney	...	Winston Churchill
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Clemmie Churchill
Jim Broadbent	...	Desmond Morton
Linus Roache	...	Ralph Wigram
Lena Headey	...	Ava Wigram
Derek Jacobi	...	Stanley Baldwin
Ronnie Barker	...	David Inches
Tom Wilkinson	...	Sir Robert Vansittart
Celia Imrie	...	Violet Pearman
Hugh Bonneville	...	Ivo Pettifer
Gottfried John	...	Friedrich von Schroder
Anthony Brophy	...	Brendan Bracken
Edward Hardwicke	...	Mr. Wood
Tom Hiddleston	...	Randolph Churchill
Tim Bentinck	...	Marlborough (as Timothy Bentinck)

Storyline

In the 1930s, Sir Winston Churchill (Albert Finney) was out of government, sitting as a backbench Member of Parliament. His was a lonely voice warning about German rearmament and the coming of a second major war on the continent. He lost a great deal of money in the Wall Street crash and now writes a biography of his ancestor the Duke of Marlborough, a newspaper column, and it's his only means of support. He has a close-knit group of supporters, not the least of whom is his wife Clementine (Vanessa Redgrave), who he loves very dearly. As he continues to press his concerns about Hitler, he is cast as a warmonger and frequently shouted down in Parliament by members on both sides of the aisle. With reliable information from a Foreign Office civil servant who feels the government is not accurately reporting on rearmament, he provides accurate figures to Parliament and the tide begins to turn. With the on-set of World War II in September 1939, Churchill returns to government as the First ...

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Plot Keywords:

winston churchill | 1930s | english politics | parliament | politics | 

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Taglines:

Germany was arming itself for war. But they didn't count on one man.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

The cast includes two Oscar winners: Vanessa Redgrave and Jim Broadbent; and two Oscar nominees: Albert Finney and Tom Wilkinson.

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Goofs

During the 'Battle of Blenheim' scene, the Union Jack is shown as one of the colors of the English army. The Union Jack was only used as a battle-standard after the Act Of Union in 1707, three years after the Battle of Blenheim.

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Quotes

Winston Churchill: I like pigs. Dogs look up to you; cats look down on you; pigs treat you as equals.

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Connections

Version of The Gathering Storm (1974)

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Soundtracks

Happy Days Are Here Again
Music by Milton Ager
Lyrics by Jack Yellen
Performed by Jack Hylton and His Orchestra

User Reviews

Biographies Rarely Get This Good

Finney adds yet another stupendous role to his acting credits. He plays Churchill warts and all, wisdom and all. Vanessa Redgrave is stunning as Mrs. Churchill. Finney and Redgrave, between the two, portray an interesting, intimate and wholly plausible complexity of their marriage and homelife. This, adding a major league cast of the Best of Britain, Jim Broadbent, Tom Wilkerson, Linus Roache, Derek Jacobi and on and on. If Nigel Hawthorne (God Rest him) was still among us, he would have been here. Richard Loncraine, the director, keeps the pace moving without compromising the performances. Finney deserves a special mention for his attempt to sound like WSC, without resorting to parody. A fine film, worthy of roses all around. A sumptuous screenplay that even Labour could support. Highly recommended.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Lonely War

Filming Locations:

Chartwell House, Westerham, Kent, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, BBC Films, Scott Free Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 120 min (Filmfest Hamburg)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1