Ladies in Lavender (2004)

Two sisters befriend a mysterious foreigner who washes up on the beach of their 1930s Cornish seaside village.

Director:

Charles Dance

Writers:

William J. Locke (short story), Charles Dance

Stars:

Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Daniel Brühl

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Judi Dench	...	Ursula
Maggie Smith	...	Janet
Daniel Brühl	...	Andrea
Freddie Jones	...	Jan Pendered
Gregor Henderson-Begg	...	Luke Pendered
Miriam Margolyes	...	Dorcas
David Warner	...	Dr. Francis Mead
Clive Russell	...	Adam Penruddocke
Richard Pears	...	Barry
Natascha McElhone	...	Olga Daniloff
Iain Marshall	...	Fisherman (as Ian Marshall)
Toby Jones	...	Hedley
Trevor Ray	...	Very Old Man 1
John Boswall	...	Very Old Man 2
Joanna Dickens	...	Mrs. Pendered

Storyline

Taking place in pre-World War II England, aging sisters Ursula (Dame Judi Dench) and Janet (Dame Maggie Smith) live peacefully in their cottage on the shore of Cornwall. One morning following a violent storm, the sisters spot from their garden a nearly-drowned man lying on the beach. They nurse him back to health and discover that he is Polish. Communicating in broken German while they teach him English, they learn his name is Andrea (Daniel Brühl) and that he is a particularly gifted violinist. His boat was on its way to America, where he is headed to look for a better life. It doesn't take long for them to become attached to Andrea, and they dote on him. Other townspeople, however, have their suspicions, especially when he befriends a Russian woman, Olga (Natascha McElhone).

---

Plot Keywords:

suspicion | russian | violinist | cornwall | violin | 

---

Taglines:

They saved a stranger from the sea and in return he stole their hearts.

---

Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dame Maggie Smith (Janet), Miriam Margolyes (Dorcus), and Toby Jones (Hedley) appeared in the Harry Potter film franchise as Professor Minerva McGonagall, Professor Sprout, and Dobby, respectively.

---

Goofs

Cattle crossing the road have ear tags not used in 1936 England.

---

Quotes

Andrea Marowski: [Andrea is about to leave, turns to Ursula] I walk.
Ursula Widdington: Oh, good. Um... we have chicken for supper.
[Andrea looks at her, not understanding]
Ursula Widdington: Um, um...
[she picks up Janet's German-English dictionary, but stops before opening it]
Ursula Widdington: Oh! Uh, Hundchen zum Abendessen.
[subtitles: Puppydog for supper]
Andrea Marowski: [he laughs] Hundchen?
Ursula Widdington: Hundchen, ja.
Andrea Marowski: Das ist gut. Wiedersehen.
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

Special thanks to the people of Helston, Cornwall and the people of Cadgwith, Cornwall.

---

Connections

Referenced in Clatterford: Easter (2009)

---

Soundtracks

Frühlingslied Op.62 #6
(1842) (as Spring Song)
Written by Felix Mendelssohn (as Felix Mendelssohn)

User Reviews

Excellent

Beautifully acted. The delineation of sibling rivalry between the two sisters, Ursula and Joan (Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, is a masterclass in itself. And what a treat to be entertained by Miriam Margoyes. Her Dorcas is the perfect foil for the two prim spinsters.

The script is finely wrought and the understated English humour a joy. There are moments when you just have to laugh out loud. At other times your empathy for the characters moves you to deep sadness and regret at lives that have had times of sorrow or been unfulfilled.

The visual imagery in this film is evokes the nostalgic feel of an English rural landscape of sixty years ago. The beautiful cinematography was complemented by the musical score.

This is the second English film in two weeks I have been really impressed by.

Details

Official Sites:

Filmax [Spain]

Country:

UK

Language:

English German Polish French

Release Date:

27 May 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ladies in Lavender

Filming Locations:

Cadgwith, Cornwall, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$149,224, 1 May 2005

Gross USA:

$6,765,081

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,421,130

Company Credits

Production Co:

UK Film Council, Baker Street, Future Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 103 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1