Ethel & Ernest (2016)

The life and times of the parents of the hailed British graphic novelist, Raymond Briggs.

Director:

Roger Mainwood

Writers:

Raymond Briggs (graphic novel), Roger Mainwood (screenplay)

Stars:

Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn, Luke Treadaway

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jim Broadbent	...	Ernest Briggs (voice)
Pam Ferris	...	Mrs. Bennett / Aunty Betty (voice)
Roger Allam	...	Middle Aged Doctor (voice)
Brenda Blethyn	...	Ethel Briggs (voice)
Luke Treadaway	...	Raymond Briggs (voice)
Peter Wight	...	Detective Sergeant Burnley (voice)
Virginia McKenna	...	Lady of the House (voice)
June Brown	...	Ernest's Step Mother (voice)
Alex Jordan	...	Best Man / Fireman / Train Guard / Doctor (voice)
Simon Day	...	Alf (voice)
Harry Collett	...	Young Raymond (voice)
Gillian Hanna	...	Midwife / Aunty Flo (voice)
Duncan Wisbey	...	Wedding Photographer / Radio Announcer / BBC Newsreader / Newspaper Seller / Tailor / Arthur (voice)
Macready Massey	...	Teen-age Raymond
Karyn Claydon	...	Jean (Raymond's wife) (voice)

Storyline

In 1928 London milk-man Ernest Briggs courts and marries house-maid Ethel, their son Raymond being born in 1934. When World War II breaks out Ethel tearfully allows him to be evacuated to aunts in Dorset whilst Ernest joins the fire service, shocked by the carnage he sees. As hostilities end they celebrate Raymond's return and entry to grammar school and the birth of the welfare state though Ethel is mistrustful of socialism and progress in general. Raymond himself progresses from National Service to art college and a teaching post, worrying his mother by marrying schizophrenic Jean. However father and son console each other as Ethel slips away but before long Raymond is mourning his father too though both Ethel and Ernest will forever be immortalized by Raymond's touching account of their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

based on comic book | based on graphic novel | 20th century | crying | victory in europe day | 

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Taglines:

A true story.

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Genres:

Animation | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Blog Official Facebook

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 October 2016 (UK)

Also Known As:

Ethel and Ernest

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), British Film Institute (BFI), Ffilm Cymru Wales

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Carl Davis composed the original music for this film. The main piano theme in Ethel and Ernest is a reused version of Canon Collins, from his original soundtrack for the 1995 BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice (1995) (starring Colin Firth).

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Connections

References Hangman's House (1928)

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Soundtracks

In the Blink of An Eye
Written and Performed by Paul McCartney

User Reviews

A sublime revelation in every way

Having grown up, and loving to bits (still do), the stories and animations of 'Father Christmas', 'The Bear' and particularly 'The Snowman' and similarly being blown away by 'When the Wind Blows' (another seemingly personal work and I couldn't help being reminded by that when viewing 'Ethel & Ernest'), 'Ethel & Ernest' is yet another Raymond Briggs masterwork.

This 2016 animated adaptation couldn't have been more perfectly adapted and is simply sublime also on its own. Its story structure may be somewhat episodic, but actually in no way does that matter at all in this instance. This is due to how brilliantly made 'Ethel & Ernest' was and my vast emotional connection with it. Easily a highlight of my festive-period film/television watching.

Like with 'Father Christmas', 'The Bear', 'The Snowman' and 'When the Wind Blows', the animation from start to finish is stunning, from the level of detail to the meticulousness of the drawing. Not to mention the quaint and atmospheric colours and the gut-wrenching scenes depicting World War II and how people lived during it. The music is never intrusive yet always has a presence when needed. The use of music and songs from each stage of both characters' lives giving a sense of authenticity and effectively taking one back.

Furthermore, the script has a perfect balance of gentle yet hilarious humour (the funniest lines often coming from Ethel), genuine pathos such as the genuinely heart-rending ending beautifully done and fascinating history that is either educational, takes one back or both (it is somewhat fun to spot the historical figures and events). It also has darker moments (such as the carnage and terror WWII brought) that are quite harrowing and never trivialised and a beautifully pitched, never heavy-handed but admittedly at some time painful honestly. As can be seen, the range of emotions is very wide.

The story is easily the most personal of all Briggs stories and essentially a very affectionate yet compellingly real auto-biographical tribute to his real-life parents. It is a story and tribute that is throughout immensely charming, deeply touching, funny and very honest. It is gripping from start to finish, and with a lot going on but with a gentle pace that allows the events to breathe the hour and a half length feels justified and doesn't feel too long or the content over-stretched. Structurally it may seem episodic and slight, but the content is very much eventful.

Ethel and especially Ernest themselves are very likable protagonists in all their life stages, while their chemistry and love for one another is very affectionate but sometimes imperfect, a realistic depiction of marriage. Raymond is also charmingly portrayed. While all the vocal cast do a sterling job, Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent are truly outstanding and give Ethel and Ernest remarkably vivid life, making them compellingly real characters and relatable rather than stock or caricatures.

All in all, nothing to fault here, another masterful Raymond Briggs adaptation. 10/10 Bethany Cox