Howards End 

The social and class divisions in early 20th century England through the intersection of three families - the wealthy Wilcoxes, the gentle and idealistic Schlegels and the lower-middle class Basts.

Stars:

Matthew Macfadyen, Hayley Atwell, Philippa Coulthard

9 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Matthew Macfadyen	...	Henry Wilcox 4 episodes, 2017
Hayley Atwell	...	Margaret Schlegel 4 episodes, 2017
Philippa Coulthard	...	Helen Schlegel 4 episodes, 2017
Alex Lawther	...	Tibby Schlegel 4 episodes, 2017
Joe Bannister	...	Charles Wilcox 4 episodes, 2017
Donna Banya	...	Annie 4 episodes, 2017
Tracey Ullman	...	Aunt Juley 4 episodes, 2017
Bessie Carter	...	Evie Wilcox 4 episodes, 2017
Joseph Quinn	...	Leonard Bast 4 episodes, 2017
Rosalind Eleazar	...	Jacky Bast 4 episodes, 2017
Yolanda Kettle	...	Dolly Wilcox 3 episodes, 2017
Sandra Voe	...	Miss Avery 3 episodes, 2017
Gavin Brocker	...	Crane 3 episodes, 2017
Miles Jupp	...	Percy Cahill 3 episodes, 2017
William Belchambers	...	Burton 2 episodes, 2017
Hannah Traylen	...	Nancy 2 episodes, 2017
Jonah Hauer-King	...	Paul Wilcox 2 episodes, 2017

Storyline

The social and class divisions in early 20th century England through the intersection of three families - the wealthy Wilcoxes, the gentle and idealistic Schlegels and the lower-middle class Basts.

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Plot Keywords:

adaptation | tv mini series | based on novel | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

British Broadcasting Corporation [United Kingdom]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Howards End

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Playground Entertainment, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Starz Originals

Technical Specs

Runtime:

240 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Even though Matthew Mcfadyen and Julia Ormond play husband and wife, Julia is 10 years older than his male counterpart.

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Connections

Referenced in Honest Trailers: The Oscars (2017) (2017)

User Reviews

BBC takes on EM Forster

Love the book, and EM Forster's other work, and the 1992 film is not only one of the best Forster adaptations it is a wonderful film in its own right. BBC have done a lot of very good to outstanding period drama adaptations and the cast are a talented lot, so a large part of me was really looking forward to their adaptation of 'Howard's End'.

Watching all four episodes, found myself finding a lot to like about 'Howard's End' (2017) but feeling also it had its short-comings that stopped me from loving it. Of this and the 1992 film, as unfair it would seem to compare, there is no question which is the better one of the two, with the 2017 adaptation lacking the nuanced depth, emotion and elegance of the film.

There is a lot to like about 'Howard's End' (2017). It is impeccably made visually, with the period detail sumptuous and evocative, stylish costumes, beautiful photography and even more beautiful scenery/locations. The direction is admirably restrained without being pedestrian.

'Howard's End' (2017) is intelligent and controlled, doing a lovely job exploring Forster's many themes and insights that still hold relevance and provoke thought today (at least to me). Appreciated the subtle, restrained approach to the storytelling, and on the most part keeps the many layers and characterisation interesting.

Casting is also strong, with the standouts being Hayley Atwell, capturing Margaret's good intentions, spirit and emotional repression with ease, and a movingly poised Julia Ormond. Matthew MacFadyen brings a suitable amount of charisma. A lot of talk has been made about the diversity, this didn't bother me at all and am sure Forster himself wouldn't have been bothered by it, it didn't seem jarring and to me it seems to be something insignificant blown out of proportion.

On the other hand, as indicated, 'Howard's End' had its shortcomings. The first episode was something of a slow starter, it needed more zest and tighter pacing for an episode that felt more like set up than anything else. Stick with it though, because the other three episodes improve on this when the story and characters become richer and deeper. Timeline changes could have been clearer, sometimes it did feel jumpy and one doesn't know how much time has passed.

For me, and quite a few others it seemed, the music was a bit too intrusive and the sound could have been toned down. While the cast were on the most part very impressive, Tracy Ullman overdoes it a bit.

In summary, good but could have been more. 7/10 Bethany Cox