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Actors: Emma Thompson, Phyllida Law
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Winter Guest |
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It is February in a small town on the north coast of Scotland, during a winter so cold the sea has frozen over near shore. Although the central emotional relationship in this story is between Frances, a young widow (Thompson) still closed off from the world in grief, and her crotchety, irritating mother Elspeth (Thompson's actual mother Phyllida Law), who tries to get her to live again, there are three other pairs in the plot as well. Frances's teenage son Alex falls into the fine clutches of Nita, a lively girl who has been interested in him for quite a while; Tom and Sam are two young boys who cut school to talk, play, and tussle (and provide much of the comic relief, if you can tune in to their heavy Scottish accents); and Chloe and Lily are two elderly ladies who pass the time attending the funerals of strangers. The 1997 film (co-written and directed by actor Alan Rickman, based on a play by Sharman MacDonald) has a calm, austere beauty, with Law providing much of the commentary and Thompson presenting a rich, largely silent emotional apex.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Alan Rickman co-written and directed this unique independent film which consisted of several interlocked events. There's one about a special mother and daughter relationship,one of 2 elderly women quirky hobby of attending strangers' funerals and one about first love,etc.
--Jenny, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Winter Guest |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1980's-1999
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- seduction (yum!)
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Kids:
- general coming of age story
Family, loving
Yes
Special relationship with
- mother
- daughter
Inner struggle or disability
Yes
Ethnic/Regional/Gender story?
Yes
Culture clash?
- family young v. old guard
- visiting a different culture
- being oppressed by outside culture
Culture of surrounding area:
- British
Age group
- trouble in grade school
Sexing?
- first sexual experience
Coping with loss of loved one?
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- artist
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (woman) short/butch/lez
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
- caring
- sad
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- soggy whimpering jelly muffin
Sense of humor?
- Cynical sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- white/grey
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Body type
- (woman) very skinny
How much in movie?
- 60%
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- all mixed up
- thoughtful
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- kissing
- sex under blankets
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- English
Subtitles?
- No
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
Is this movie based on a
- play
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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