COLD COMFORT FARM
UK, 1994, 104 minutes, Colour.
Kate Beckinsale, Eileen Atkins, Ian Mc Kellen, Rufus Sewell, Freddie Jones, Miriam Margolyes, Joanna Lumley, Stephen Fry.
Directed by John Schlesinger.
Cold Comfort Farm is a celebrated British satirical novel by Stella Gibbons. It is here given the British television treatment and lavish style and cast by director John Schlesinger (whose films range from Darling, Midnight Cowboy, Far From the Madding Crowd to such television films as Separate Tables and An Englishman Abroad).
The film is set in the '20s-'30s and makes quite a contrast between the flapper age in London and the remnants of 19th century isolated farm people at Cold Comfort Farm.
The cast is very strong, led by Kate Beckinsale as the adventurous heroine, Flora. Eileen Atkins and Ian Mc Callum (with fiery religious fever and a country bumpkin accent) are the older generation. Rufus Sewell (Carrington, A Man of No Importance, Middlemarch) is one of the farming sons. Miriam Margoyles and Freddie Jones work at the farm. In the meantime, there is an eccentric performance from Joanna Lumley as a London fashion designer (very similar to her style in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous).
The film is a satiric parable of English life, the transition from the 19th to the 20th century, the old Gothic superstitions that governed families and kept them together, the religious fever and preaching that was characteristic of the countryside, the younger generation caught up with the movies (and suddenly being discovered in the countryside and going to Hollywood).
The film focuses on Flora, a young woman ambitious to write, eventually, a novel like Jane Austen's Persuasion, who at the death of her parents decides to live with relatives and goes to Cold Comfort Farm. She actually transforms all their lives from gloom to happiness, including her grand-aunt who had seen something terrible in the woodshed - and the audience never finds out what actually happened. But the grand-aunt comes from splendid isolation of 20 years to go to Paris to enjoy herself. It is that kind of film.
1.British telemovie? BBC and Thames production, style, settings and decor, costumes, cast?
2.The adaptation of Stella Gibbons' novel to the screen? Plot, characters, tensions? Satire and comedy?
3.The London settings, Mary's home, social events? The contrast with the farm, the countryside, the town? The social events in the country and the transformation of the grim Gothic farm to sunny England? Musical score?
4.The title and its irony? The prologue with the little girls and something horrible in the woodshed? The family always present at Cold Comfort Farm? The tradition - and everybody, including Aunt Ada, breaking free?
5.Flora, her age, background, friendship with Mary, their discussions? The funeral? Her writing to her cousins - and the visualising of their replies? Her not accepting? Judith's letter, the challenge? The mystery, the atonement that had to be made? Flora in herself, style, modern? Her going to the station, Adam meeting her? The introduction to the house, waking up and telling her to keep quiet? Her meeting the family? Her gradual manipulation of their lives? The irony of her anticipating cousins called Reuben and Seth? Suggesting to Amos, after listening to him preach, that he go on the road in a Ford? Suggesting to Reuben that he own the farm? Arranging for Seth to be seen by the movie producer? Taking Elfine in hand and getting Mary to glamorise and transform her? Talking to her aunt and persuading her to come out - and even go to Paris? Persuading the psychiatrist to come up and study Judith and Judith going away to the institute? Arranging Elfine and Dick's marriage? The housekeeper and her daughter? The friendship with Adam? Her meeting Charles, being in love with him, getting him to help with Elfine and Dick? Her life at the farm, her writing and her reading it aloud - and its cliches and her finally abandoning it? Her enjoyment of life, going to the church and her reaction to Amos's preaching and all the Quiverers? The social, her triumph, her organising everybody to better their lives? Her modern attitudes, her explanation of birth control? Her encounters with the novelist and writer, his pursuit of her and her seeing him ousted? Her own future?
6.Judith and her sinister gypsy look, the invitation to Flora, welcoming her, the tarot cards, her relationship with Reuben and Seth? With Aunt Ada? Her misery and her mysterious ways? Everything changing, Amos leaving? Her gradually being won over? The wedding - and her interest in the psychiatrist and going to the institution with him?
7.Amos, presiding at the table, relationship with Reuben and Seth and their work? His explanation of his gospel mission? Seeing him in action in the church? Being led on by Flora, his announcement, his postcard?
8.Reuben and Seth, working on the farm? Reuben and his love of the farm, mellowing, taking it over? Seth and his self-absorption, liking the talkies, the scenes of him washing himself (and echoes of D.H. Lawrence who is mentioned in the screenplay)? His meeting the producer and the producer's reaction, going off to Hollywood to the tunes of `Tara's Theme'?
9.Elfine, her dancing, her poetry, on the hillside, talks with Flora? Her love for Dick? Urk and his spying on her? Going to London and the transformation, going to the social? Meeting Dick's parents, their initial reaction, the announcement of the engagement? The happy wedding?
10.Charles and his being almost a minister, his plane, doing everything for Flora, taking her away and the happy ending?
11.Mary, London style, fashion, her chatter, her free thinking, her butler and his reading letters and telegrams? Transforming Elfine?
12.The housekeeper and her work, her daughter and the pregnancies? The discussion about birth control? The daughter and her attraction towards Reuben?
13.Adam, his place in the household, discussions with Flora, helping with the organ, taking the three balls as he left - and this being the final scene?
14.An odd gallery of characters? 19th and 20th century styles? Epitomising aspects of England?
