A Room with a View (film)
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| A Room with a View | |
|---|---|
 original movie poster |
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| Directed by | James Ivory |
| Produced by | Ismail Merchant |
| Written by | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (based on the novel by E.M. Forster) |
| Starring | Maggie Smith Helena Bonham Carter Denholm Elliott Julian Sands Daniel Day Lewis DameJudi Dench |
| Music by | Richard Robbins (score) Giacomo Puccini (sung by Kiri Te Kanawa) |
| Cinematography | Tony Pierce-Roberts |
| Editing by | Humphrey Dixon |
| Distributed by | Curzon (UK) Cinecom (US) |
| Release date(s) |  December, 1985 (premiere)11 April 1986 (wide)  7 March 1986 (NYC)April, 1986 (wide) |
| Running time | UK:117 min |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3,000,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
A Room with a View is a 1986 Merchant Ivory Productions' Academy Award-winning feature film, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. The film was directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant.
The film is based upon the novel A Room with a View by E.M. Forster and stars Maggie Smith (Charlotte Bartlett), Helena Bonham Carter (Lucy Honeychurch), Denholm Elliott (Mr. Emerson), Julian Sands (George Emerson), Simon Callow (Mr. Beebe), Judi Dench (Miss Eleanor Lavish), Daniel Day-Lewis (Cecil Vyse), and Rupert Graves (Freddy Honeychurch).
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The film tells the story of a woman struggling with her individuality in the face of the restrictive Edwardian culture of turn-of-the century England and her love for a free-spirited young man. The story begins in Florence then moves to England.
The film is a close adaptation of Forster's novel (but for its unequivocally happy ending), and even uses his chapter titles to divide the film into sections.
The premise of the story centers on the development of Miss Lucy Honeychurch. We first encounter Lucy as she is on holiday in Italy with her chaperone, Charlotte Bartlett. Both Lucy and Charlotte are conventionally English in contrast with the more free-thinking and free-spirited backdrop of Italy. It is at a small pensione in Italy that Lucy meets elderly Mr. Emerson and his handsome son, George. These men, although English, represent the forward-thinking ideals of the turn-of-the-century. They are the living embodiment of change, seeking to leave behind the repression and caution that was the norm in Victorian times. At first, the two Emerson men seem strange and unfamiliar to Lucy and Charlotte. However, as Lucy begins her journey to maturity and selfhood, she finds herself drawn to the men, especially the handsome George.
In an unguarded moment, George embraces and passionately kisses Lucy as she approaches him to ask a question. The scene takes place in a rural barley field, but is seen by chaperone Charlotte and quickly stopped. George's lust and unrestrained passion shocks Lucy, but lights a secret desire and romance in her heart for the handsome young man.
Upon returning to England, Lucy forgets her passionate kiss and brief friendship with George Emerson. She accepts a marriage proposal from an uptight, emotionally impotent, arrogant man named Cecil Vyse. Assuming that she will never see George Emerson again, Lucy moves forward with Cecil. However, she soon learns that both George and his father have moved to her small village and will be neighbours in her community.
At first, Lucy seems happy and pleased to make an engagement with Cecil, who is a respected and wealthy man. They both seem destined to follow a path of doing what is expected of them, reacting in a dispassionate way to life, and never experiencing any fluctuations of emotions. Lucy's innocence and desire to be the perfect young English lady suggest that she would prefer Cecil's safety and stability. Her passionate piano playing suggests that deeper emotions lie beneath the surface of Lucy's cool, calm exterior. The appearance of George Emerson soon disrupts her plans and forces her to make a choice between the dull, dry security she would find with Cecil or the wild uncertainty she would have with George.
After a period of living in Lucy's small village, the Emerson men decide that they do not fit in with the locals. The two men make plans to move out of their home, and find a more open-minded place to live. Lucy has already broken her ties to Cecil, and wants to travel for a while. She yearns to separate herself from the antics of her brother, Freddy, as well as the sweet-yet-tiresome older neighbors (including Charlotte Bartlett and Lucy's own mother). Just as she is about to leave Windy Corner to set out on an independent adventure, she reunites with George Emerson; they elope to Florence.
[edit] Cast
- In Florence
- Maggie Smith - Charlotte Bartlett, a chaperon
- Helena Bonham Carter - Lucy Honeychurch, Miss Bartlett's cousin and charge
- Denholm Elliott - Mr. Emerson, an English tourist
- Julian Sands - George Emerson
- Simon Callow - The Reverend Mr. Beebe
- Patrick Godfrey - The Reverend Mr. Eager, Chaplain of the Anglican Church in Florence
- Judi Dench - Eleanor Lavish, a novelist
- Fabia Drake - Miss Catharine Alan
- Joan Henley - Miss Teresa Alan
- Amanda Walker - The Cockney Signora
- In England
- Daniel Day-Lewis - Cecil Vyse
- Maria Britneva - Mrs Vyse, Cecil's mother
- Rosemary Leach - Mrs Honeychurch, Lucy's mother
- Rupert Graves - Freddy Honeychurch, Lucy's brother
- Peter Cellier - Sir Harry Otway, a landlord
- Mia Fothergill - In England - Minnie Beebe
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- Kitty Aldridge - New Lucy
- Brigid Erin Bates - Maid at Windy Corner
- Isabella Celani - Persephone
- Luigi Di Fiore - Murdered Youth
- Matyelok Gibbs - New Charlotte
- Mirio Guidelli - Santa Croce Guide
- Freddy Korner - Mr. Floyd
- Patty Lawrence - Mrs. Butterworth
- Elizabeth Marangoni - Miss Pole
- Peter Munt - Coachman
- Lucca Rossi - Phaeton
- Stefano Serboli - Fighting Youth
- Phillida Sewell - Lady at Sir Harry's Garden Party
- Margaret Ward - Lady at Sir Harry's Garden Party
- Richard Robbins - Party Guest (uncredited)
- James Wilby - Party Guest (uncredited)
[edit] Reception
The film was nominated for several Academy Awards:
- Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (won)
- Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (won)
- Best Costume Design (won)
and
- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Denholm Elliott)
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Maggie Smith)
- Best Cinematography
The film also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film and Maggie Smith won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
[edit] Soundtrack
- O mio babbino caro (from Gianni Schicchi by Puccini) - Kiri Te Kanawa with London PO, condcuted by Sir John Pritchard
- The Pensione Bertollini
- Lucy, Charlotte And Miss Lavish See The City
- In The Piazza Signoria
- The Embankment
- Phaeton And Persephone
- Chi il bel sogno di Doretta (from La Rondine, Act One by Puccini) - Kiri Te Kanawa with London PO, condcuted by Sir John Pritchard
- The Storm
- Home, And The Betrothal
- The Sacred Lake
- The Allan Sisters
- In The National Gallery
- Windy Corner
- Habanera
- The Broken Engagement
- Return To Florence
- End Titles
- Music Composed by Richard Robbins
- Soundtrack Album Produced by Simon Heyworth
- Arrangements Frances Shaw & Barrie Gurad
- Music Publisdhe by Filmtrax PLC
[edit] See also
- Baedeker, a travel guide mentioned several times in the film
- Chiddingstone Castle, used as a location for the film
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Preceded by The Purple Rose of Cairo |
BAFTA Award for Best Film 1987 |
Succeeded by Jean de Florette |
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