Charles Beeson Movies
Set largely in England (but filmed in Canada), Four Minutes is the story of Sir Roger Bannister, doctor by profession and runner by preference -- and the first man to run under a four-minute mile. Played by Jamie Maclachlan, Bannister is accurately depicted as a brilliant Oxford medical student, who in the years following WWII gains a reputation as England's fastest runner, but who regards his sports accomplishments as merely an adjunct to his studies, and thus avoids formal athletic training. Only after he fails to win a medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics does Bannister come to realize how important he has become as a morale-booster for a postwar Britain plagued by shortages, rationing, and unemployment. Shouldering this spiritual responsibility, Bannister submits himself to a grueling (but surprisingly scientific) training regimen imposed by disabled ex-athlete Archie Mason (Christopher Plummer). Originally slated for release in 2004 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Roger Bannister's "great run," Four Minutes was not seen until it was picked by the ESPN2 cable service on October 6, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Maclachlan, Christopher Plummer, (more)
One of the most popular adventure stories of all time gets an exciting new screen adaptation in this made-for-TV movie, based on Johann David Wyss' The Swiss Family Robinson. When Mr. and Mrs. Robinson (Liam Cunningham and Brana Bajic) decide to leave their home in Switzerland and start a new life in the United States, they know they and their children will be setting out on the adventure of a lifetime. However, when their ship sinks in a violent storm at sea, the Robinsons are faced with challenges they never expected; they make their way to a small island and must learn how to survive with only their wits to guide them. In time, the Robinson family manages to not merely survive, but thrive in their new home. When a band of ruthless pirates lands on the island, they have to defend their home and themselves while pondering if this could be their last opportunity to return to civilization. Stranded also stars Jesse Spencer, Bonnie Wright, Emma Pierson, Charlie Lucas, Andrew Lee Potts, and Neil Newbon as the Robinson children. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liam Cunningham, Jesse Spencer, (more)
- 2000
Based on a novel by Julia Wallis Martin, the BBC1 miniseries A Likeness in Stone starred Liam Cunningham as Detective Inspector Bill Armstrong, who retired from the force in frustration, unable to solve a particularly irksome missing-persons case some ten years earlier. When the body of the missing woman literally resurfaced, Armstrong vowed to reopen the case and bring the perpetrators to justice. The principal target of his dogged diligence was a trio of former college friends, notably the guilt-ridden Richard Kirschman (Andrew Lincoln). The two 75-minute episodes of A Likeness in Stone were televised in Britain on September 11 and 12, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Originally telecast over Britain's ITV1 in 2000, the two-part mystery miniseries Thursday the 12th began with the discovery of an unidentified body on the estate of Marius Bannister (Ciaran Hinds), a wealthy dentist and politician. As an investigative TV reporter Julian Glover sifted through the particulars of the case, the viewer was introduced to the dramatis personae: Bannister; his wife, Nina (Maria Doyle Kennedy); their troubled adopted teenaged son, Martin (Jim Sturgess); and Nina's predatory sister, Candice Hopper (Elizabeth McGovern). In Rashomon fashion, a series of flashbacks indicated that any one of these worthies had motive aplenty to be a murderer -- and in fact, one of them was the victim. The key to the mystery was in the hands of Marius' supposedly senile father, Edgar Bannister (Peter Vaughan). In the U.S., Thursday the 12th first aired over the Bravo cable network on June 4, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Glover, Ciarán Hinds, (more)
A co-production of Britain's BBC1 and Boston PBS outlet WGBH, Second Sight starred Clive Owen as Chief Inspector Ross Tanner and Claire Skinner as Tanner's deputy inspector, Catherine Tully. While investigating the murder of a troubled 19-year-old boy, Tanner comes to the daunting realization that he is going progressively blind. Relying on Catherine to be his "eyes," and counting upon his own inborn "second sight" as a veteran detective, Tanner feelts determined not to let his encroaching handicap impede his investigation. The drama's verisimilitude is enhanced by the presence on the set of police consultant Jon Bound and ophthalmic consultant Bob Cooling. In a reversal of the usual procedure attending Anglo-American TV productions, Second Sight aired first in America on September 30, 1999, then in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2000. After its initial brace of 90-minute episodes, the series settled into a weekly 50-minute BBC1 berth, its subsequent chapters bearing such titles as "Hide and Seek," "Kingdom of the Blind," and "Parasomnia." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claire Skinner, Clive Owen, (more)
- 1998
Produced for the PBS TV series Masterpiece Theatre, this adaptation of Laurie Lee's autobiographical novel follows a young man's maturation in the country town of Gloucestershire near the end of World War I. As young Laurie (Dashiell Reece) comes of age under the protective eye of his mother (Juliet Stevenson), he learns to live with an eccentric collection of friends, neighbors, and relatives. As he enters his teenage years, Laurie (now played by Joe Roberts) discovers women, specifically Rosie Burdock (Lia Barrow). Veteran screenwriter John Mortimer adapted Lee's book, with Lee narrating. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliet Stevenson
Agatha Christie's super sleuth Mark Easterbrook gets involved with a trio of contemporary witches while looking into the death of a priest. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Buchanan, Jayne Ashbourne, (more)
