William Trevor Movies
Adapted from William Trevor's novella of the same name, the made-for-cable My House in Umbria stars Dame Maggie Smith as Mrs. Emily Delahunty, a British romance novelist living in Italy. While on a shopping excursion to Milan, Emily barely survives a terrorist train bombing. Though she recovers fairly rapidly from her ordeal, three others -- a German journalist a British general and a traumatized orphan girl -- still bear profound physical and emotional wounds. In the spirit of democracy and compassion, the pluck Mrs. Delahunty invites her fellow survivors to recuperate at her lavish Italian estate. This ersatz family gets along famously -- at least until the arrival of the orphan's priggish uncle, American entomologist Tom Riversmith (Chris Cooper), who strongly disapproves of Mrs. Delahunty's carefree lifestyle. Filmed on location in Tuscany and Rome, My House in Umbria debuted May 25, 2003, on the HBO cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Barker, Chris Cooper, (more)
Directed by Atom Egoyan, Felicia's Journey is a low-key psychological thriller about the relationship between a lovesick young woman and an older man with an ugly secret. Felicia (Elaine Cassidy) has lived all of her life in a small village in rural Ireland. She has fallen in love with a boy named Johnny (Peter McDonald), so when Johnny unexpectedly travels to England in search of a job, Felicia wants to follow him -- especially since she's pregnant, a fact that she's keeping secret from her family, as well as Johnny. However, Johnny's family refuses to give her his address, so she leaves for Birmingham with only a sketchy idea of his whereabouts. Shortly after arriving, Felicia encounters Joseph Ambrose Hilditch (Bob Hoskins), the meticulous manager of a catering concern. She needs a place to stay and he recommends a good bed-and-breakfast. They soon become friendly, but Hilditch is more than just a mildly eccentric middle-aged man with a taste for French cuisine: he's had a long history of using and abusing homeless women, and Felicia looks like she's doomed to be the next victim. Based on a novel by William Trevor, Felicia's Journey was shown in competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Elaine Cassidy, (more)
- 1990
- PG13
Set in post-WW I Ireland, Fools of Fortune takes place on the huge estate of the aristocratic Quinton family. Sheltered from the economic and political travails all around them, the Quintons are shocked into the Real World when one of their workers is ritualistically murdered. This is but one more bloody chapter in the ongoing struggle between the IRA and the British Army. Previously noncommittal, the Quintons are thrust into the middle of the struggle, After a deadly confrontation in which most of his loved ones are killed, young Willie Quinton (Sean T. McClory as a youth, Ian Glen as an adult) vows revenge. He briefly forgets his new purpose in life during a romantic liaison with his cousin Marianne (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), but a renewed cycle of tragedy galvanizes Willie into disastrous action. It is difficult to sort out the heroes and villains in Fools of Fortune; it is a certainty, however, that the true victims are the Innocent. Michael Hirst based his screenplay on a novel by William Trevor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Iain Glen, (more)
Previously adapted for British television in 1962, Charles Dickens' novel The Old Curiosity Shop was given the BBC miniseries treatment a second time beginning December 9, 1979. On this occasion, Natalie Ogle starred as Little Nell, resourceful granddaughter of an elderly shopkeeper (Sebastian Shaw) addicted to gambling. Despite the formidable villainy of malevolent dwarf Daniel Quilp (Trevor Peacock), Nell struggled valiantly to save the shop from passing into other hands -- and to save her grandfather from himself. Wisely, this adaptation retained the tragic ending that stirred up a storm of controversy when the novel was originally published. The Old Curiosity Shop ran for nine half-hour episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Natalie Ogle, Sebastian Shaw, (more)
- 1975
The short stories of prolific British author Graham Greene were grist for the mill in this weekly British anthology. Shades of Greene featured some of the best character actors in the United Kingdom, all of whom seemed thrilled at playing full leads rather than their usual supporting roles. Among the noteworthy writers who adapted the 19 stories for television were John Mortimer, William Trevor, and Clive Exton. Individual titles included "When Greek Meets Greek," "Cheap in August," "The Root of All Evil," and "A Little Place Off the Edgeware Road." Telecast variously in a 25-minute and 50-minute format, Shades of Greene was presented by Thames Television from 1975 to 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
