Evelyn Waugh Movies

Evelyn Waugh's classic novel of love and the British class system has been given a polished screen adaptation in this film version from director Julian Jarrold. The tale opens during WWII, when Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode), an English military officer, is stationed at a country estate that has been converted into a military base. Jarrold uses this time-frame and setting as a framing device, and then flashes back in time to Charles' days as a scholar in the 1920s. It becomes clear that he was raised in a middle-class household; though he was fortunate enough to have been accepted into Oxford, he doesn't belong to the British upper crust. At Oxford, Charles strikes up a friendship with twentysomething Lord Sebastian (Ben Whishaw). Charles is captivated by the splendor of Sebastian's life at his family's Brideshead Castle, and he finds himself drawn into a web of decadent comfort. For Sebastian, though, the familial estate represents a prison from which he longs to escape, and in desperation, he hits the bottle. Charles develops an infatuation with Sebastian's sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell), but also senses that his bond with Sebastian may be something far deeper than simple friendship. Also present at Brideshead is Sebastian and Julia's mother, Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson), an ice water-veined woman still reeling from her abandonment some time prior at the hands of her husband. Though bitter, the matriarch perceives Charles as an emotional anchor for the increasingly unstable Sebastian, and therefore suggests that Charles join Sebastian and Julia on a trip to see their father (Michael Gambon) and his mistress (Greta Scacchi) in Venice. Unfortunately, the romantic bond between Charles and Julia deepens, which threatens to destroy Sebastian. This feature constitutes the second major version of Brideshead Revisited to reach viewers; an earlier, 11-hour miniseries adaptation ran on television in 1981. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

First adapted as a three-part TV miniseries by the BBC in 1967, Evelyn Waugh's darkly humorous novel trilogy Sword of Honour was remade as a two-parter by Britain's Channel 4 34 years later. On this occasion, Daniel Craig was cast as Waugh's hapless protagonist Guy Crouchback, a WWII-era British soldier who aspired to nobility and heroism, if only to prove that he was worthy of his shrewish ex-wife Virginia (played by American actress Megan Dodds). Alas, the harder Guy tried to distinguish himself on the field of battle, the more he failed, and as an ironic counterpart, Guy's fellow soldiers, most of them cowardly liars, continued to be promoted and showered with military honors. Even when he finally was given the opportunity to prove his worth beyond question and reproach, Guy succeeded only in miring himself in yet another disappointment and humiliation. Grim though it sounded, Sword of Honour was quite funny in its own bitter fashion, even when using betrayal and death as a "punch line." The program aired in Britain on January 2 and 3, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Evelyn Waugh's 1945 novel Brideshead Revisited was offered to television viewers in this 11-part adaptation that originally aired on the U.K.'s ITV network. The miniseries, like the book, lays bare the eccentricities of the young British aristocracy, concentrating upon several Oxford students. The story is told from the point-of-view of Charles Ryder (Jeremy Irons), who is sucked into decadence by the "magically beautiful" Sebastian Flyte (Anthony Andrews). Flyte is the son of Lord Marchmain (Laurence Olivier), master of Brideshead Castle, where most of the story (covering the years 1924 through 1944) takes place. Brideshead Revisited was brought to America on PBS' Great Performances series, beginning its run on January 18, 1982. The miniseries created a stir in the U.S. because of its mild nudity and profanity; the presentation had to be re-edited when it was shown for a second time on PBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this feather-weight version of Evelyn Waugh's novel Decline and Fall, Paul Pennyfeather (Robin Phillips) is an Oxford divinity student who finds himself expelled after a gang of drunken freshmen remove his pants and he is accused of exposing himself to a girl. Looking for work, he retains the services of an unsavory employment agency that secures a position for him at a sleazy Welsh boarding school for boys, presided over by the colorful Dr. Fagan (Donald Wolfit). On staff at the school are an assortment of distasteful screwballs; Mr. Prendergast (Robert Harris) is a withdrawn former clergyman; Captain Grimes (Leo McKern) is a one-legged two-timer with his eye on Fagan's daughter Flossie (Patience Collier); and Soloman Philbrick (Colin Blakely) is an undercover criminal posing as Fagan's butler. All hell breaks loose during the school's annual Sports Day, but Paul manages to meet a wealthy patron of the school, Margot Beste-Chetwynde (Geneviève Page), who hires him to tutor her son. At her estate, Margot seduces Paul, and Paul proposes marriage. But before the wedding, Margot asks Paul, as a favor, to travel to Tangiers on a business trip. He agrees but is soon arrested for trafficking in prostitution. Sent to jail, he runs into Philbrick and Captain Grimes, and now Margot has to scheme to get Paul out of jail. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

The satire in Evelyn Waugh's darkly comic novel The Loved One was originally double-edged. The book was not only an attack on the Southern California funeral industry but also a lampoon of Hollywood's "British colony," those clannish, cricket-playing English actors of years gone by who bemoaned the artificiality of Tinseltown while eagerly accepting the demeaning and insignificant movie roles they were offered. The film version of The Loved One, anxious to live up to its ad-campaign promise of containing "something to offend everybody," downplays the British-colony business (save for the presence of the magnificent Robert Morley) and pumps up the "death" gags. Innocent British poet Dennis Barlow (Robert Morse) falls in love with funeral-home cosmetician Aimee Thanatogenos (Anjanette Comer), who in turn is loved by prissy funeral director Mr. Joyboy (Rod Steiger). The latter lives with his obese mother (Ayllene Gibbons), whose eating sequence is far more hilarious (and more tasteless) than many of the film's calculatedly "black" jokes. A huge guest-star cast is headed by Jonathan Winters in a dual role as a funeral home manager and his covetous twin brother, who operates an elaborate pet cemetery. Musician Paul Williams is also on hand as a 13-year-old aeronautics genius who develops a method of sending corpses into "eternal orbit" (a plot device that Waugh neglected to include in his novel). Film historian William K. Everson has commented that The Loved One is one of the best and most underrated comedies of the 1960s. For others, especially those who might feel guilty chuckling at the sight of Anjanette Comer committing suicide with an embalming needle, it's purely a matter of taste...or lack of same. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally telecast on the BBC, Brideshead Revisited gained enormous popularity in America when it was offered on PBS' Great Performances series. John Mortimer adapted Evelyn Waugh's novel into 11 episodes, most of which ran 60 minutes. The videotape version of Brideshead is boxed in a 6-volume set. "Book Five" consists of episode 8 (telecast March 8, 1982) and episode 9 (telecast March 15, 1982). The first installment is set in the mid-1930s, over a decade since Charles Ryder (Jeremy Irons) was introduced to the aristocratic-and deeply troubled-Marchmain family. Now a successful artist, Charles hasn't seen the Marchmain's in years; but while visiting Central America, he is reunited with the lovely Julia (Diana Quick). The second episode picks up where the first left off, with Charles and Julia enmeshed in a torrid affair. This sequence was a bit too torrid for some PBS affiliates, which is why it was trimmed during its first rerun cycle. (See separate entries for subsequent episodes) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast on the BBC, Brideshead Revisited gained enormous popularity in America when it was offered on PBS' Great Performances series. Based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead ran 11 episodes on television; the video version has been packaged into six volumes. "Book Three" consists of episodes 4 and 5, respectively telecast in the U.S. on February 8 and 15, 1982. In episode 4, profligate Sebastian Flyte (Anthony Andrews) is expected to live up to the standards set by his family, the ultra-aristocratic Marchmains of Brideshead Castle. Unable to satisfy his elders, he loses himself in drink and depression, resulting in an extremely unpleasant incident at a family party. Sebastian's best friend, Charles Ryder (Jeremy Irons), tries to help, but his inability to do so only makes things worse. In episode 5, Sebastian returns for another family reunion-with disastrous results. (See separate entries for subsequent episodes). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast on the BBC, Brideshead Revisited gained enormous popularity in America when it was offered on PBS' Great Performances series. Evelyn Waugh's novel about a trouble aristocratic Catholic family was adapted into an 11-part miniseries by John Mortimer; in the US, each episode was introduced by William F. Buckley Jr. When released to video, Brideshead was offered in six volumes. "Book Five" contains two episode, including the final one in the series. In episode #10, first telecast March 22, 1982 on PBS, we find that Charles Ryder (Jeremy Irons) and Julia Flyte (Diana Quick), the sister of his best friend Sebastian, have been lovers for two years. The central crisis in this installment concerns cousin Bridey (Simon Jones), who refuses to introduce his fiance to the family. The final 90-minute episode of Brideshead Revisted was telecast March 29, 1982. As the war clouds gather over England, Lord Marchmain (Laurence Olivier), a shadow of his former self, returns to Brideshead Castle. Now Charles, who previously appointed himself Protector of his Lordship's tragic son Sebastian (Anthony Andrews), must shield Marchmain from the "helpfulness" of his family. The story ends where it began, with an older, wiser, and more bitter Sykes roaming the grounds of the once-proud Brideshead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide