David Neilson Movies
A family is forced to confront the personal issues they've been avoiding for years in this powerful, realistic drama. Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn) is a working-class British woman whose life has been a long series of painful disappointments. She's single with no romantic prospects and a dead-end job at a box factory. Her daughter Roxanne (Claire Rushbrook) works as a street sweeper and is chronically bitter. Cynthia helped raise her brother, Maurice (Timothy Spall), who is doing well as a photographer, but she rarely sees him and usually blames his wife, Monica (Phyllis Logan). One day, Cynthia receives a phone call from a woman named Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), who claims to be the daughter Cynthia put up for adoption years ago. Cynthia initially reacts with panic, but she agrees to meet Hortense and is surprised to discover that she's a successful and soft-spoken eye doctor -- and that she's black. Cynthia is soon convinced that Hortense is just who she claims to be, and they quickly form a friendship that gives Cynthia a new source of emotional strength. However, when Cynthia decides to introduce the family to her new "friend," it forces them to confront the lies and evasions that have kept them apart all these years. Largely improvised by director Mike Leigh and his cast, Secrets & Lies features standout work by Brenda Blethyn (who earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (who was nominated as Best Supporting Actress), and Timothy Spall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brenda Blethyn, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, (more)
- 1991
Chimera was originally produced for Britain's BBC television network. The title creature is a half man, half ape (Douglas Mann), the product of a hush-hush government project. Journalist John Lynch gets wind of the experiment when his girlfriend dies in a fertility clinic explosion. At the center of things is a mad-as-a-hatter scientist, whom the government continues to protect until it's almost Too Late. Christine Kavanaugh costars in this new twist on the old Frankenstein story. Chimera premiered in the US over the A&E Cable service on November 1, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- R
Mike Leigh's situation comedy about a lower middle-class family in the London suburbs is a slice-of-life chronicle that subtly reveals the pain and rage underneath the surface of day-to-day conventions. The youngish parents, Wendy (Alison Steadman) and Andy (Jim Broadbent) live with their 20-something twin daughters, Nicola (Jane Horrocks) and Natalie (Claire Skinner). Natalie, a plumber's assistant, is clean-cut and forever looks on the bright side of life. Nicola, who is unemployed, has nothing but contempt for conventionality. As the daughters deal with the obsessively sunny Wendy and the lackadaisical Andy, and confront a succession of ne'er-do-well friends and neighbors, a darker picture is painted of this normal family -- particularly Nicola, who is convinced she is fat and ugly (despite her emaciated appearance), with Natalie being a constant rebuke to her. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent, (more)
- 1985
- PG
In a gritty teen drama-comedy about racial tensions and high school competition, Christopher Wild stars as Kevin, the son of a white racist who goes against his father's prejudices by making friends with many black kids at school. The blacks have a band and majorette corps called the Crusaders that are blessed with talent but not much discipline. The white kids at school have their own marching band called the Knights, and Kevin is a hot-shot drummer for this otherwise pretty awful group of musicians. The Knights team up with the gorgeous majorette troupe known as the Emeralds and get ready for the big up-coming competition. Kevin gets invited by the Crusaders' conga drummer Melissa (Beverley Hills) to come practice with them and from those simple beginnings, he is caught up in a new romance and racial biases all at the same time. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Wild, Warren Mitchell, (more)
- 1982
Eminent British actor John Mills went the sitcom route in the ITV network's Young at Heart. Mills was cast as Albert Collyer, a pottery worker forced into retirement after 50 years at the same job. With no hobbies or outside interests (save for quaffing a few at the local pub), Albert shambled around his house in search of ways to occupy his time. Meanwhile, his wife Ethel (Megs Jenkin) was almost saintlike in her efforts to put up with her constantly underfoot husband. In addition to his acting chores, John Mills could be heard singing the series' familiar theme song. Introduced with a pilot episode on August 4, 1977, Young at Heart was seen from April 14, 1980 to July 2, 1981 on the ITV's ATV channel, then was broadcast by the network's Central Television division from September 24 to November 5, 1982, bringing the total number of episodes to 19. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Mills, Megs Jenkins, (more)
