Keith Richardson Movies
- 1998
Lost for Words is a poignant autobiography of Deric Longden's relationship with his aging and eccentric mother, Annie. The opening scene depicts Annie as an opinionated, never-at-a-loss-for-words character who insists upon running the show, even going so far as choosing her own Mother's Day card and dictating how mundane chores should be performed. But everything changes when a debilitating stroke suddenly silences her. The heartwarming story, a son-to-mother tribute, traces the difficult care-giving decisions that Deric and his wife, writer Aileen Armitage, faced as the courageous Annie's health failed. The cast includes Thora Hird as Annie, Pete Postlethwaite as Deric, and Penny Downie as Aileen Longden. Lost for Words is a sequel to Deric Longden's 1994 autobiographical story, "Wide Eyed and Legless". ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide
- 1998
The Round Tower is the 1998 UK television miniseries directed by Alan Grint and adapted from the popular novel by Catherine Cookson. Set in 1950s England, teenager Vanessa Ratcliffe (Emilia Fox) is the wealthy daughter of a powerful industrial family (Keith Barron and Jan Harvey). Angus Cotton (Ben Miles) is the poor son of a house maid (Catherine Terris) who happens to be a brilliant engineer. Vanessa runs away and learns to live without money, while Angus is determined to get wealthy and win her love. Events force them together, despite oppostion from her parents. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1997
British television's adaptation of Catherine Cookson's novel, The Moth was set during the Edwardian era. Jack Davenport starred as carpenter Robert Bradley, who found himself in the employ of the wealthy and aristocratic Thorman family. When Robert fell in love with the beautiful Sarah Thorman (Juliet Aubrey), he ran up against the stern opposition of the parents -- not only Sarah's mother and father, but also his own. The Moth was presented in three 50-minute segments by Tyne Tees television in 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This 5.7-million-dollar British comedy from writer/director Gary Sinyor satirizes the now-familiar Merchant-Ivory style of period dramas. So no one will miss the joke, the central setting is Ivory Hall, the Ivory family mansion in rural England. In 1908, young twit Edward Ivory (Samuel West) plans to match his bookwormish friend Cedric (Robert Portal) with his 22-year-old sister, Emily (Georgina Cates), and introduces the two at Ivory Hall. However, Emily is instead attracted to gamekeeper George (Sean Pertwee), the son of a peasant (Brian Glover). Emily's aunt Agnes Ivory (Prunella Scales), in favor of Cedric, suggests an Enchanted April-type excursion to Italy with George along as a servant. Eventually, Emily and George become a couple, but class differences are a barrier. When Aunt Agnes becomes bored with Italy and yearns to go "somewhere more English," the vacation party is off to India, where Agnes has her own romantic encounter with lecherous tea-planter Horace (Peter Ustinov). Other short satirical send-ups recall Chariots of Fire, Brideshead Revisited, Upstairs, Downstairs, The Shining, and Gandhi, while humorous references also are heard in the soundtrack of classical excerpts. Stiff Upper Lips was shown at the 1997 London Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Ustinov, Prunella Scales, (more)
- 1997
Based on the novel by Catherine Cookson, this made-for-TV drama, set in England shortly before the outbreak of World War I, concerns Agnes Conway (Claire Skinner), a beautiful young woman who works in her family's confectioner's shop. Agnes' natural beauty and spirited nature lead her into romantic entanglements with two men from a prominent family -- first Charles Farrier (Edward Atterton), then his brother Reginald (Julian Wadham) -- and later into a friendship with the Felton family, decent folks from a notoriously rough part of England, when her sister Jessie (Michelle Charles) falls in love with one of the Felton men. Produced for British television, The Wingless Bird was first shown on American television as part of the acclaimed PBS anthology series Masterpiece Theater. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claire Skinner, Dale Meeks, (more)
- 1994
A man battles both his own demons and a fierce enemy while fighting on the front lines of World War I. Charlie (Lloyd Owen) is married Victoria (Catherine Zeta-Jones), though his heart belongs to her radiant sister Florence (Polly Adams). When Charlie heads to the battlefield in search of redemption, he discovers that atoning for your sins in a world gripped by war is no simple task. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lloyd Owen, (more)
A jazz musician who once turned his back on the family business finds that cutting one's ties to the past may not be as simple as walking away in this U.K.crime drama starring David Morrissey and Andy Serkis. Stephen Finne (Morrissey) comes from a long line of career criminals, but despite the fact that violence runs in his blood, all Stephen ever wanted was to open his own jazz club. Years after Stephen thought he had escaped this sordid underworld, he receives news that his father has been murdered. Now, as his sister screams for vengeance and his psychotic brother (Serkis) targets a rival gang boss, Stephen realizes that his fate has been sealed for generations. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Morrissey, Andy Serkis, (more)
- 1992
In its centuries-long role as the premiere empire in the world, Britain had a long history of putting political expediency over what most would consider to be the demands of common humanity. In this wartime drama, the Wellington Regiment, composed entirely of empire subjects from New Zealand, is being used in suicide missions (along with other colonial regiments) during World War I in order to spare the lives of British soldiers. The battle this story focuses on takes place on a hill in Turkey named Chunuk Bair. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Powell, Kevin J. Wilson, (more)
- 1989
A seemingly harmless man comes to a small town with a deadly mission in mind in this British made-for-television movie. Jack Shepherd stars as Peplow, a reserved man who meets up with a disenchanted, crippled veteran (Peter Egan) on the day of their town's annual fair. Unbeknownst to the curmudgeon vet, Peplow has come to town for more than just the fair. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1988
After the success of the British mini-series The Beiderbecke Affair and its sequel The Beiderbecke Tapes, the BBC followed with The Beiderbecke Connection, the final installment of the trilogy. The lives of jazz lovers Trevor (James Bolam) and Jill (Barbara Flynn), now married and raising their first child, become more complicated after they agree to take in a friend who has recently fallen on hard times. Though at times it seems their unexpected house guest be more trouble than they bargained for, he is, at least, a fellow jazz fan.
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Based on a true story, the three-part British miniseries Operation Julie detailed a massive drug "sting" conducted by British authorities in the mid-'70s. Colin Blakely and David Swift headed the enormous cast as, respectively, Detective Inspector Richard Lee and Detective Superintendent Gosling. The target for the authorities was a covert operation specializing in the manufacturer and worldwide distribution of LSD. As a faithful retelling of the largest undercover drug investigation of its kind in the United Kingdom, the series garnered a huge audience in both England and Europe. After its initial British TV run from November 4 to 6, 1985 (courtesy of Tyne Tees Television), Operation Julie was re-edited and reissued as a 100-minute feature film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Ray Lonnen starred in this British miniseries as Army Captain Harry Brown, assigned to go undercover in strife-ridden Northern Island. It was Harry's mission to locate and knock off the IRA assassin who killed a British cabinet minister. Among the many obstacles in Harry's path were the fact that the local police were unaware that he was on "their side," and his personal problems with his wife back in London. Along the way, Harry fell in love with a Belfast woman who may or may not have been an associate of the man (or woman?) he was hired to eliminate. Produced by Yorkshire Television, the three hour-long episodes of Harry's Game were seen over Channel Four from October 25 to 27, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
David Morrissey and Spencer Leigh starred in this five-part British miniseries as Icky and Billy, two troublemaking teens from Liverpool. When things get too hot for them at home, the boys run off to North Wales, hoping to bury the past behind them. But the past refuses to stay interred, with devastating results. Enhanced by the soulful harmonica renditons of Alan Parker, One Summer made its Channel 4 debut on January 1, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- R
This innocuous New Zealand-filmed "road" movie is buoyed by engaging performances and superb cinematography. The protagonists are young friends Gerry (Kelly Johnson) and Shirl (Claire Oberman) and their much-older travelling companion John (Tony Barry). The trio steals a car and hits the road. With the law on their trail, our heroes (and heroine) still manage to experience a steady flow of picaresque adventures. The huge supporting cast seems to be comprised of friends and relatives of the cast and crew, all of whom seem to be enjoying themselves. Luckily, their enthusiasm is contagious. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelly Johnson, Tony Barry, (more)
- 1979
Created by Ian Mackintosh, the British sitcom Thundercloud was set during WWII. Thanks to a bureaucratic snafu in the British admiralty, the HMS Thundercloud, a dry-docked Yorkshire naval base, was classified as an active minesweeper. As a result, the Thundercloud was able to requisition as many supplies as traffic would allow, whereupon these same supplies would be resold via the black market by the base's enterprising medical officer, Dr. Smith (Frank Gatliff) and chief petty officer Hawkins (James Cosmo). If the Thundercloud's befuddled skipper, Commander Flint (Derek Waring), knew what was going on, he certainly never betrayed that knowledge. The 13-episode Thundercloud was carried by ITV's Yorkshire Television service from May 24 to December 18, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
