Zoë Wanamaker Movies
As Madame Hooch in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Zoe Wanamaker teaches Harry how to fly on a broomstick. But the magic she works in that popular film is paltry compared with the magic she works on the stage performing in the works of Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Tennessee Williams, David Mamet, Arthur Miller, and other playwrights. Her starring role in the Sophocles play Electra won her the 1998 Olivier Award as Best Actress. It was her second Olivier in that category, the first coming in 1979 for her role as May Daniels in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of the Moss Hart/George Kaufman play Once in a Lifetime. Wanamaker also earned a 1984 Critics' Circle Theatre Award for her performance in Mother Courage, a 1986 Drama Desk Award for her performance in Loot, a 1992 Broadcasting Press Guild Award for her performance in Countess Alice, and a 2002 Olivier nomination for her performance in Boston Marriage. In addition, she has earned a Golden Globe nomination, two Tony nominations, three British Academy Award nominations, and a Royal Television Society Award for a TV series.Wanamaker was born in New York City on May 13, 1949. She became a Londoner at age three after her father, American actor Sam Wanamaker, moved to England to avoid testifying before the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee during Senator Joseph McCarthy's communist witch hunt. Because her father was a passionate Shakespeare fan, Zoe Wanamaker grew up with Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and Cleopatra as playmates while attending the King Alfred School in London. After Sam Wanamaker, a method actor, tutored little Zoe in the subtleties of the performing arts, he sent her to London's Central School of Speech and Drama to perfect her talents, where she studied until 1970. Meanwhile, Sam Wanamaker spearheaded the project to rebuild the Globe Theatre on the South Bank of the River Thames. Although he died before the new Globe was finished, his daughter stood in for him when the playhouse opened in June 1997. In a performance before Queen Elizabeth II, she recited the famous prologue to Shakespeare's Henry V.
Most of her acting has been for the stage or television playing a truly diverse collection of characters, including a dog, a leprechaun, Miss Murdstone in David Copperfield, Emilia in Othello, and Lady Anne in Richard III. When she was 45, Wanamaker married actor Gawn Grainger, a native of Ireland, inheriting two stepchildren. Living and acting off and on in England and the U.S. and holding citizenship in both countries, Wanamaker has posed a writing problem for critics: whether to refer to her as an English-American or an American Englishwoman. Probably the best solution is to refer to her as one of the world's finest actresses, and let it go at that. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
Five brothers and sisters find their uncle has a big surprise hidden in his estate in this comic fantasy for the whole family. Not long after World War I breaks out, five children -- Cyril (Jonathan Bailey), Robert (Freddie Highmore), Anthea (Jessica Claridge), Jane (Poppy Rogers), and Lamb -- find themselves in dangerous circumstances when their father is sent off to fight, and their mother volunteers to be a field nurse. Unable to care for themselves, the children are sent to the country, where they stay with their eccentric uncle Albert (Kenneth Branagh) and his ill-tempered son, Horace (Alexander Pownall), in Albert's ramshackle home. Uncle Albert has more than a few rules about what the children can and cannot do, but his strictest edict is that the children must never go into his greenhouse. Of course, the children's curiosity gets the better of them, and they sneak in to discover their uncle's big secret -- the building is home to Psammead (voice of Eddie Izzard), an ugly and often bad-mannered "sand fairy" who has the ability to grant wishes. However, the kids discover that Psammead's wishes only last for 24 hours, and that they have a strange habit of backfiring on their beneficiaries. 5 Children & It was based on the classic book for children by E. Nesbit; Psammead was realized onscreen with a puppet created by Jim Henson's celebrated Creature Shop. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Izzard, (more)
- 2001
- PG
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The best-selling novel by J.K. Rowling (titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in England, as was this film adaptation) becomes this hotly anticipated fantasy adventure from Chris Columbus, the winner of a high-stakes search for a director to bring the first in a hoped-for franchise of Potter films to the screen by Warner Bros. Upon his 11th birthday, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), who lives in misery with an aunt and uncle that don't want him, learns from a giant named Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) that he is the orphaned son of powerful wizards. Harry is offered a place at prestigious Hogwarts, a boarding school for wizards that exists in a realm of magic and fantasy outside the dreary existence of normal humans or "Muggles." At Hogwarts, Harry quickly makes new friends and begins piecing together the mystery of his parents' deaths, which appear not to have been accidental after all. The film features alternate-version scenes for every mention of the titular rock. Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, John Cleese, and Fiona Shaw co-star. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, (more)
The Groan family has led the people for years from their castle, Gormenghast. Although a new heir, Titus Groan, has just come into the world, a scheming kitchen boy, Steerpike, begins an elaborate attempt to take control. Surprisingly Steerpike faces his stiffest competition from the usually mild-mannered Titus, the Earl of Goran. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
- 1999
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An American businessman rents a cottage in Ireland, only to find the cottage is also inhabited by leprechauns as well. Soon, the American finds himself embroiled in a fierce dispute between the leprechauns and their enemies, the fairies, that only he can help settle. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randy Quaid, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
A distinguished cast highlights this made-for-TV adaptation of one of Charles Dickens' best-loved novels. Young David Copperfield (Daniel Radcliffe) is loved by his mother Clara (Emilia Fox), but does not get along with his foul-tempered stepfather, Murdstone (Trevor Eve). After biting Murdstone during a fight, David is forced to attend a boarding school operated by the vicious and humorless Mr. Creakle (Ian McKellen). After Clara suddenly dies, David is sent to work; while his labors are tiring and poorly compensated, he finds a benefactor in the good-hearted Mr. Micawber (Bob Hoskins) and his wife (Imelda Staunton). However, Micawber does not manage money well, and winds up in a debtors prison. Left to his devices, David sets out to find one of his few surviving relatives, his eccentric Aunt Betsy (Maggie Smith). The years pass, and the grown-up David (Ciaran McMenamin) has struggled to build a better life for himself, with the help of Betsy's attorney, Mr. Wickfield. David also becomes friendly with Wickfield's daughter Agnes (Amanda Ryan), but he finds a nemesis in the lawyer's clerk Uriah Heep (Nicholas Lyndhurst). David also marries a simple woman named Dora (Joanna Page), but their union brings him little happiness. David Copperfield was a co-production of the BBC and WGBH Boston. It received its American premier on the acclaimed anthology series Masterpiece Theatre. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, (more)
Swept From the Sea was inspired by a short story by Joseph Conrad. Set in late 19th-century Cornwall England in a small farming community, the story is told via flashback in a conversation between Dr. James Kennedy (Ian McKellen) and his patient Miss Swaffer (Kathy Bates). Dr. Kennedy despises indentured servant Amy Foster (Rachel Weisz). Miss Swaffer asks why, and so he recounts the love that blossomed between Amy and Yanko Goorall (Vincent Perez), a shipwrecked Russian who was trying to get to America. Born prior to her parent's wedding, Amy was relegated to a servant's life by rigid British society. Yanko was the sole survivor of a Russian shipwreck and he met Amy when he wandered onto her master's farm looking for food and shelter. Frightened and suspicious, no one but Amy is willing to help the bedraggled foreigner. Yanko eventually becomes a laborer for the Swaffer family. As he could speak no English at first, they know nothing of his origins. It is Dr. Kennedy who deduces his nationality after Yanko proves his mettle at chess. Impressed, the doctor offers English lessons in exchange for chess tutorials. In time, Kennedy comes to regard Yanko as a son. As soon as Yanko is able to converse, he asks about the maid who saved him, Amy. A love blossoms between them, one that deeply disturbs Kennedy. Still, he cannot prevent Swaffer from setting them up with land and a home so they can marry. A son is born, but Yanko is unable to withstand the harshness of Cornwall life, and tragedy ensues. Kennedy blames Amy for the tragic turn of events, but Miss Swaffer intervenes and tells the doctor the heartbreaking true circumstances surrounding Yanko. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Perez, Rachel Weisz, (more)
Literary genius, legendary wit, bon vivant, and gay martyr, Oscar Wilde was a man whose legend has grown to iconic proportions since his death at the beginning of the 20th century. Establishing Wilde (Stephen Fry) as a loving family man, complete with a wife (Jennifer Ehle) and two adorable sons, the film takes pains to portray him as a dignified genius who was as pained by what he considered his own sin -- his homosexuality -- as he was delighted by the sins of others. From his initial encounters with Robbie Ross (Michael Sheen), his first male lover, through his tragic affair with the beautiful and bratty Alfred Lord Douglas (a perfectly cast Jude Law), Wilde is seen as a conflicted fellow, warring with his own urges even as he dazzles everyone around him. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Fry, Jude Law, (more)
D.H, Lawrence's early play about a married woman who wishes her husband dead after falling in love with another man comes to the screen in this adaptation starring Zoe Wannamaker and Colin Firth. When her wish becomes a horrifying reality, her life begins to change in ways she could have never anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Firth, Zoë Wanamaker, (more)
Helen Mirren delivers a standout performance in this TV miniseries as Jane Tennison, a London police detective. Tennison is trying to track down a sex-crazed killer who is murdering prostitutes, while at the same time doing battle with her male colleagues for her fair share of respect and responsibility on the force. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Mirren, Tom Bell, (more)
- 1992
Based on a novel by Muriel Spark (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie), the British TV drama Memento Mori boasts an impressive cast of veterans, including Maurice Denham, Cyril Cusack, Sir Michael Hordern, Renee Ashershon, and Maggie Smith. The story concerns an eccentric group of senior citizens who are being plagued by a cryptic phone caller. The mystery man (or woman) says only "Remember, you must die!" before hanging up. For a while, it seems as though the domineering Ms. Smith is the instigator of the crank calls, but don't be too sure. Memento Muri premiered in the US as a two-part installment of Masterpiece Theatre, telecast October 25 and November 1, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephanie Cole, Renée Ashershon, (more)
Based on the 1978 novel by Julian Symons, the two-part, four-hour British miniseries The Blackheath Poisonings was set during the Victorian era. When the head of a prominent household is poisoned, virtually everyone within a 50 mile radius falls under suspicion. As the plot thickens, more suspicious deaths occur, the final one proving to be a means of "escape" for the guilty party. Deftly exploring the sinister underpinnings of 19th century British gentility, The Blackheath Poisonings was broadcast by Central Television on December 7 and 9, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christine Kavanagh, Ian McNeice, (more)
- 1991
This video is made up of four mini-thrillers from a popular television anthology series. The first is "People Don't Do Such Things," about a soured marriage; "Youth from Vienna," centering on a fountain of youth that gives unexpected results; "Skeleton in the Cupboard," about a man with a terrible secret; and "Bird of Prey," the mystery of a dead parrot's giant egg. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Actor Bob Hoskins made his big-screen directorial debut with the British Raggedy Rawney. The time is World War II: a band of gypsies, roaming a country that looks and sounds suspiciously like England, give shelter to Dexter Fletcher, a soldier who has deserted an army comprised of plunderers and rapists. Gypsy leader Hoskins, confused by Fletcher's seemingly lunatic behavior (which can be explained in the context of the picture) becomes convinced that the deserter is conjuring powers that will bring his tribe good luck. The exact opposite happens, leaving Hoskins and his followers at the mercy of the marauding army. The film has the logic of a horrible dream, but it isn't exactly a horror tale. It has moments of offbeat humor, but it's not a comedy. The characters and events are exaggerations of real life, but the film isn't a satire or lampoon. What, then, is Raggedy Rawny. Like we said at the beginning: Raggedy Rawny is the big-screen directorial debut of actor Bob Hoskins.... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Dexter Fletcher, (more)
- 1987
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Originally shown in two parts, this massive TV movie adaptation of C. David Heymann's biography stars Farrah Fawcett as Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. With two failed marriages to her credit, 29-year-old Barbara marries film idol Cary Grant (James Read), the first man who loves her for herself and not her millions. This alliance goes the way of all of Barbara's romances; there will be four more marriages, the last when Ms. Hutton is 50-years-old. Shutting herself away in her Tangiers mansion, Barbara begins her long descent into the world of booze and drugs. Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story merely skims the surface of its subject's stormy life, but Farrah Fawcett's performance commands the audience's attention throughout the film's daunting 240 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Farrah Fawcett, James Read, (more)
- 1982
The two-part TV movie Inside the Third Reich was based on the extraordinary revelatory (if self-serving) autobiographical book by Albert Speer. Played herein by Rutger Hauer, Speer is a young man of privilege in pre-Hitler Germany who happens to be a brilliant architect. Becoming a member of Hitler's inner circle, Speer is appointed the Nazi regime's master builder. According to this film, Speer is egomaniacal and ambitious, but somewhat blinded to the inherent evils of Nazism. Though he'd later claim to be ignorant of Hitler's horrific policies aimed at the Jews, he was certainly aware of the use of Jewish prisoners as slave labor: as Germany's armaments minister during World War II, Speer exploited these enslaved unfortunates as much as anyone, if not more so. The cast includes Derek Jacobi as Hitler, Blythe Danner as Speer's wife Margarethe, John Gielgud as Speer's father, Ian Holm as Goebbels, Maurice Roeves as Hess, and George Murcell as Goering. Originally running 5 hours, Inside the Third Reich was filmed in Munich; it was first telecast on May 9 and 10, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
In this adaptation of Dickens' classic, Scrooge and company are animated. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Hordern, John Le Mesurier, (more)
