The Family Way (1966)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Roy Boulting

Writers:

Bill Naughton (play)
Bill Naughton (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 February 1968 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A girl, a boy, a tender, funny, terrible wedding night.

Plot:

Compassionate look at the troubles of two young newlyweds, who's marriage has yet to be consummated.

Plot Keywords:

Kitchen Sink Realism | Female Rear Nudity | Based On Play | Independent Film

Awards:

5 wins

Cast

Hayley Mills	...	Jenny Fitton
Hywel Bennett	...	Arthur Fitton
John Mills	...	Ezra Fitton
Marjorie Rhodes	...	Lucy Fitton
Avril Angers	...	Liz Piper
John Comer	...	Leslie Piper
Barry Foster	...	Joe Thompson
Wilfred Pickles	...	Uncle Fred
Liz Fraser	...	Molly Thompson
Andy Bradford	...	Eddie (as Andrew Bradford)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hazel Bainbridge	...	Mrs. Bell
Helen Booth	...	Mrs. Lee
Fanny Carby	...	Mrs. Stone
Diana Coupland	...	Mrs. Rose
Lesley Daine	...	Dora
Colin Gordon	...	Mr. Hutton
Ruth Gower	...	Mrs. Pike
Murray Head	...	Geoffrey Fitton
Margaret Lacey	...	Mrs. Harris
Harry Locke	...	Mr. Stubbs
Maureen O'Reilly	...	Miss Hunt
Robin Parkinson	...	Mr. Phillips
Ruth Trouncer	...	Marriage Counsellor
Thorley Walters	...	The Vicar

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:AA (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, UK

Company:

Jambox

Trivia:

This film won every Award it was nominated for.

Quotes:

Ezra Fitton: He walked in 'ere like it were a public convenience

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies (2001)

A much under-rated film - very moving, and full of good things.

The apparently simple storyline of a young couple having difficulty "starting" their marriage is only a cover for the main sub-plot... the question of whether the son (Hywel Bennett) really is John Mills' son, or is the result of an affair in the early days of Mills' marriage. By the film's end we know the truth, as does John Mills, but that truth doesn't alter his devotion to his "son".

Paul McCartney's first venture into film music makes wonderful listening in its own right - it's like hearing vintage Beatles, and it should be remembered that although Paul composed the tunes, the actual orchestrations and arrangements were carried out by George Martin, at that time a top executive at Parlophone records, who co-operated with The Beatles on all their hit releases.

So many "sympathetic" acting performances in this film, which at times is deeply moving. Marjorie Rhodes, as the ever-patient wife to John Mills - but she also has her own guilt complex to overcome on a daily basis.... she knows the truth behind her family. John Mills, the honest, industrious and yet naive working-class family head. Hayley Mills in her first "grown-up" role, and Hywel Bennett's portrayal of a young man often angry with the world around him, a world that he feels doesn't understand him.

In summary, a marvellous film, grossly under-rated - a viewing experience which stands the test of time. The exterior scenes, by the way, were shot in and around Bolton, Lancashire.