Plenty (1985)

Director:

Fred Schepisi

Writers:

David Hare (play)
David Hare (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 September 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

She would settle for nothing less...

Plot:

A young Englishwoman spends 20 years to make whatever kind of life for herself at the expense of others around her in post-World War 2 England.

Plot Keywords:

Resistance | Spy | WWII | Based On Play | Independent Film

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins

Cast

Meryl Streep	...	Susan Traherne
Charles Dance	...	Raymond Brock
Tracey Ullman	...	Alice Park
John Gielgud	...	Sir Leonard Darwin
Sting	...	Mick
Ian McKellen	...	Sir Andrew Charleson
Sam Neill	...	Lazar
Burt Kwouk	...	Mr. Aung
André Maranne	...	Villon
Pik Sen Lim	...	Madame Aung
Ian Wallace	...	Medlicoti
Tristram Jellinek	...	Dawncey
Peter Forbes-Robertson	...	Brussells Hotel Manager
Hugo De Vernier	...	Doctor
James Taylor	...	Tony (dead man)

Runtime:

121 min | UK:124 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium

Company:

Pressman Productions

Trivia:

Many critics dismissed the movie as being just a filmed version of David Hare's stage play. In fact Hare re-wrote about 60 percent of the material for the film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the scene where Meryl Streep and Charles Dance meet for the first time in her apartment in England, after he removes her coat and the camera starts a slow dolly in (right after she says "A commute on the cross-channel ferry"), a wheel of the dolly is visible in the reflection of the painting of the cherubs on the wall.

Quotes:

Susan Traherne: You don't understand the figures in my mind!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Killing Floor (2007)

One of Meryl Streep's finest performances and a really excellent film!

Plenty is one of my all-time favourite films. I loved this movie.

I understand why many people did not like it, but I think they should have another look. Sure, it is not an easy movie to watch, and Meryl Streep's character is not the most pleasant woman in the world, but that is part of the point. "Plenty" is unabashedly unsentimental, and that is one of its greatest strengths.

Meryl Streep gives one of her best performances, and it's not only because of her flawless British accent. That is just the surface of Ms. Streep's complete, and absolutely brilliant transformation into a very complicated character. She is also sexier than she has ever been on screen up to that time.

This film is about as performance-oriented as films get, and it is full of great performances -the entire cast is excellent!!

"Plenty" is a movie about how different life can turn out from the way we plan it. It is not supposed to be cheerful. It is gritty, gripping, and extremely powerful. It portrays the hardships of Resistance era France, and the harsh realities of Britain immediately after the Second World War; as well as the decadence that prosperity can bring, and the disappointments of life, and how the inability to deal with them can destroy a person´s sanity.

Of particular note are Charles Dance, as Streep´s husband, Sam Neil as her lover, Sting and Tracey Ullman in small but important supporting roles, and especially Sir John Gielgud, who effortlessly steals the few scenes he is in. In one of the movie's few comic moments, Mr. Gielgud corrects the wife of a Burmese diplomat just as he is leaving a dinner party on the nationality of a certain European film director. Just this scene makes the movie worth watching!

I have seen this movie described as an underrated tour-de-force. That is an extremely fitting description. I would add the word classic to that description. This is a film that challenges the viewer to sit through its grim depictions of what life can be like if we don´t know how to deal with life not turning out like we want it to. Depicting different eras from the Second World War to the early to mid sixties, "Plenty" is a period piece with painstaking recreations and some incredible locations in England, France and Jordan.

If someone has not seen this movie, I urge them to buy it or rent it and watch it. There is no widescreen version available, which is unfortunate, because of the stunning cinematography, among other things. To anyone who appreciates great acting, this film is a MUST SEE. No serious film collector should be without this great classic.

If someone has seen it but did not like it, I urge them to watch it again, and again.

I have seen this film at least ten times, and I could easily watch it ten times more.