Cold Comfort Farm (1995) (TV)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

Stella Gibbons (novel) and
Malcolm Bradbury (writer)

Release Date:

10 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

She discovered a new branch of her family tree... the one with all the nuts.

Plot:

In England in the early 1930's, 20 year old Flora Poste, recently orphaned and left with only 100 pounds a year...

Plot Keywords:

Farm | Birth Control | Marriage Proposal | Rural | Train

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Eileen Atkins	...	Judith Starkadder
Kate Beckinsale	...	Flora Poste
Sheila Burrell	...	Ada Doom
Stephen Fry	...	Mybug
Freddie Jones	...	Adam Lambsbreath
Joanna Lumley	...	Mrs. Mary Smiling
Ian McKellen	...	Amos Starkadder
Miriam Margolyes	...	Mrs. Beetle
Rufus Sewell	...	Seth Starkadder
Ivan Kaye	...	Reuben Starkadder
Jeremy Peters	...	Urk
Maria Miles	...	Elfine Starkadder
Christopher Bowen	...	Charles Fairford
Louise Rea	...	Meriam Beetle
Sophie Revell	...	Rennet
Rupert Penry-Jones	...	Dick Hawk-Monitor
Angela Thorne	...	Mrs. Hawk-Monitor
Tim Myers	...	Mr. Hawk-Monitor
Harry Ditson	...	Earl P. Neck
Trevor Baxter	...	Sneller
Frederick Jaeger	...	Dr. Adolph Müdel
Pat Keen	...	Aunt Gwen
Robert James	...	Mr. McKnag
William Scott-Masson	...	Bikki (as William Masson)
Sussanah Morley	...	Mrs. Murther (as Susannah Morley)
Richard Bebb	...	Hawk-Monitor butler
William Osborne	...	Coiffeur
Basil Hoskins	...	Couturier
Allison Roberts	...	Violet (girl in hayloft)
Ninka Scott	...	Tea shop waitress
Myfanwy Hill	...	Young Ada Doom

Directed by
John Schlesinger

Writing credits
Stella Gibbons		(novel)
Malcolm Bradbury		writer

Produced by
Richard Broke	....	executive producer: BBC Television
Alison Gilby	....	producer
Joanna Gueritz	....	associate producer
Antony Root	....	executive producer: Thames Television

Original Music by
Robert Lockhart

Cinematography by
Chris Seager

Film Editing by
Mark Day

Casting by
Noel Davis

Production Design by
Malcolm Thornton

Art Direction by
Jim Holloway

Costume Design by
Amy Roberts

Makeup Department
Anita Burger	....	makeup artist
Carmel Jackson	....	makeup artist
Dorka Nieradzik	....	hair style designer
Dorka Nieradzik	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alex Hester	....	third assistant director
Paul Judges	....	first assistant director
David Reid	....	second assistant director
Beni Turkson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Peter Bower	....	construction manager
Bob Cummins	....	graphic designer
Noel Deegan	....	stand-by props
Catherine Holmes	....	design assistant
Gerry Kelly	....	stand-by painter
Brian Larkin	....	graphic designer
Maura Laverty	....	production buyer
Laurie Miller	....	property master
Stuart Newton	....	dressing props
Brian Pincham	....	stand-by props
Joe Sheehan	....	stand-by carpenter
Lee Turnham	....	dressing props
Lee Turnham	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
John Bateman	....	adr mixer
John Bateman	....	foley mixer
Paula Boram	....	foley artist
Julian Dodwell	....	sound effects editor
Allan Fowlie	....	sound editor
Jim Greenhorn	....	sound recordist
Maike Helmers	....	dialogue editor
Jenny Lee Wright	....	foley artist
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Debbie Pragnell	....	sound editor
Joanne Stephens-Smith	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Mike Kelt	....	visual effects
Jeremy King	....	visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Catherine Brandish	....	clapper loader
Keith Broome	....	focus puller
Dave Mason	....	gaffer
Barrie More	....	best boy
Peter Muncey	....	grip
Micky Patten	....	key grip (as Mickey Patten)
Steve Phillips	....	grip
Alf Tramontin	....	Steadicam operator
Jan Pester	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dan Grace	....	wardrobe master
William McPhail	....	costume supervisor

Music Department
Chris Dibble	....	music recording engineer
Robert Lockhart	....	music arranger
Steve Parr	....	music recording engineer

Other crew
Elinor Day	....	script editor
Eleanor Fazan	....	choreographer
Carol Gardner	....	script supervisor
Linda James	....	dialogue coach
Maurice Scanlon	....	finance assistant
Heather Siverns	....	production secretary
Tim Stevenson	....	location manager

Production Companies

• BBC Films
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Thames International
• Thames Television

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1996) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• Gramercy Pictures (I) (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Alta Films (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Kamras Film Group (1997) (Finland) (all media)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1999) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  light equipment

MPAA:

Rated PG for brief sensuality and language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Germany:6 (bw) | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

Brightling, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

Freddie Jones, who plays Adam Lambsbreath, played Dr. Mudel and Urk in the 1968 TV movie version of "Cold Comfort Farm" (1968)

Quotes:

Mybug: We met in London.
Amos Starkadder: Aye, the Devil's city. The stinking pit of whoredom.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Gone with the Wind (1939)

"I'd take the old woman as well -- but she's so gloomy!"

This film was produced for BBC television but had a theatrical release the next year -- probably to take advantage of the popularity of all those Jane Austen movies (Emma, Persuasion, et. al.) It is not a Jane Austen story, but it is a sort of genial romance/comedy of manners (set in the early 1930's?) with a plucky, bright, but penniless heroine. The book it was based on was actually a parody of Gothic romance fiction. Even though this movie is played for laughs (and has many), it still manages to make you care for the characters. Everything works here and (editing, cinematography, performances) and you really appreciate what the director, John Schlesinger, managed to do on a probably skimpy budget.

This movie was the first I ever saw of Kate Beckinsale and I thought she was fantastic in it. I remained a fan for a long while, even though her subsequent movie performances (and choices) have been awful. She finally lost me with her recent laughable turn in Van Helsing. Nevertheless, she WAS good in Cold Comfort Farm, so if you're no fan of Beckinsale don't let that dissuade you from seeing this movie.

Other standouts in the cast are Eileen Atkins, Rufus Sewell, and Ian McKellen who is screamingly funny as a fire and brimstone preacher.

This film is definitely worth having on video or DVD in that it bears up very well to repeated viewings. I've seen it at least 5 times since its release, and my estimation of it rises with each viewing.