Mrs Dalloway (1997)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Marleen Gorris

Writers:

Eileen Atkins (screenplay)
Virginia Woolf (novel)

Release Date:

20 February 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Clarissa Dalloway sets out on a beautiful morning; she's shopping for flowers for her party that evening...

Plot Keywords:

Shell Shock | Irish Wolfhound | Class Differences | London England | Lesbian Kiss

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Vanessa Redgrave	...	Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway
Natascha McElhone	...	Young Clarissa
Michael Kitchen	...	Peter Walsh
Alan Cox	...	Young Peter
Sarah Badel	...	Lady Rosseter
Lena Headey	...	Young Sally
John Standing	...	Richard Dalloway
Robert Portal	...	Young Richard
Oliver Ford Davies	...	Hugh Whitbread
Hal Cruttenden	...	Young Hugh
Rupert Graves	...	Septimus Warren Smith
Amelia Bullmore	...	Rezia Warren Smith
Margaret Tyzack	...	Lady Bruton
Robert Hardy	...	Sir William Bradshaw
Richenda Carey	...	Lady Bradshaw

Also Known As:

Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for emotional elements and brief nudity.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK | USA | Netherlands

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:Livre | Chile:TE | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Company:

First Look International

Trivia:

The dress the young Clarissa wears the night of the boat outing is a replica of the dress in the John Singer Sargent painting "Lady Agnew of Lochnaw".

Quotes:

Peter Walsh: Oh what snobs the English are. How they love dressing up.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hello, He Lied & Other Truths from the Hollywood Trenches (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Just a Song at Twilight

This is an superb character study, beautifully acted and directed.

Kudos go to all who participated in making this wonderful film. Vanessa Redgrave, as usual, is perfect as an aging dowager who settled for the "safe" path in life instead of seeking adventure and taking risks. When her old flame reappears, she reevaluates her choices and second-guesses the paths that she chose. The film also has a sub-plot about a shell-shocked World War I veteran who is in emotional torment and is inconsolable. The film works on two levels. It shows the interaction between proper British people who speak politely to one another, but the viewer senses that there are fierce and passionate undercurrents and important thoughts that seems to be unspoken. In addition, the film is a clear indictment of the stuffy and snobby British society of Post World War I England, in which a party could be of such importance that a person's reputation could hinge on its success. There is also a feminist slant in the movie. Can a woman who spends her time at home making parties and pleasing her husband ever feel fulfilled? Did Mrs. Dalloway make the right decision in "playing it safe" in life? That is up to the viewer to decide. Meanwhile, revel in the fabulous nuanced performances, the witty dialogue and the beautiful cinematography. This film is a triumph.