The Woman in White (1997) (TV)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Tim Fywell

Writers:

Wilkie Collins (novel)
David Pirie (writer)

Release Date:

5 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Not all villans wear black

Plot:

Based upon Wilkie Collins Victorian mystery, the gothic tale tells of a pair of half sisters whose lives...

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Victorian Era | Sanitarium | Based On Novel

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Tara Fitzgerald	...	Marian Fairlie
Justine Waddell	...	Laura Fairlie
Andrew Lincoln	...	Walter Hartright
Susan Vidler	...	Anne Catherick
John Standing	...	Mr. Gilmore
Adie Allen	...	Margaret Porcher
Ian Richardson	...	Mr. Fairlie
James Wilby	...	Sir Percival Glyde
Ann Bell	...	Mrs. Rideout
Anne Etchells	...	Liza
Timothy Carlton	...	Glyde's Lawyer
Simon Callow	...	Count Fosco
Tony Spooner	...	Glyde's Servant
Sean Gleeson	...	Glyde's Servant
Kika Markham	...	Madame Fosco

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Movie Connections:

Version of The Woman in White (1912/I)

Graves feature largely in this adaptation. Wilkie Collins will surely turn in his!

Having first read the novel, I don't mind,for the purposes of filming, how differently it is scripted, as long as it adheres to, or at least includes, the plot. For reasons known only to Hollywood, important parts of the story are completely ignored, and a different story line added. The reason this novel passed the test of time, is, no doubt, due to the interweaving of both the characters, and plot, as a whole. To interfere with this structure, is to destroy the intricate balance of the story line, and therefore the intension of the story teller. Although a matter of opinion, the casting of this film leaves a lot to be desired. Characters, described as very fat, should, at least, be made to look portly, to allow for the character to have credibility. The days of slavery can't be over, or surely, actors of this calibre would have been in revolt, at such a travesty of the story. The face of Marian Halcolme is described as being manly in appearance,... Tara Fitzgerald's very feminine appearance doesn't ring true. Again Laura Fairly is described as being 'fair', if not 'ethereal', so, with dark hair, she does not quite fit the impression gleaned from the novel. ....Badly done, Hollywood!

J. Hunter