A Rather English Marriage (1998) (TV)

Director:

Paul Seed

Writers:

Andrew Davies (writer)
Angela Lambert (novel)

Release Date:

3 October 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A squadron leader and a retired milkman decide to bury their differences and move in together after they are both widowed on the very same night...

Plot Keywords:

Unlikely Friendship | Flashback Sequence | Financial Problem | Engagement | Husband Wife Relationship

Awards:

6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Albert Finney	...	Reggie Conyngham-Jervis
Tom Courtenay	...	Roy Southgate
Joanna Lumley	...	Liz Franks
John Light	...	Young Reggie
Joanna Scanlan	...	Sister
Priyanga Elan	...	Dr. Swann
Ursula Howells	...	Mary
Katie Carr	...	Young Mary
Aileen O'Gorman	...	Grace
Iain Jones	...	Young Roy
Caroline Carver	...	Young Grace
Rebecca Clarke	...	Nurse
Laura Heath	...	Felicity
Rosamund Pike	...	Celia
Lucy Robinson	...	Susan
Jeremy Clyde	...	Vivian
Matthew Lloyd Davies	...	Chaggers
Orlando Wells	...	Dogleg
Richard Syms	...	Vicar
Adjoa Andoh	...	Mandy Hulme
Sean Murray	...	Alan
Shaughan Seymour	...	Solicitor
Kenneth MacDonald	...	Barman
Georgina Hale	...	Sabrina's Maid
Emily Morgan	...	Sabrina
John Rowe	...	Prison Governor
Dominic Rowan	...	Bank Manager
Jeillo Edwards	...	Sister
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jason Canning	...	Restaurant Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul Seed

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Andrew Davies		writer
Angela Lambert		novel

Produced by
Alex Graham	....	executive producer
Paul Sarony	....	line producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer
Jo Willett	....	producer

Original Music by
Jim Parker

Cinematography by
Gavin Finney

Film Editing by
Dave King

Casting by
Janey Fothergill

Production Design by
Michael Pickwoad

Art Direction by
Henry Harris

Costume Design by
Frances Tempest

Makeup Department
Deborah Jarvis	....	assistant makeup artist
Deborah Jarvis	....	hair stylist
Dorka Nieradzik	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Rebecca Christiansen	....	production manager
Claire Tovey	....	unit manager
Maria Walker	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fiona Gosden	....	third assistant director
Cordelia Hardy	....	first assistant director
Adrian Toynton	....	second assistant director

Art Department
David Fyson	....	production buyer
Austin Harris	....	assistant art director
Kate Lloyd-Spencer	....	assistant art director
Mike Malik	....	property master
Nick Thomas	....	stand-by prop (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jim Greenhorn	....	sound mixer
Colin Martin	....	dubbing mixer
Steve Mayer	....	boom operator
Richard Skelton	....	dubbing editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Andy Curling	....	electrician
Simon Finney	....	focus puller
Martin Healey	....	best boy
Andy Long	....	gaffer
Rod Marley	....	clapper loader (as Roderick Marley)
Micky Reeves	....	electrician (as Mick Reeves)
John Robinson	....	camera grip
Alf Tramontin	....	Steadicam operator (as Alf Tremontin)
Mark Tillie	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Shirley Nevin	....	wardrobe mistress
Gerald Moulin	....	costume assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Gerry O'Riordan	....	music recording engineer (uncredited)

Other crew
Kim Armitage	....	continuity
Mark Beaumont	....	production accountant
Laragh Cresswell	....	production team
Victoria Fea	....	script editor
Barney Hughes	....	production team
Ben Kingsland	....	production team
Ian Murray	....	head of department rigger
Adam Richards	....	location manager
Glynn Turner	....	production team
Julia Walsh	....	script editor
Sarah-Jane Wilson	....	assistant accountant (as Sarah Wilson)

Production Companies

• Wall to Wall Television

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• E1 Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

Runtime:

USA:104 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK

Company:

Wall to Wall Television

Quotes:

Liz Franks: Reggie, I've done wrong. I can't marry you. I should never have agreed. I'm going away, abroad. Almost at once.
Reggie Conyngham-Jervis: Where are you going?
Liz Franks: Italy.
Reggie Conyngham-Jervis: Is it some chap you met there?
Liz Franks: No, it's not a chap. Oh, Reggie, darling, you're very sweet but I'm going to leave you. There's no point in saying sorry or anything. I won't even say that I never would have made you happy. But I'm not a nice person.
Reggie Conyngham-Jervis: Thought we could have children.
Liz Franks: [delicately] Oh, Reggie, darling, I'm 52.
Reggie Conyngham-Jervis: That's extraordinary. You look like a young girl to me. Will I see you again?
Liz Franks: [on the verge of tears] No, I don't think so. But you never know.
Reggie Conyngham-Jervis: It was that young bloody nephew of mine, wasn't it? Sticking his nose in.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References The Dresser (1983)

Wonderful

The pairing of Courtenay and Finney,whose contrasting styles combine so well together,were brilliant in The Dresser,which makes their pairing in this drama so very welcome.They play contrasting men widowed on the same day and paired together by social services.Finney is a womanising ex=Battle of Britain pilot whose wife came from wealthy stock while Courteney is a former milkman.Courteney possesses all the requisite domestic skills while Finney would struggle to boil water without a recipe book. Against all odds and not helped by Finney's habit of assuming command they rub along well together until the arrival of Joanna Lumley a gold-digger who sets her sights on Finney

Beautifully written and impeccably played character study.It illustrates that dumbing down ,while having achieved epidemic proportions on UK television,has not yet conquered all bastions of the box.