Hornblower: Loyalty (2003) (TV)

Director:

Andrew Grieve

Writers:

C.S. Forester (novel)
Niall Leonard (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War

Plot:

Hornblower is given a dangerous mission to deliver an emigre French nobleman to a secret rendezvous near Brest while coping with enemy agents in his own ranks.

Plot Keywords:

Cowardice | Landlady | Nephew | Horatio Hornblower | Emigre

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Ioan Gruffudd	...	Commander Horatio Hornblower
Robert Lindsay	...	Admiral Sir Edward Pellew
Paul McGann	...	Lieutenant Bush
Lorcan Cranitch	...	Wolfe
Tony Haygarth	...	Master Prowse
Julia Sawalha	...	Maria Mason
Barbara Flynn	...	Mrs. Mason
Paul Copley	...	Matthews
Sean Gilder	...	Styles
Greg Wise	...	Major Côtard
Ian McElhinney	...	Captain Hammond
Christian Coulson	...	Midshipman John 'Jack' Hammond
Ron Cook	...	Steward James Doughty
Jonathan Forbes	...	Midshipman Charles Orrock
Jim McManus	...	Pawnbroker

Also Known As:

Horatio Hornblower 3 (USA)
Hornblower and the Hotspur (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

Meridian Broadcasting

Trivia:

The brown print day dress worn by Julia Sawalha (Maria) is the same costume worn by Cécile Paoli (Lucille) in Sharpe's Waterloo (1997) (TV).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the opening scene entitled "Portsmouth 1803" when the camera pans from right to left, a rowboat can be seen rowing in the same direction, but when the camera pauses, the boat, actually a CGI effect, does not catch up to it and seemingly disappears.

Quotes:

Commander Horatio Hornblower: [Speaking of the loyalty of Irish sailors to the British Crown] It is better to earn loyalty than to demand it.
Admiral Sir Edward Pellew: When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Commander Horatio Hornblower: Sir?
Admiral Sir Edward Pellew: Hmmm. You know, Hornbloer, it is very hard for a father to see his children grow up.
Commander Horatio Hornblower: I'm not sure I understand you, sir.
Admiral Sir Edward Pellew: I dare say, you will.

Movie Connections:

Follows Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

God Save the King

Good, but is it Hornblower? Read the books!

By now this series has attracted its own set of fans, so the issue of how faithful it remains to the Forester stories may be moot. Still, I've always been puzzled by one element of the credits -- the show never seems to say which of "the novels of C.S. Forester" a particular movie is based on. LOYALTY and DUTY are loosely based on HORNBLOWER AND THE HOTSPUR, the tale of Hornblower's first command. Gruffudd, though a good enough actor and quite charming, seems to miss what was always the key element of Forester's Hornblower -- his constant self-doubt and crushing insecurity. The power of the novels comes from Hornblower's inability to see his own heroism and greatness for it is. He might be a hero to the world; to himself he was always the gangling Midshipman who was "seasick at Spithead." Julia Sawahla, on the other hand, is a perfect choice for Maria. A comment objected to her seeming "dowdy" -- that is precisely the point. Hornblower's unhappy marriage and unrewarding personal life were always intended to contrast with his glory on the sea. The show is fine -- the books are true classics. If you like the show, be sure to read the book.