Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Brideshead Revisited (2008)
Brideshead Revisited
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Brideshead Revisited (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 21 | slideshow) Videos (see all 21)
Brideshead Revisited (2008) -- Brideshead Revisited Trailer
Brideshead Revisited (2008) -- Clip: Emma
Brideshead Revisited (2008) -- Behind the scenes: Emma
Brideshead Revisited (2008) -- TV Spot Trailer
Brideshead Revisited (2008) -- Based on Evelyn Waugh's 1945 classic British novel, Brideshead Revisited is a poignant story of forbidden love and the loss of innocence set in England prior to the Second World War.

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   3,211 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Julian Jarrold
Writers:
Andrew Davies (written by) and
Jeremy Brock (written by) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Brideshead Revisited on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 July 2008 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
Love is not ours to control more
Plot:
Based on Evelyn Waugh's 1945 classic British novel, Brideshead Revisited is a poignant story of forbidden love and the loss of innocence set in England prior to the Second World War. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
10 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(45 articles)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (review)
 (From FlickFilosopher. 14 July 2009, 9:57 AM, PDT)

First Teaser for Cemetery Junction
 (From Twitch. 9 July 2009, 5:36 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Once More, Into Brideshead more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Matthew Goode ... Charles Ryder
Thomas Morrison ... Hooper
David Barrass ... Ship's Barber
Anna Madeley ... Celia Ryder
Sarah Crowden ... Lady Guest
Stephen Carlile ... English Lord
Peter Barnes ... American Professor
Hayley Atwell ... Julia Flyte

Patrick Malahide ... Edward Ryder
Richard Teverson ... Cousin Jasper
Joseph Beattie ... Anthony Blanche
Ben Whishaw ... Sebastian Flyte
Roger Walker ... Lunt
Mark Field ... Boy Markaster
Mark Edel-Hunt ... Oxford Student
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some sexual content.
Runtime:
USA:133 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital | DTS
Company:
2 Entertain more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
David Yates was set to direct this film, but had to step aside from the director's chair to direct Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) instead. While Yates was attached, Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly and Jude Law were cast in the roles of Charles, Julia and Sebastian respectively. It was also announced that Chatsworth House in Derbyshire would be used as Brideshead. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: In Lord Marchmain's deathbed scene, Fr. Mackay imparts absolution while Charles Ryder and members of the family are in attendance. Absolution is never imparted in public in this way. The others would have been asked to step out. Moreover, the Latin form of the absolution given, although it is the correct traditional one, is badly mispronounced and contains several errors in the details of the Latin text. more
Quotes:
[First Lines]
Charles Ryder: [Internal monologue while walking out of Brideshead Castle] If you asked me now who I am, the only answer I could give with any certainty would be my name: Charles Ryder. For the rest: my loves, my hates, down even to my deepest desires, I can no longer say whether these emotions are my own, or stolen from those I once so desperately wished to be. On second thoughts, one emotion remains my own. Alone among the borrowed and the second-hand, as pure as that faith from which I am still in flight: Guilt.
more
Movie Connections:
Version of "Brideshead Revisited" (1981) more
Soundtrack:
Rumba more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is "Brideshead Revisited" based on a novel?
Was the original novel a sequel?
more
26 out of 44 people found the following comment useful:-
Once More, Into Brideshead, 1 August 2008
7/10
Author: janos451 from San Francisco

It's attributed to just about everybody - from Ginger Rogers to Milan Kundera - and it sounds so right: "There are no small parts, only small actors."

If you want proof and a real understanding of the adage, revisit "Brideshead Revisited," and behold the miracle of Emma Thompson's Lady Marchmain, sucking the life out of anything and anybody she touches, and Michael Gambon's delightfully dissolute Lord Marchmain. She has about 10 minutes on the screen, he perhaps four, and yet their characters will follow you out of the theater, and stay with you at length.

Thompson's work is especially dazzling because the mean, sanctimonious character is so clearly alien to the actress (in fact, I suspected miscasting when I first heard of her assignment) and also as the character is so exaggerated, almost a caricature. And yet, Thompson gives the challenge her all, and walks away with it; the performance has Best Supporting Actress written all over it.

It's difficult to believe that the man you see as Marchmain is the same actor who was the "Singing Detective" (of the superb BBC series, not the Robert Downey Jr. mishap). Gambon has a range as wide as all outdoors, and you never ever see effort in the performance. His amiable Marchmain - subtly hinting at a complex character under the surface - has a physical similarity to Gambon's Uncle Vanya on the London stage, but otherwise, it's a unique creation.

What else is there to this new "edition" of "Brideshead"? A great deal, but only if you're among those who missed both Evelyn Waugh's novel and the wonderful Granada TV realization 27 long years ago - Irons! Gielgud! Olivier! - how can you compete with that? So, if it's a first-time visit, see the movie by all means; if you can recite lines from the book or the TV series, you can survive without the new version.

In 135 minutes, the film is handling well what the TV series did so completely in - yes - 13 HOURS. Obviously, except for the basic story line (script by Jeremy Brock, of "The Last King of Scotland"), this is a different kind of animal, still "leisurely" enough, but unable to luxuriate in the smallest details as the series did. The director is Julian Jarrold, and he is doing far better than in his recent "Becoming Jane," keeps the story moving in a smooth fashion.

As to the leading roles in the film, they are all well acted, but without great impact. Matthew Goode is Charles Ryder, the focal character; Ben Whishaw is the slightly over-flamboyant Sebastian Flyte (who needs understating more than exaggerating - Anthony Andrews' performance in the TV series was exactly right); Hayley Atwell is Sebastian's sister (and rival for Charles' affection).

One amazing thing about "Brideshead" is how this story from a different time, about characters from a different world, remains interesting and meaningful. It's almost as if Waugh's work was bulletproof - not that these filmmakers were less than respectful to the author. A better test would be a Eurotrash opera version, heaven forfend.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Brideshead Revisited (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
offensive to catholics - spoiler alert! Demelz
Could have been good, but wasn't. hzomayah
Neil Tennant from the Pet Shop Boys stars in... hannahp1
Any recommendations for similar films TyrellUtani
did charles have feelings for sebastian nab_20
Castle Howard italia456
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Remains of the Day Barry Lyndon Northanger Abbey The Legend of Bagger Vance Sense and Sensibility
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb UK section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.