Amazing Grace (2006)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Michael Apted

Writer (WGA):

Steven Knight (written by)

Release Date:

23 February 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

Behind the song you love is a story you will never forget.

Plot:

The idealist William Wilberforce maneuvers his way through Parliament, endeavoring to end the British transatlantic slave trade.

Plot Keywords:

Slave | William Wilberforce | Slave Ship | Social Justice | Love

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Ioan Gruffudd	...	William Wilberforce
Romola Garai	...	Barbara Spooner
Benedict Cumberbatch	...	William Pitt
Albert Finney	...	John Newton
Michael Gambon	...	Lord Charles Fox
Rufus Sewell	...	Thomas Clarkson
Youssou N'Dour	...	Olaudah Equiano
Ciarán Hinds	...	Lord Tarleton
Toby Jones	...	Duke of Clarence
Nicholas Farrell	...	Henry Thornton
Sylvestra Le Touzel	...	Marianne Thornton
Jeremy Swift	...	Richard the Butler
Stephen Campbell Moore	...	James Stephen
Bill Paterson	...	Lord Dundas
Nicholas Day	...	Sir William Dolben

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic material involving slavery, and some mild language.

Runtime:

117 min | USA:111 min | Canada:111 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG | Ireland:PG | UK:PG | Singapore:PG | Hong Kong:I | Australia:PG | South Korea:All | Netherlands:6 | South Africa:PG | Finland:K-7 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Ashridge Park, Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

FourBoys Films

Trivia:

During the conversation between Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce it is questioned how a person can remain loyal to a king who shakes hands with an oak tree and see Germany through his telescope. The quote, spoken by Clarkson, is a reference to King George III who, by the contemporary belief of history and scientific research, was known to have suffered from porphyria which was possibly provoked by his use of arsenic.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The tune to which the song, Amazing Grace was sung was not used until some fifty years later.

Quotes:

Barbara Wilberforce: Because after night comes day.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in How Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Amazing Grace

An exceptional film about an exceptional man

What follows is the text of a letter I composed for my parish bulletin (I am a priest and pastor of a University Parish in Tucson) after having seen Amazing Grace. I often recommend movies to my parishioners, but seldom write a full-fledged review. This weekend I made an exception for an exceptional movie.

Dear Friends,

It is a movie-lovers' favorite weekend: Oscar weekend. So I beg your indulgence as I offer not just a movie recommendation, but an actual review of the remarkable movie I saw on Friday. I had been hearing about it for several weeks and looking forward to its opening in Tucson. "Amazing Grace" tells the story of William Wilberforce, a young American Revolution era British Parliamentarian who waged a three-decade legislative battle to end Great Britain's involvement in the African slave trade (Slavery was outlawed in England six decades before our civil war.) Among those who had influenced this remarkable Englishman was John Newton, the slave ship captain turned evangelical preacher, who penned the lyrics of arguably the best known sacred song in the world, which also lends its title to the movie. Newton had known Wilberforce as a child and, in the film, serves as his conscience when the task is unclear or proves daunting..

This is no schmaltzy feel-good biopic. Everything about it is compelling. It is beautifully written and directed. The cinematography and film-editing are superb. The costume and sets are exquisite. And the acting is top-notch. Ioan Gruffudd, the young Welchman best known for his excellent portrayal of C.S. Forester's seafaring hero, Horatio Hornblower, in eight made-for-A&E movies (1998-2003), brings great depth and passion to his portrayal of this complex hero of social justice. Gruffudd's star is on the rise. Award–winning actor, Albert Finney, graces this picture as an aged and eccentric Newton. The cast is rounded out by a gaggle of veteran British character actors who lend profundity to this compelling story. In addition to the cinematic elements that make this one of the few movies I have seen that I consider to be worth the $9 it costs to see a movie these days, it is first-rate storytelling! And Wilberforce is a hero whose story must be told. He grappled with one of my favorite issues: the place of faith in public life. As a young man, the rising political star began to rediscover an intense faith that had lain dormant for a time. His fire of conviction that something must be done about the slave trade was fueled by this reemerging faith. As he struggled with whether he should use his oratorical talents a politician or a preacher, he is convinced that he can use his popularity as an MP to do God's work by actively advocating for the voiceless slaves. The movie presents the story of a man who finds a perfect balance between his faith and his public life—each shaping the other in the face of a clear vocation. That his secular realm is that of politics and the time is one of great fear and institutionalized injustice gives this period movie much relevance in today's world. I hope every person of faith watches this movie. I especially think that it is pertinent for our student parishioners who may be struggling with the same issues as Wilburforce. (While I fear it would bore younger children, it would be good for older children and teens.) It opened on Friday at the El Con Cinema. I will be organizing a parish outing to see "Amazing Grace" in a couple of weeks. Whether you go then or another time, I recommend this movie as a great Lenten exercise. I loved it and consider it one of the most socially relevant films I've ever seen. "Amazing Grace" has long been one of my favorite sacred songs, but I will never hear it the same again.

Peace, Fr. Bart