I can't understand how anyone who claims to like Christie can fail to admire this production; it strikes me as just about perfect. In fact, if I ever came across anyone who'd never sampled one of her mysteries before and was wondering what they were like, I'd recommend they check out this particular version of this particular story, because it has all the right ingredients on display: the village setting, the mix of characters (stock characters, really), and -- unlike the glossy 2004 remake -- the right tone. It also has, of course, Joan Hickson, wise, dignified, frail but steely, sometimes a little prickly and sharp-tongued, but Marple as Christie meant her to be; whereas the remake is stuck with Geraldine McEwan, cutesy, smirky, twinkly-eyed, and far too confident of her own adorableness.
Miss Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage
(1986 TV Movie)
The quintessential Christie cozy
30 May 2021