Malachi's Cove (1973) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
8 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
7/10
Malachi's Cove is sailing with the tide.
CoasterProductions1 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Just watched this one just a few days ago. It's a sad coming of age tale about a young girl growing up in the late 1890's. Mally an orphan who lives with her grandfather Malachi (Donald Pleasence) try's to deal with her parents death on the beach in front of their home. Molly blames the town and her neighbors for their death, but the town blames it on her because of her lie's and other things she's done in the past.

The only way the two make any money is by selling Sea Weed thats washed up on the share. But the neighbors son trys the steel the weed from the family and make some profit on his own.

WHen Molly get's tied of this and goes to the town lawyer to stop him. But is shot down by legal mombo jumbo.

The next day a heavy storm comes in Molly is on the share pulling weed of the rocks when the boy arrives. She warns him not to get to close to the water but it was too late. He falls hits his head on the rocks and falls into the water. She races and pulls him to safety. Fearing him to be dead she races to her grandfather then the the boy's parents home. The boy's mother blames her for killing the boys and with a rage lashes out at the girl. The boy's father and Molly then go to the shore to find Malachi holding the boy and crying "He's still alive."

As the boy recovers at home his first word's are "Where's Molly?" His mother scream "Why do you want to see the girl who tried to kill you?" He reply's "No mother, she saved me."

The two end up on the beach at the end pulling weed out of the ocean. Now, not as enemies but lovers.
12 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Quaint coming of age tale set at the end of the 19th century in rural Cornwall.
imdbmatt-1743222 May 2022
Quaint coming of age tale set at the end of the 19th century in rural Cornwall. The scenery is ruggedly beautiful as you'd expect from that part of the world, it's well shot for the most part, and although the version I saw was very washed-out in terms of colour (as many early 70s films are), it kind of suited the bleakness of the stormy scenes and dark themes.

The most negative review I've seen here mentions the bad accents and I can attest to to that; even the undoubted star of the film, the young Veronica Quilligan as Mally can't properly exchange her native Irish accent for a Cornish one; and yeah, the production values are low because no doubt the budget was, but the tone of the review is way too harsh. Some of us very much enjoy these slow, simple, but emotionally wrenching tales!
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Loss and love
Leofwine_draca9 January 2022
A moving little rural story for children, with a good young female protagonist who finds herself ostracised by her local fishing village due to a past tragedy. She lives a quiet life with her grandad at the titular Cornish cove, until precocious youth Dai Bradley (of KES fame) comes into her life. Some well-judged performances throughout lift this slow-moving tale of loss and love; it's not fantastic but it is quite moving and engaging, I thought.
1 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
Past its sell by date
cmilne-072245 February 2022
Corny old film shot in North Cornwall and the pretty village of Clovelly in Devon, both places are somewhere in England as another reviewer astutely pointed out. Awful Cornish accents ranging from Cockney through to Yorkshire with a bit of Ooo Arrgghh, Robert Newton pirate speak thrown in for good measure. Embarrassingly awful, particularly for those of us with West County heritage. The poor old donkey looks as if it has mange, which tells us a lot about the care that went into this film generally. Adapted from a story for children by Anthony Trollope. Could be Disneyfied to update it but not really for today's audiences.
1 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Sweet Little Coming of Age Film!
mercychaplet23 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This is a very sweet movie, set in the beautiful Cornwall countryside. I t is a simple tale, based on a short story by 19th century Victorian era serial novelist Anthony Trollope. Orphaned Mally Tringlos (Veronica Quilligan) gathers seaweed in a cove on the coast of Cornwall, and supports her aged and crippled grandfather Malachi (Donald Pleasance) by selling it as fertilizer. She lives a desolate life of the hardest physical labor, hewing a narrow, dangerous path down the cliff side, and harnessing herself like an animal to drag back the heavy weed. The son of a neighboring farmer invades Mally's beach, and with his greater strength and the aid of a pony is able to gather more of Mallys daily harvest. Despite her best efforts, Mally can't stop him, and no one will help her. Her rage and isolation grow, and she becomes consumed with getting rid of this interloper on her territory. Working one day near her, he falls into a whirlpool from which she, without thought of her own safety, rescues him at the risk of her own life. His peril arouses in her the first tenderness she has felt quite some time, and, her anger having disappeared, she finds that she loves him. He wakes, and calls for her.
10 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
Poor mans Ryans Daughter
malcolmgsw14 September 2020
What with all the breakers pounding the shore looks like the producers were aiming at a mini epic.This is strictly a children's film with little or no appeal.Interesting to see Donald Pleasance and Arthur English but that's about it.
1 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Excellent and beautiful
dan-9877127 June 2021
Brilliantly shot and very well balanced sound track ... watch it if you can!
5 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
beautiful movie
nirjhar14 July 2006
I saw this movie a couple of years ago.

It was beautifully shot.

I think it was somewhere in england.

It is a bittersweet movie about a girl who is ostracized by her village.

I just love the place where the movie was shot.

The actress who played the girl was great.

The following is taken from a website

**************** What a sweet story this was! And what a likable creature Mally, " ... wild- looking, almost unearthly creature, with wild-flowing, black, uncombed hair ...". It almost seems like she sprang fully formed from the earth, totally unaware of any vestiges of civilization, but yet with a native gentility. " ****************

I can't have put it better myself. :)
12 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed