The eighties and nineties were perhaps the Golden Age of the British "heritage cinema" movement, and "A Summer Story" from 1988 is a good example. Although the film is based on a story by John Galsworthy, it is reminiscent of the work of Thomas Hardy, both in its West Country setting and in its use of themes and devices which are typical of Hardy, such as love between people of different social standing and a chance mishap or misunderstanding which prevents a crucial meeting between the lovers.
In the summer of 1904 Frank Ashton, a young London barrister, on a walking holiday on Dartmoor with a friend, falls and twists his ankle. While staying at a nearby farmhouse to recover, he meets the owner's attractive young niece, Megan David. (Galsworthy may have been influenced by Hardy's "On the Western Circuit", which also deals with a young barrister who falls for a village girl). The two fall in love and Ashton promises to take Megan back to London with him and marry her. Lacking money for the journey, however, he travels to the nearby seaside town of Torquay to cash a cheque at a bank. While in Torquay, however, a chance meeting with an old friend and his sister Stella, who are staying in the town, changes matters dramatically. Ashton finds himself attracted to Stella and realises that he has the chance of marriage to someone from his own social class.
There is a particularly fine performance from the lovely Imogen Stubbs as Megan. (This is one of Imogen's rare film appearances; she has generally concentrated more on stage and television work). In financial terms, marriage to Ashton would probably be advantageous to Megan, at least in the long term. At the start of his career, he is not particularly wealthy, but as a qualified lawyer he has much greater earning potential than any of the men in Megan's small Devon village, including her other suitor, her loutish cousin Joe Narracombe. Yet in order to achieve financial stability Megan would be required to make a great sacrifice in psychological terms, giving up the security of her family and native village to move to London where she would be a fish out of water, her rustic accent and lack of education setting her apart from the wives of her husband's friends and colleagues. Yet, knowing all this, she still loves Ashton unconditionally.
If Helena Bonham Carter was Britain's reigning queen of costume drama during this period, the James Wilby was probably the king. (He also appeared in the likes of "Maurice", "A Handful of Dust", "Howard's End", "Regeneration" and "Gosford Park"). He is not convincing as the older Ashton- that grizzled beard, more appropriate to a man in his sixties or seventies, stuck to his boyish face, does nothing to persuade us that his character is now middle-aged. As the younger man, however, he is very good. Ashton may be Frank by name but he is not frank by nature. Megan is the heroine of the film, albeit a tragic one, but Ashton is not its hero, as he is not the stuff of which heroes are made. Put to the test he proves a broken reed.
Apart from the scenes in fashionable Torquay, the film lacks the visual beauty and elaborate costumes often associated with heritage cinema, especially the work of the Merchant-Ivory team. Its visual look is more sombre, appropriate both to the humble social status of its heroine and to its tragic theme. In this respect it reminded me of another tragic period drama from a few years later, Michael Winterbottom's "Jude", based upon Hardy's "Jude the Obscure".
"A Summer Story" is today probably less well-known than most of Merchant-Ivory's output, or even "Jude", and it only occasionally turns up on television. Yet with its own beauty and a moving storyline it is one of those excellent British movies from the eighties ("Absolute Beginners" and "The Chain" are others) that is overdue for a revival. 8/10
In the summer of 1904 Frank Ashton, a young London barrister, on a walking holiday on Dartmoor with a friend, falls and twists his ankle. While staying at a nearby farmhouse to recover, he meets the owner's attractive young niece, Megan David. (Galsworthy may have been influenced by Hardy's "On the Western Circuit", which also deals with a young barrister who falls for a village girl). The two fall in love and Ashton promises to take Megan back to London with him and marry her. Lacking money for the journey, however, he travels to the nearby seaside town of Torquay to cash a cheque at a bank. While in Torquay, however, a chance meeting with an old friend and his sister Stella, who are staying in the town, changes matters dramatically. Ashton finds himself attracted to Stella and realises that he has the chance of marriage to someone from his own social class.
There is a particularly fine performance from the lovely Imogen Stubbs as Megan. (This is one of Imogen's rare film appearances; she has generally concentrated more on stage and television work). In financial terms, marriage to Ashton would probably be advantageous to Megan, at least in the long term. At the start of his career, he is not particularly wealthy, but as a qualified lawyer he has much greater earning potential than any of the men in Megan's small Devon village, including her other suitor, her loutish cousin Joe Narracombe. Yet in order to achieve financial stability Megan would be required to make a great sacrifice in psychological terms, giving up the security of her family and native village to move to London where she would be a fish out of water, her rustic accent and lack of education setting her apart from the wives of her husband's friends and colleagues. Yet, knowing all this, she still loves Ashton unconditionally.
If Helena Bonham Carter was Britain's reigning queen of costume drama during this period, the James Wilby was probably the king. (He also appeared in the likes of "Maurice", "A Handful of Dust", "Howard's End", "Regeneration" and "Gosford Park"). He is not convincing as the older Ashton- that grizzled beard, more appropriate to a man in his sixties or seventies, stuck to his boyish face, does nothing to persuade us that his character is now middle-aged. As the younger man, however, he is very good. Ashton may be Frank by name but he is not frank by nature. Megan is the heroine of the film, albeit a tragic one, but Ashton is not its hero, as he is not the stuff of which heroes are made. Put to the test he proves a broken reed.
Apart from the scenes in fashionable Torquay, the film lacks the visual beauty and elaborate costumes often associated with heritage cinema, especially the work of the Merchant-Ivory team. Its visual look is more sombre, appropriate both to the humble social status of its heroine and to its tragic theme. In this respect it reminded me of another tragic period drama from a few years later, Michael Winterbottom's "Jude", based upon Hardy's "Jude the Obscure".
"A Summer Story" is today probably less well-known than most of Merchant-Ivory's output, or even "Jude", and it only occasionally turns up on television. Yet with its own beauty and a moving storyline it is one of those excellent British movies from the eighties ("Absolute Beginners" and "The Chain" are others) that is overdue for a revival. 8/10
