British to its backbone this mini is entertaining even if the goings on are a bit cliché. The settings are the beautiful especially the main house of Nancherrow. Chock full of extraordinary actors, Peter O'Toole, Joanna Lumley and Susan Hampshire just for starters, in support where this suffers is in the main roles. The actress playing Loveday is unmemorable but that can be ignored. The real problem is Emily Mortimer, it isn't even all her fault for she is a decent actress but having someone with as much charisma as Keira Knightley play the character as a young girl and than switching to someone who doesn't hold the screen in the same way for the bulk of the story is bound to cause a something of a letdown.
14 Reviews
Enjoyable if superficial look at grand family during wartime
trpdean4 November 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I quite disliked this for some time - it struck me as a soap opera not meant for the likes of this 50 year old male lawyer -- but it grew on me as the series went on.
Are there stereotyped characters? You bet. Is there as great a reverence for a grand home as you'll ever see outside Scarlett O'Hara's Tara? Yup.
But the acting nevertheless raises the level of this - and because of them, the characters' tragedies and their loves -- the sort of thing that many grand families did indeed go through in the Second World War -- do move us.
The story is of two girls who become friends at boarding school in 1937 and their lives from that time to 1947. One of the two is a sweet rather naive middle to upper middle class girl, the older of two sisters, whose family lives in Singapore (father's an executive with a shipping company). The other friend is a deliberately anti-conventional youngest of three children of a grand family from Cornwall.
With only two aunts and an uncle still in England (one of whom dies her first year at school and the other pair posted to Gibraltar within six months of her beginning school) the sweet girl (played by now superstar Keira Knightley and as an older girl played by the fine actress Emily Mortimer) is more or less made part of the grand family by her friend.
From that point and throughout the War, this romantic tale is of separations, mistaken loves, deaths, love affairs. The end of the War brings both mystery and sadness about the sweet girl's family in Singapore.
As head of that grand family, Peter O'Toole is (characteristically) mysterious -- and Joanna Lumley playing his much younger wife, does a very nice job of making us care. All concerned - particularly including Peter Batty as the only son of the grand family - are quite effective.
The acting, as well as the fine costumes, sets, props, lift this above the category of mere soap opera that I originally thought it to be.
Incidentally, ignore eye's comments below -- he wrongly describes much of the plot!
Are there stereotyped characters? You bet. Is there as great a reverence for a grand home as you'll ever see outside Scarlett O'Hara's Tara? Yup.
But the acting nevertheless raises the level of this - and because of them, the characters' tragedies and their loves -- the sort of thing that many grand families did indeed go through in the Second World War -- do move us.
The story is of two girls who become friends at boarding school in 1937 and their lives from that time to 1947. One of the two is a sweet rather naive middle to upper middle class girl, the older of two sisters, whose family lives in Singapore (father's an executive with a shipping company). The other friend is a deliberately anti-conventional youngest of three children of a grand family from Cornwall.
With only two aunts and an uncle still in England (one of whom dies her first year at school and the other pair posted to Gibraltar within six months of her beginning school) the sweet girl (played by now superstar Keira Knightley and as an older girl played by the fine actress Emily Mortimer) is more or less made part of the grand family by her friend.
From that point and throughout the War, this romantic tale is of separations, mistaken loves, deaths, love affairs. The end of the War brings both mystery and sadness about the sweet girl's family in Singapore.
As head of that grand family, Peter O'Toole is (characteristically) mysterious -- and Joanna Lumley playing his much younger wife, does a very nice job of making us care. All concerned - particularly including Peter Batty as the only son of the grand family - are quite effective.
The acting, as well as the fine costumes, sets, props, lift this above the category of mere soap opera that I originally thought it to be.
Incidentally, ignore eye's comments below -- he wrongly describes much of the plot!
Lacks Depth
unlt26 August 2006
Despite her small role Penelope Keith steals the show in this adaptation of a period drama that tells the story of the upheavals of war on the home front. She is the ultimate educated and feminist aunt whose character is only spoilt by an idiotic ignorance of David McCallum's advances on Keira Knightly.
Unfortunately, Keith's character dies early on in this 199 minute drama and the key concept of the changes of war barely touch the social realities of this story's very privileged characters.
Emily Mortimer is an excellent actor but is badly miscast as an elder version of Knightly whose talents could easily have allowed her to continue in the role to at least the age of 18. Lumley's heartache is barely given a glance in the story and there is virtually no opportunity for O'Toole to demonstrate his acting talents. The adult Loveday Carey-Lewis, played by Katie Ryder Richardson changes little from her childhood counterpart with the result that her character has mo more maturity than that of a ten year old!
Moreover, the aftermath of the sex scene between Paul Bettany and Mortimer does not create the desired effect of rendering Bettany's character as an uncaring rogue. Instead Mortimer's inflated romantic notions only fuel a dislike for a character that is utterly inept and badly in need of a lesson on life!
Bettany, while brilliant, commits an unconvincing suicide but at the very least we catch a glimpse of the brutality of war on a generation of young men.
I found myself wishing that the story had been told from the point of view of Mortimer's sister and the young artist, Gus, played by Heikko Deutschmann, but this is on account of my personal preference for a dark story lines.
Overall the drama is entertaining but if you are looking for a more profound experience, look elsewhere.
Unfortunately, Keith's character dies early on in this 199 minute drama and the key concept of the changes of war barely touch the social realities of this story's very privileged characters.
Emily Mortimer is an excellent actor but is badly miscast as an elder version of Knightly whose talents could easily have allowed her to continue in the role to at least the age of 18. Lumley's heartache is barely given a glance in the story and there is virtually no opportunity for O'Toole to demonstrate his acting talents. The adult Loveday Carey-Lewis, played by Katie Ryder Richardson changes little from her childhood counterpart with the result that her character has mo more maturity than that of a ten year old!
Moreover, the aftermath of the sex scene between Paul Bettany and Mortimer does not create the desired effect of rendering Bettany's character as an uncaring rogue. Instead Mortimer's inflated romantic notions only fuel a dislike for a character that is utterly inept and badly in need of a lesson on life!
Bettany, while brilliant, commits an unconvincing suicide but at the very least we catch a glimpse of the brutality of war on a generation of young men.
I found myself wishing that the story had been told from the point of view of Mortimer's sister and the young artist, Gus, played by Heikko Deutschmann, but this is on account of my personal preference for a dark story lines.
Overall the drama is entertaining but if you are looking for a more profound experience, look elsewhere.
A disappointment for fans of the book
notmicro25 September 2000
"Coming Home" could make a very engrossing 6-8 hour mini-series; unfortunately this production is all surface fairy-tale gloss with none of the depth and intent of the book. Vast and important chunks of the original story are missing; most of the remnants are turned upside-down and inside-out, and given a relentlessly sentimental greeting-card treatment. The author's serious attempt to portray life as she knew it as a young woman before, during, and after WWII is almost completely lost. A group of very interesting and capable actors is pretty much wasted. Its difficult to understand why the producers took the approach they did; one gets the impression that they must not have liked the original book much.
Not as Bad as Others Say (Spoiler Alert)
denx576 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I've read the book 3 times. Sure this movie took quite a few liberties but overall it was worth watching.
The acting by all players was top rate and believable.
Only the Loveday and Gus story left us hanging. Walter (a decent guy in the movie, exact opposite in the book) deserved better than Loveday just walking away for Gus. Perhaps that's addressed in the sequel, Nancherrow.
The acting by all players was top rate and believable.
Only the Loveday and Gus story left us hanging. Walter (a decent guy in the movie, exact opposite in the book) deserved better than Loveday just walking away for Gus. Perhaps that's addressed in the sequel, Nancherrow.
From lovely book to slightly tacky TV drama!
gaiter8826 April 2005
Like so many things this was not as good as the book. It was simply unrealistic to hope to fit a thousand page book into a three hour drama, and the story that they tell here in this TV drama suffers as a result. The cutting of large chunks of the story and other small alterations make for an average script.
On the acting front there is a mishmash of performances. Peter O'Toole and Joanna Lumley are well casted, even if the latter does at points over do it a bit. There are also early promising performances for Kiera Knightley and Paul Bettany, but the pivotal roles of the Judith and Loveday characters just don't work.
In the spirit of fairness it is worth mentioning some of the lovely scenery shown, and the good attempt on the period costume and props. However what annoyed me the most was that they partially changed the ending from the book to allow for the sequel.
If you haven't read the book this will appear as slightly dated average world war two drama with some familiar faces in it. But if you are a fan of the Pilcher novel then I'm afraid this slightly tacky adaptation does not live up to the book, and paints a more simpler and cruder picture of what is a truly lovely story.
On the acting front there is a mishmash of performances. Peter O'Toole and Joanna Lumley are well casted, even if the latter does at points over do it a bit. There are also early promising performances for Kiera Knightley and Paul Bettany, but the pivotal roles of the Judith and Loveday characters just don't work.
In the spirit of fairness it is worth mentioning some of the lovely scenery shown, and the good attempt on the period costume and props. However what annoyed me the most was that they partially changed the ending from the book to allow for the sequel.
If you haven't read the book this will appear as slightly dated average world war two drama with some familiar faces in it. But if you are a fan of the Pilcher novel then I'm afraid this slightly tacky adaptation does not live up to the book, and paints a more simpler and cruder picture of what is a truly lovely story.
A Travesty
johnbridger16 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Quite what the producers of this appalling adaptation were trying to do is impossible to fathom.
A group of top quality actors, in the main well cast (with a couple of notable exceptions), who give pretty good performances. Penelope Keith is perfect as Aunt Louise and equally good is Joanna Lumley as Diana. All do well with the scripts they were given.
So much for the good. The average would include the sets. Nancherrow is nothing like the house described in the book, although bizarrely the house they use for the Dower House looks remarkably like it. It is clear then that the Dower House is far too big. In the later parts, the writers decided to bring the entire story back to the UK, presumably to save money, although with a little imagination I have no doubt they could have recreated Ceylon.
Now to the bad. The screenplay. This is such an appallingly bad adaptation is hard to find words to condemn it. Edward does not die in the battle of Britain but survives, blinded. He makes a brief appearance then commits suicide - why?? Loveday has changed from the young woman totally in love with Gus to a sensible farmer's wife who can give up the love her life with barely a tear (less emotional than Brief Encounter). Gus, a man besotted and passionately in love, is prepared to give up his love without complaint. Walter (Mudge in the book) turns from a shallow unfaithful husband to a devoted family man. Jess is made into a psychologically disturbed young woman who won't speak. Aunt Biddy still has a drink problem but now without any justification. The Dower House is occupied by the army for no obvious reason other than a very short scene with Jess who has a fear of armed soldiers. Whilst Miss Mortimer's breasts are utterly delightful, I could not see how their display on several occasions moved the plot forward. The delightfully named Nettlebed becomes the mundane Dobson. The word limit prevents me from continuing the list.
There is a sequel (which I lost all interest in watching after this nonsense) and I wonder if the changes were made to create the follow on story. It is difficult to image that Rosamunde Pilcher would have approved this grotesque perversion of her book; presumably she lost her control when the rights were purchased.
A group of top quality actors, in the main well cast (with a couple of notable exceptions), who give pretty good performances. Penelope Keith is perfect as Aunt Louise and equally good is Joanna Lumley as Diana. All do well with the scripts they were given.
So much for the good. The average would include the sets. Nancherrow is nothing like the house described in the book, although bizarrely the house they use for the Dower House looks remarkably like it. It is clear then that the Dower House is far too big. In the later parts, the writers decided to bring the entire story back to the UK, presumably to save money, although with a little imagination I have no doubt they could have recreated Ceylon.
Now to the bad. The screenplay. This is such an appallingly bad adaptation is hard to find words to condemn it. Edward does not die in the battle of Britain but survives, blinded. He makes a brief appearance then commits suicide - why?? Loveday has changed from the young woman totally in love with Gus to a sensible farmer's wife who can give up the love her life with barely a tear (less emotional than Brief Encounter). Gus, a man besotted and passionately in love, is prepared to give up his love without complaint. Walter (Mudge in the book) turns from a shallow unfaithful husband to a devoted family man. Jess is made into a psychologically disturbed young woman who won't speak. Aunt Biddy still has a drink problem but now without any justification. The Dower House is occupied by the army for no obvious reason other than a very short scene with Jess who has a fear of armed soldiers. Whilst Miss Mortimer's breasts are utterly delightful, I could not see how their display on several occasions moved the plot forward. The delightfully named Nettlebed becomes the mundane Dobson. The word limit prevents me from continuing the list.
There is a sequel (which I lost all interest in watching after this nonsense) and I wonder if the changes were made to create the follow on story. It is difficult to image that Rosamunde Pilcher would have approved this grotesque perversion of her book; presumably she lost her control when the rights were purchased.
Love...Exciting and new...Come aboard...it's World War 2...
tommott8 January 2001
A 4-hour romance novel set in Britain before during and after WWII. The heroine falls into a fortune near the beginning and nothing much worse happens to her after that. I hoped for a couple more plot twists, but even so, it has its charms, and I looked forward to finishing all 4 episodes. Good acting. Fair-Poor direction. Horrible soundtrack reminiscent of an oatmeal commercial.
American viewers will be surprised (well, I was) by the partial female nudity that pops up every hour or so just as interest starts to flag.
American viewers will be surprised (well, I was) by the partial female nudity that pops up every hour or so just as interest starts to flag.
Poorly done
mfsor3 February 2006
With Knightly and O'Tool as the leads, this film had good possibilities, and with McCallum as the bad guy after Knightly, maybe some tension. But they threw it all away on silly evening frill and then later on with maudlin war remnants. It was of course totally superficial, beautiful English country and seaside or not.The number one mistake was dumping Knightly so early on in the film, when she could easily have played someone a couple of years older, instead of choosing someone ten years older to play the part. They missed all the chances to have great conflict among the cast, and instead stupidly pulled at the easy and low-cost heartstring elements.
Turning a good read into a film piffle.
wisewebwoman14 April 2022
Hard to pick out the worst features of this appalling meander of 199 minutes.
The plot of the book was hammered down to harlequin type segments with unnecessary naked flashes to keep the leer set interested.
Emily Mortimer was a trial all through, with her twinkling and winking and blinking and sorry leaky eyes the main feature for reels of film.
Peter O'Toole was great as the colonel but his back story was trashed along with the others.
Emily shows a real nasty side when it comes to her traumatized young sister who has lost both mother and father. Yelling and tugging at her. (What?) All the love interests make absolutely no sense, with "the love of my life" being forgotten rather quickly in settling for the lesser stodgier male.
Penelope Keith shone in a part well suited for her. The cheerful Auntie Mame feminist.
There's a great series buried underneath this careless treatment of a good read.
2/10 for the war-ry bits and some of the settings (beach, shelter) but a complete waste of time.
The plot of the book was hammered down to harlequin type segments with unnecessary naked flashes to keep the leer set interested.
Emily Mortimer was a trial all through, with her twinkling and winking and blinking and sorry leaky eyes the main feature for reels of film.
Peter O'Toole was great as the colonel but his back story was trashed along with the others.
Emily shows a real nasty side when it comes to her traumatized young sister who has lost both mother and father. Yelling and tugging at her. (What?) All the love interests make absolutely no sense, with "the love of my life" being forgotten rather quickly in settling for the lesser stodgier male.
Penelope Keith shone in a part well suited for her. The cheerful Auntie Mame feminist.
There's a great series buried underneath this careless treatment of a good read.
2/10 for the war-ry bits and some of the settings (beach, shelter) but a complete waste of time.
Not as engaging as the novel the movie was based on.
irene-pike1 June 2022
A large portion of the novel was based in the Far East. Probably for financial reasons this was erased from the movie, which was unfortunate as it added colour to the story. There were other changes too! However my husband who had never read the novel enjoyed the series.
Oh, to be in England, now that something is going on there, I'm told.
eye31 June 1999
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, you have:
Penelope Keith as Miss Herringbone-Tweed, B.B.E. (Backbone of England.) She's killed off in the first scene - that's right, folks; this show has no backbone!
Peter O'Toole as Ol' Colonel Cricket from The First War and now the emblazered Lord of the Manor.
Joanna Lumley as the ensweatered Lady of the Manor, 20 years younger than the colonel and 20 years past her own prime but still glamourous (Brit spelling, not mine) enough to have a toy-boy on the side. It's alright, they have Col. Cricket's full knowledge and consent (they guy even comes 'round for Christmas!) Still, she's considerate of the colonel enough to have said toy-boy her own age (what a gal!)
David McCallum as said toy-boy, equally as pointlessly glamourous as his squeeze. Pilcher couldn't come up with any cover for him within the story, so she gave him a hush-hush job at the Circus.
and finally:
Susan Hampshire as Miss Polonia Teacups, Venerable Headmistress of the Venerable Girls' Boarding-School, serving tea in her office with a dash of deep, poignant advice for life in the outside world just before graduation. Her best bit of advice: "I've only been to Nancherrow (the local Stately Home of England) once. I thought it was very beautiful but, somehow, not part of the real world." Well, we can't say they didn't warn us.
Ah, Susan - time was, your character would have been running the whole show. They don't write 'em like that any more. Our loss, not yours.
So - with a cast and setting like this, you have the re-makings of "Brideshead Revisited," right?
Wrong! They took these 1-dimensional supporting roles because they paid so well. After all, acting is one of the oldest temp-jobs there is (YOU name another!)
First warning sign: lots and lots of backlighting. They get around it by shooting outdoors - "hey, it's just the sunlight!"
Second warning sign: Leading Lady cries a lot. When not crying, her eyes are moist. That's the law of romance novels: Leading Lady is "dewy-eyed."
Henceforth, Leading Lady shall be known as L.L.
Third warning sign: L.L. actually has stars in her eyes when she's in love. Still, I'll give Emily Mortimer an award just for having to act with that spotlight in her eyes (I wonder . did they use contacts?)
And lastly, fourth warning sign: no on-screen female character is "Mrs." She's either "Miss" or "Lady."
When all was said and done, I still couldn't tell you who was pursuing whom and why. I couldn't even tell you what was said and done.
To sum up: they all live through World War II without anything happening to them at all.
OK, at the end, L.L. finds she's lost her parents to the Japanese prison camps and baby sis comes home catatonic. Meanwhile (there's always a "meanwhile,") some young guy L.L. had a crush on (when, I don't know) comes home from some wartime tough spot and is found living on the street by Lady of the Manor (must be some street if SHE's going to find him there.) Both war casualties are whisked away to recover at Nancherrow (SOMEBODY has to be "whisked away" SOMEWHERE in these romance stories!)
Great drama.
Penelope Keith as Miss Herringbone-Tweed, B.B.E. (Backbone of England.) She's killed off in the first scene - that's right, folks; this show has no backbone!
Peter O'Toole as Ol' Colonel Cricket from The First War and now the emblazered Lord of the Manor.
Joanna Lumley as the ensweatered Lady of the Manor, 20 years younger than the colonel and 20 years past her own prime but still glamourous (Brit spelling, not mine) enough to have a toy-boy on the side. It's alright, they have Col. Cricket's full knowledge and consent (they guy even comes 'round for Christmas!) Still, she's considerate of the colonel enough to have said toy-boy her own age (what a gal!)
David McCallum as said toy-boy, equally as pointlessly glamourous as his squeeze. Pilcher couldn't come up with any cover for him within the story, so she gave him a hush-hush job at the Circus.
and finally:
Susan Hampshire as Miss Polonia Teacups, Venerable Headmistress of the Venerable Girls' Boarding-School, serving tea in her office with a dash of deep, poignant advice for life in the outside world just before graduation. Her best bit of advice: "I've only been to Nancherrow (the local Stately Home of England) once. I thought it was very beautiful but, somehow, not part of the real world." Well, we can't say they didn't warn us.
Ah, Susan - time was, your character would have been running the whole show. They don't write 'em like that any more. Our loss, not yours.
So - with a cast and setting like this, you have the re-makings of "Brideshead Revisited," right?
Wrong! They took these 1-dimensional supporting roles because they paid so well. After all, acting is one of the oldest temp-jobs there is (YOU name another!)
First warning sign: lots and lots of backlighting. They get around it by shooting outdoors - "hey, it's just the sunlight!"
Second warning sign: Leading Lady cries a lot. When not crying, her eyes are moist. That's the law of romance novels: Leading Lady is "dewy-eyed."
Henceforth, Leading Lady shall be known as L.L.
Third warning sign: L.L. actually has stars in her eyes when she's in love. Still, I'll give Emily Mortimer an award just for having to act with that spotlight in her eyes (I wonder . did they use contacts?)
And lastly, fourth warning sign: no on-screen female character is "Mrs." She's either "Miss" or "Lady."
When all was said and done, I still couldn't tell you who was pursuing whom and why. I couldn't even tell you what was said and done.
To sum up: they all live through World War II without anything happening to them at all.
OK, at the end, L.L. finds she's lost her parents to the Japanese prison camps and baby sis comes home catatonic. Meanwhile (there's always a "meanwhile,") some young guy L.L. had a crush on (when, I don't know) comes home from some wartime tough spot and is found living on the street by Lady of the Manor (must be some street if SHE's going to find him there.) Both war casualties are whisked away to recover at Nancherrow (SOMEBODY has to be "whisked away" SOMEWHERE in these romance stories!)
Great drama.
Ok overall but mixed messages on sexualising women
SunnyDaise10 June 2022
Great cast and love the war setting as we have so much to be thankful for in peace time. However, this show is quite hypocritical over sexualising women - one character is clearly portrayed as bad for being a creep but all the topless scenes throughout the three hours undermine this message.
Joanna Lumley, Penelope Keith, Carol Drinkwater
drednm21 January 2024
Sprawling but superficial mini about an unlikable family at the verge of WW II. They live on an estate on the Cornish coast and are impacted by the war.
Despite top billing for Peter O'Toole, the main characters are the daughters plated by Emily Mortimer and the unlikable Katie Ryder Richardson. As the gals maneuver thru the war, we also get the stories of the other family member and the men in their lives.
Despite some good production values, the story just seems flat. There's not much detail. We just glide along like an ocean breeze while the characters live their lives. The three star actresses mentioned above just don't get much to do and we wallow in the daily doings of the uninteresting younger set.
Co-stars include Paul Bettany, Patrick Ryecart, David McCallum, Susan Hampshire, and Charles Edwards.
Despite top billing for Peter O'Toole, the main characters are the daughters plated by Emily Mortimer and the unlikable Katie Ryder Richardson. As the gals maneuver thru the war, we also get the stories of the other family member and the men in their lives.
Despite some good production values, the story just seems flat. There's not much detail. We just glide along like an ocean breeze while the characters live their lives. The three star actresses mentioned above just don't get much to do and we wallow in the daily doings of the uninteresting younger set.
Co-stars include Paul Bettany, Patrick Ryecart, David McCallum, Susan Hampshire, and Charles Edwards.
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