Watch A Midwinter's Tale For Free
A Midwinter's Tale
Out of work actor Joe volunteers to help try and save his sister's local church for the community by putting on a Christmas production of Hamlet, somewhat against the advice of his agent Margaretta. As the cast he assembles are still available even at Christmas and are prepared to do it on a 'profit sharing' basis (that is, they may not get paid anything) he cannot expect - and does not get - the cream of the cream. But although they all bring their own problems and foibles along, something bigger starts to emerge in the perhaps aptly named village of Hope.
| Release : | 1995 |
| Rating : | 7.2 |
| Studio : | Castle Rock Entertainment, Midwinter Films, |
| Crew : | Production Design, Camera Operator, |
| Cast : | Michael Maloney Richard Briers Joan Collins Nicholas Farrell Julia Sawalha |
| Genre : | Comedy |
Watch Trailer
Cast List
Related Movies
Sexy Scrooge
Murder She Said
Murder Most Foul
Murder Ahoy
Home Alone
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Bringing Up Baby
City Lights
Meet Me in St. Louis
Reviews
Better Late Then Never
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
In every writing class the teacher tells you to write what you know. Never has this been so true as when Branagh 'knocked out' this little gem.At the time Branagh was deep into pre-production of his own monumental film version of Hamlet and all the niggling questions he was asking himself about casting and directing choices were exorcised in this film.Branagh had just gone through a separation from his wife and long time collaborator Emma Thompson. All the Woody Allen-like angst the character goes through about his own recent break-up are the result of this.Rumors were rife all over the Internet about Branagh having meetings with George Lucas about playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars The Phantom Menace... He was asked about them and denied them repeatedly. Branagh has some fun with all that as well.The director-writer dug deep and came up with a truly wonderful Christmas gift for movie-audiences. A charming and un-pretentious film that celebrates every person's need to be loved.
One of my all-time favorite movies. Anything Kenneth Branagh directs is magic, and this is one of his finest. Clearly based on his own experience as an avid Shakespearean actor and director (He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company before forming Renaissance Films.), he too has often said "I saw Hamlet when I was fifteen, and it changed my life." As a group of misfit actors (including a male homosexual Gertrude)struggle to get their play, William Shakespeare's Hamlet, ready to perform for the children of a small town, they encounter many problems, but in the end find love and the true essence of Shakespeare. Magnificent!
When this film was televised in the UK as the US 'A Midwinters Tale' version, the very affecting scene in which Julia Sawalha explains why she does nothing about her shortsightedness, was cut.In case this was made by the producers rather than the broadcaster, and for anyone did not get to see this scene: Her reason was that living in a world where everything was blurred, made it easier to cope with the grief of losing her husband - when he was killed, she could not bear the starkness and clarity of the world she found herself in.
This is a movie that will make you see that when things look their bleakest, as in midwinter, you have to push on. The characters undergo a long journey from strange actor-folk and emerge as people who are near and dear to us at the end. They are the light at the end of the tunnel. Anyone who's been involved with a difficult stage production will identify with this movie. I loved it! "Dear Hamlet, cast thy coloured nightie off..." -D
