Hope and Glory (1987)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

John Boorman

Writer:

John Boorman (written by)

Release Date:

November 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

The epic story of a world at war. And a boy at play.

Plot:

A semiautobiographical project by John Boorman about a nine year old boy called Bill as he grows up in London during the blitz of World War 2...

Plot Keywords:

Young Boy | Sex | Dance | Enlistment | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Sebastian Rice-Edwards	...	Bill Rowan (as Sebastian Rice Edwards)
Geraldine Muir	...	Sue Rowan
Sarah Miles	...	Grace Rowan
David Hayman	...	Clive Rowan
Sammi Davis	...	Dawn Rowan
Derrick O'Connor	...	Mac
Susan Wooldridge	...	Molly
Jean-Marc Barr	...	Cpl. Bruce Carrey
Ian Bannen	...	Grandfather George
Annie Leon	...	Grandma
Jill Baker	...	Faith
Amelda Brown	...	Hope
Katrine Boorman	...	Charity
Colin Higgins	...	Clive's Pal
Shelagh Fraser	...	WVS Woman

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Croydon, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Charley Boorman, who plays the Luftwaffe Pilot, is the son of the film's director, John Boorman.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Not only is the string quartet not actually playing the music, but the Mozart serenade in G K.525 (Eine kleine Nachtmusik) is scored for five instruments, not four.

Quotes:

Winston Churchhill: [on a radio broadcast] Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

The White Cliffs of Dover

tune in tonight

Hope and Glory is one of my favourite films and gets a rare airing tonight on satellite's FX UK channel at 9pm. I saw it 18 years ago on its release and numerous times since and it still takes a place in my fav. top 10 of all time. The settings are truly wonderful, the humour as British as it gets and a performance by Ian Bannen that shows what good British acting is all about. His naming of former love conquests at the family Christmas party is one of cinemas funniest pieces of comedy. The cast is perfect and the whole film is a joy from beginning to end. It was deservedly nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and although failed to win would have been my choice. Highly recommended.