"Close Relations" (1998) (mini)TV mini-series

Director:

Michael Whyte

Writer:

Deborah Moggach (writer)

Release Date:

17 May 1998 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Many hidden secrets and desires come to light amongst the various Hammond family members following the near-fatal heart attack of Gordon Hammond.

Plot Keywords:

Family | Human Relationship | Sister

Cast

Keith Barron	...	Gordon Hammond
Sheila Hancock	...	Dorothy Hammond
Amanda Redman	...	Prudence Hammond
Alice Krige	...	Louise
Kelly Hunter	...	Maddy Hammond
Adjoa Andoh	...	April
Honeysuckle Weeks	...	Imogen
Lorcan Cranitch	...	Stephen
Graham Turner	...	Tim
Anthony Higgins	...	Robert
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Aldous	...	Director
Julia Barrie	...	Sally
Daisy Beaumont	...	Trish
Paudge Behan	...	Todd
Susanna Bishop	...	Mrs. James
Kate Buffery	...	Erin
Judy Buxton	...	Mrs. Wilson
Pandora Colin	...	Alison (as Pandora Ormsby-Gore)
Christopher Crooks	...	Frank
Donald Douglas	...	Derek
Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence	...	Woman Neighbor
Jimmi Harkishin	...	Ravi
Diana Kent	...	Dierdra
Mark Lacey	...	Brian
Michael Lees	...	Lonely Hearts Man
Jennifer Nunn	...	Todd's Wife
Peter Pacey	...	Charles
Barbara Pierson	...	Margot
Michael Sharvell-Martin	...	Quiz Master
Vaughan Sivell	...	Jamie
Montanna Thompson	...	Allegra
Manouk van der Meulen	...	Kaatya
Tat Whalley	...	Trevor
Michael Wilson	...	Eamonn
Guy Witcher	...	Peter

Runtime:

250 min (5 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Two-part hot movie, well worth your time

Normally, I stay clear of "To be continued" movies...after all, I don't know if, by the time of the continuation, I'll be in as receptive a mood for subsequent episodes, as I was for the first.

However,I always expect great things of the Brits when they explore relationships (a la "Coronation St" and "Eastenders"), so I did myself a favour and watched both 2-hour episodes. The main theme is "Boy meets girl, stays married to her for X number of years, then dumps her, for another". There are plenty of single people, also, in this tale, and they, too, have their romantic problems.

I don't think this movie is over the top in depicting most of the male characters as pigs, and most of the women as dumb, when it comes to men...after all, how many romances in real life, last for very long, due to the duplicity of one partner, and the stupidity of the other?...I mean, look at the scarcity of even "Silver Weddings" in our society - the Brits, it seems, are just as unstable. During the film, some of the betrayed female characters are weighing lesbianism as an option. Again, as in real life, who could blame them? They couldn't do any worse than with us!

By the way, I was amazed by -but uncomplaining of - the unexpected amount of interesting sexual content of the film, yet it was rated at only 14...I have seen far tamer Brit movies with an 18 rating. Not that sex is all that this movie has going for it - it has much more. Well worth seeing.