Marple: The Body in the Library (2004) (TV)

Director:

Andy Wilson

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Kevin Elyot (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 December 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

A young woman's corpse is dumped in the library of Gossington Hall, home of Jane Marple's friend Dolly Bantry and her husband Arthur...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Miss Marple | Lesbian Interest | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Geraldine McEwan	...	Miss Jane Marple
Ian Richardson	...	Conway Jefferson
Tara Fitzgerald	...	Adelaide Jefferson
Jamie Theakston	...	Mark Gaskell
Giles Oldershaw	...	Edwards
Florence Hoath	...	Pamela Reeves
Joanna Lumley	...	Dolly Bantry
James Fox	...	Colonel Arthur Bantry
Simon Callow	...	Colonel Terence Melchett
Ben Miller	...	Basil Blake
Emma Cooke	...	Dinah Lee
Robin Soans	...	Dr. Haydock
Bruce Mackinnon	...	Scamper (as Bruce MacKinnon)
Jack Davenport	...	Superintendent Harper
Mary Stockley	...	Josie Turner

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's Marple (UK)
Agatha Christie's Marple: The Body in the Library (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Dorney Court, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Chorion

Trivia:

Among others, Eileen Atkins and Annette Crosbie were considered for the part of Miss Marple's friend Dolly Bantry. The part was eventually given to Joanna Lumley, who calls herself a "die-hard Christie fan".

Quotes:

Miss Jane Marple: [a body has been found in the library of Arthur and Dolly Bantry] Oh, Dolly, what a terrible thing!
Dolly Bantry: I know. Rather thrilling, isn't it?

Movie Connections:

Version of The Body in the Library (1984) (TV)

Intriguing, handsomely produced, but too many alterations...

If the alterations to Agatha Christie's novel were only minor in nature, much of the criticism leveled at THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY would vanish, for it's a handsomely produced version of the story starring GERALDINE McEWAN as the inquisitive Miss Jane Marple.

At least for most of the running time, this sticks pretty closely to the Christie tale about the body of a young girl being found in Colonel Bantry's (JAMES FOX) library, a woman who turns out to be a dancer from a high class hotel but with no obvious attachment to the Bantry household. Dolly Bantry (JOANNA LUMLEY), the colonel's daughter, invites Jane to play sleuth and investigate the case with her.

It's another case where nothing is what it seems when the convoluted plot is finally unraveled and this is where the scriptwriters got into trouble by applying a twist to the identity of a murderous couple that was not present in the book. However, even with this flaw, the story makes a diverting viewing experience.

Not that there aren't other flaws. The acting is all a little over the top, including such seasoned performers as SIMON CALLOW and JAMES FOX, while JACK DAVENPORT does an interesting job as Superintendent Harper. Davenport is an actor who was so brilliant in THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY.

No expense has been spared to give the production the look of an expensive movie and updating the story to the '50s does no real harm (the novel was written in the early '40s).

I'm not a fan of GERALDINE McEWAN's interpretation of Miss Marple, too light-headed and never giving the appearance of the deep thinking that supposedly goes on below the surface.

Summing up: Not as bad as some of the comments insist, and certainly worth watching for the cast alone.