"The Line of Beauty" (2006) (mini)TV mini-series

Director:

Saul Dibb

Writers:

Alan Hollinghurst (novel)
Andrew Davies (adaptation)

Release Date:

17 May 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The story of two gay lovers in 1980s London.

Plot Keywords:

Gay | Self Mutilation | Adultery | 1980s | Cocaine

Cast

Dan Stevens	...	Nick Guest
Oliver Coleman	...	Toby Fedden
Carmen du Sautoy	...	Elena
Kenneth Cranham	...	Sir Maurice Tipper
Tim McInnerny	...	Gerald Fedden
Barbara Flynn	...	Sally Tipper
Alice Krige	...	Rachel Fedden
Hayley Atwell	...	Catherine 'Cat' Fedden
Don Gilet	...	Leo Charles
Oscar James	...	Brentford
John Quayle	...	Geoffrey Titchfield
John Standing	...	Lord Kessler
Justin Salinger	...	Russell
Bruno Lastra	...	Tristao
Kika Markham	...	Mrs. Thatcher

Runtime:

USA:179 min (San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Film Festival)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

In the pub scene for Nick and Leo's first meeting, "time" is called at the end of the evening by the real landlord of that pub, the Windsor Castle pub.

Quotes:

Catherine Fedden: You're really very rich, aren't you, Sir Maurice?
Sir Maurice Tipper: Yes. I am.
Catherine Fedden: How much have you got?
Sally Tipper: Oh, my dear, what a question. You can never exactly say, can you? It goes up so fast. All the time these days.
Catherine Fedden: Well, roughly.
Sir Maurice Tipper: Roughly... one-hundred-and-fifty million.
Catherine Fedden: One-hundred-and-fifty million pounds?
Sir Maurice Tipper: Give or take a few million, yes.
Catherine Fedden: I noticed you gave some money to the appeal at Podier Church.
Sally Tipper: We give to endless appeals and churches.
[...]

Inside the gilded balloon

Alan Hollinghurst's 'The Line of Beauty' is, at least in this adaptation, a version of 'The Great Gatsby' fitted to 1980s Britain, the story of a young man from an ordinary background who mistakenly harbours too many illusions about the beautiful people of the smart set. The story lacks the utter poignancy of Fitzgerald's book because the hero (who, co-incidentally or not, shares the name of Nick with the other novel's protagonist) only rejects his adopted world when it rejects him; But the screenplay, cinematography, and performances are all first rate, especially that of Tim McInerny, playing a MP whose ultimate ruthlessness, self-righteousness, and rottenness, is hidden beneath a layer of almost genuine charm and kindness. The political overtones of the story are somewhat lost in a treatment that dwells almost exclusively inside the gilded balloon, and all of the characters could be handled less sympathetically with some justification, but the indulgent early mood reaps final reward when things go sour. Screenwriter Andrew Davies made his name with the contemporary series 'A Very Peculiar Practice', but these days seems to concentrate largely on period drama. This aberration proves itself welcome, and leaves one hopeful of more to come.