This is a movie with a scene that happens today – September 3. I hope you will enjoy watching this film tonight.
HOPE AND GLORY
Bill Rowan lives in London with his parents, Clive and Grace, older sister Dawn and younger sister Sue. The family listen to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announce on the radio on September 3, 1939, that war has begun with Germany. [2:48 to 5:36] His father enlists in the army. His mother considers evacuating the children to Australia, but finds she emotionally cannot go through with it. The family endures the blitz. Bill joins a gang who scavenge through the ruins. There is a hilarious scene when they find a orphan girl and bribe her with jewelry they have found to play doctor. Dawn falls for Bruce, a Canadian soldier she has met. Meanwhile the mother develops a friendship with Max, her brother-in-law, whom she was attracted to before she got married. Dawn and her soldier have a falling out even though she has become pregnant by him. After their house burns down in an ordinary house fire, they move in with Bill’s maternal grandfather who lives on the river. Dawn’s soldier lover returns and they are wed. Dawn’s baby is born. Bill would have had to attend his old school for a few weeks, until he could transfer, but it was destroyed by a stray bomb.
An interesting view of an ordinary British family during the Blitz. Much more realistic than the melodramatic “Mrs. Miniver”. Both comic and poignant at the same time. It is a thoroughly enjoyable film. One of John Boorman’s best.
1939: Countdown to War by Richard Overy (Viking, New York, 2009) at page 108 and the film at 2:55 to 2:58 give the date of the speech
Producer - John Boorman and Michael Dryhurst
Director - John Boorman
Screenplay - John Boorman
Awards – The movie was nominated for the Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Film Oscars at the 60th Academy Awards. .
Running Time – 1 hour 53 minutes
Released - November 13, 1987
Starring -
Sebastian Rice-Edwards as Billy Rowan
Sarah Miles as Grace Rowan
David Hayman as Clive Rowan
Geraldine Muir as Sue Rowan
Sammi Davis as Dawn Rowan
Derrick O'Connor as Mac
Ian Bannen as Grandfather George
Anne Leon as Grandma
Jean-Marc Barr as Corporal Bruce Carrey
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