Memoir of the lives of a family growing up on a post World War I British estate headed up by a strong disciplinarian, her daughter, her inventor husband, their ten year old son and his older... Read allMemoir of the lives of a family growing up on a post World War I British estate headed up by a strong disciplinarian, her daughter, her inventor husband, their ten year old son and his older sister. Through the household comes a number of suitors hoping to impress the young woman... Read allMemoir of the lives of a family growing up on a post World War I British estate headed up by a strong disciplinarian, her daughter, her inventor husband, their ten year old son and his older sister. Through the household comes a number of suitors hoping to impress the young woman, including an aviator. When the elder woman's son shows up at the estate with his French ... Read all
- Aunt Heloise
- (as Irene Jacob)
- Gabriel Chenoux
- (as Tcheky Karyo)
- Meg
- (as Kirsten Smith)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film is based on the memoirs of Denis Forman, a British television mogul born 10/13/1917, and is presumed to be set in 1927 when Denis Forman turned 10 years old (the age of Fraser Pettigrew in the film).
- GoofsWhile Fraser at age 3 crawls out of his bedroom onto the roof, his older brother, young Rollo in short pants with suspenders (in a shot from behind at 02:27), is on the lawn holding a tennis racket, but (at around 28 mins) the scene cuts to a frontal shot where young Rollo's hands are empty. Later (at around 33 mins), he holds the tennis racket again.
- Quotes
Fraser Pettigrew: Our house is probably too big, which is why my mum kept having babies so we can keep it filled up.
- Crazy creditsGrateful special thanks to the entire Miramax London operation and the people of Stracchur & Cairndow.
- SoundtracksSymphony No.5 in C Minor, Op.67
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven (as Beethoven)
Performed by The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Simon Rattle (as Sir Simon Rattle)
Sir Simon Rattle performs by courtesy of EMI Classics
It is a wonderful beginning to a family saga. It manages to tell us almost everything about the kind of child Fraser is, and the kind of father he has -- Almost everything, but not all.
In the course of the film we see that Edward Pettigrew is many things, an inventor of hair brained gadgets, an exuberant dad to his children, a lover to his wife, a trial to his mother-in-law, a fool to his brother-in-law, a kind employer to the house staff. But most of all, he is a man with the heart of a child. There are times when the child Fraser is more mature than Edward the dad.
I never felt the film was fragmented, because the central theme, Edward's lust for Heloise, held the movie together, and gave it shape. And he DID lust for her, did something to her in the sphagnum moss storage room, something unwanted, and aggressive enough to take her choker from her neck, leave them both with moss clinging to their hair -- something to cause us to hear one wild scream from Heliose.
Edward's jealousy of Fraser's friendship with the beautiful Frenchwoman is a child's jealousy. Edward tries to push Fraser to the side; he vies with his son for Heloise's attention, and by his boorish, childlike actions, he opens himself to her public ridicule of him at table.
Colin Firth has one of his best roles here. He allows us to see a man with so many warring degrees of character - kindness and cruelty, foolishness and intelligence. And the man is funny too. There is a scene where he attempts to tell the facts of life to Fraser that is priceless. A perfect place for the stammer.
For the Firth fans of us, he is rugged of face and the liquid brown eyes have never been more expressive. There is one particular scene where you could drown in them! He is trim of body, walks the walk all over the heather, wears clothes to die for. There is one suit that he wore for hunting that I loved - dark brown with knickers, and with the most fetching brown slouch hat. And that Scottish accent! Divine!
Best of all, is a scene in pajamas, alone by the fire, the light playing on his face, his head back, a bit of suprasternal notch showing. Sighs were heard all up and down our row.
Yes, I liked it. Everyone was excellent in it. I particularly loved Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's sweet expressive face, and her singing voice is lovely. Robert Burns never sounded more haunting or romantic. McDowell was hard edged, not a likeable man, but one that loved his mother very much -- and his young wife. You could especially see that when Edward taunts him in the climatic scene. Young Fraser is a natural, and I thought his discoveries in his grandfather's attic, and his obsession with "sins of the flesh," very real for a bright ten year old in 1920 who was never told any of the things he really wanted to know. The Louie Armstrong/jazz/cigar/brandy snifter scene shown in the trailer becomes much sweeter and sadder when you see the film. There is an extra ingredient that makes it so.
I wanted to be a guest in that house where smokes billows from the lawn, the master rides around in tiny inflatable boats, or tank like vehicles, where lovers waltz in their nightclothes in the rain. Where eccentricity is treated with forbearance -- until Eve enters the scene and changes the family forever.
*************
- moviefan-3
- Jul 23, 1999
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- World of Moss
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $635,620
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $53,937
- Jul 25, 1999
- Gross worldwide
- $635,620
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1