The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side
- Episode aired May 23, 2010
- TV-PG
- 1h 28m
A troubled Hollywood star and her husband move to St. Mary Mead, but their arrival becomes clouded in tragedy when a fan is fatally poisoned during a garden fête.A troubled Hollywood star and her husband move to St. Mary Mead, but their arrival becomes clouded in tragedy when a fan is fatally poisoned during a garden fête.A troubled Hollywood star and her husband move to St. Mary Mead, but their arrival becomes clouded in tragedy when a fan is fatally poisoned during a garden fête.
- French Officer
- (as Jonathan Coyne)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis novel by Agatha Christie was dedicated to Dame Margaret Rutherford, the actress who played Miss Marple in a series of four British MGM second features in the 1960s. Although Christie thought that Rutherford was the wrong choice for the role, she highly respected her professionalism.
- Quotes
Margot Bence: Well, we lived in the East End of London, my mother and eight of us kids, and she simply couldn't cope. So she did what a lot of women did in her position and she wrote to the rich and famous, begged them to adopt, and one day she got lucky.
Miss Marple: Didn't Miss Gregg also adopt a boy?
Margot Bence: Yes. And for a time we lived the most wonderful life. Marina played her part to the hilt.
Dolly Bantry: But she did want children, didn't she?
Margot Bence: Oh, yes. She just didn't want us. As soon as she discovered she was pregnant, that was it. All she wanted was a child of her own.
Dolly Bantry: Well, you can't blame her for that.
Margot Bence: No. But I can blame her for taking me. And my mother for letting her.
- ConnectionsReferences An Inspector Calls (1954)
After seeing it, I needn't have worried. The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side is one of the better entries of the series, and I also think it is the best adaptation of the book. In fact it is almost perfect, though I think the second murder could have been more drawn out than it was and the story of the photographer could have done with more development.
That said, the adaptation succeeds as an adaptation. The story is wonderful and compelling. Also, it felt like Agatha Christie, the tone was tense when it needed to be, the memorable characters were there and just as interesting and her style was there. While there are some changes, the backbone is still intact, in fact in comparison this is one of the more faithful Marple adaptations. The script does do justice to the book, there are the red herrings and the charming and witty dialogue that makes her work furthermore engrossing.
The adaptation also succeeds on its own terms. The pacing is bright and breezy, while the final scene is quite poignant. The production values are superb, I loved everything about how the adaptation looked, from the way it was shot to the house itself. The music is lovely, some of it is beautiful(the final scene) while some of it is intense and haunting(the scene on the film set about half way through). As always, the cast are impeccable, Julia McKenzie is terrific while Joanna Lumley seems to be thoroughly enjoying herself. Hugh Bonneville at the moment seems to be one of the busiest men on television, and he is interesting, and Nigel Harmon is a nice addition. I also loved Caroline Quentin here, her character is tiresome but Quentin is great, plus this is the best developed Heather Badcock I've seen. The real revelation though is Lindsay Duncan as Marina, she is brilliant and by far and large the best Marina Gregg I know of. Not only in the delivery of the lines, the voice and the gestures but especially her look of what seemed like a combination of guilt and sadness.
All in all, a wonderful adaptation and one of the best. 9/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jan 3, 2011
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Panna Marple: Zwierciadlo peka w odlamków stos
- Filming locations
- North Mymms Park, Hertfordshire, England, UK(Grounds, lodge, exterior and interior of Gossington Hall)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro