28 reviews
To put it simply, I enjoyed this film. The reason for my interest & enjoyment was not related to anything other than the subject matter itself. I had heard tales from my mother and grandmother about how Northern England working class life and attitudes used to be (as experienced by them)and this is an interesting depiction that seems to faithfully represent what they told me. In particular, the paternalistic but overbearing father who "knows" what is best for his family along with his stubborness when this paradigm is challenged. (Not much has changed there then!!)
People who have seen the play will probably be disappointed with the film because the story does not easily transfer across the different media. In a sense however, the film is an historical document and I personally enjoyed it, if only because of the way it conveyed a social phenomenon.
People who have seen the play will probably be disappointed with the film because the story does not easily transfer across the different media. In a sense however, the film is an historical document and I personally enjoyed it, if only because of the way it conveyed a social phenomenon.
The golden age of the British "kitchen sink" film was the late fifties and early sixties, the age of "Look Back in Anger", "Woman in a Dressing Gown", "A Taste of Honey", "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning", "A Kind of Loving" and others. There were, however, a few excellent examples from the late sixties, such as "Alfie", "Kes" and "Spring and Port Wine". (I know that IMDb gives the date of this last as 1970, but in the closing credits of the film itself it is given as MCMLXIX, or 1969). . These latter three films were all in colour, whereas all the earlier examples cited were in black-and-white. Like "Alfie", "Spring and Port Wine" was based on a stage play by Bill Naughton.
The film is set in Bolton and concerns the working-class Crompton family, especially the patriarch, Rafe. Rafe, a factory worker, is a very conservative figure, not in the sense that he is politically right- wing- if anything, he inclines to the Left- but in the sense that he is traditional in his social attitudes. He is deeply religious and patriotic (he cannot understand people who go abroad for their holidays), and a lover of serious literature and classical music. Above all he takes a very old-fashioned view of family life; the father is head of the household and is owed unquestioning obedience from his wife and from his children, at least as long as they are living under his roof. Something of his attitudes can be gauged from the fact that he has named his four children Harold, Wilfred, Florence and Hilda, all names which would have been regarded as absurdly old-fashioned by most parents of Rafe's generation. (Some of those names, particularly Florence, have made something of a comeback since the sixties).
It must be said, however, that Rafe's attitudes are not always consistent- he claims to hate waste and extravagance, and makes his wife Daisy keep detailed housekeeping accounts, yet will happily spend forty guineas (two week's wages for the average working man at this period) on an expensive bespoke overcoat. (This coat will subsequently play an important role in the plot). Although he dislikes all manifestations of youth culture, especially pop music, and bemoans what he sees as the decline in morality in modern times, he seems unconcerned by the fact that his teenage daughter Hilda habitually wears a provocatively short mini-skirt.
The main theme of the film, a common one in the sixties, is the clash of values between old and young. An explanation of the rather enigmatic title is given in the original play, but this is omitted from the film; cinema audiences probably assumed that "Spring" referred to the rising young generation as contrasted with the "Autumn" of the old. (Hence the title of my review, borrowed from Gabriel Garcia Marquez). A crisis is provoked in the life of the Crompton family when Hilda, with the tacit support of her siblings, defies her father's authority by refusing to eat a herring for supper. Yet the Cromptons are not really a dysfunctional family. Although on the surface they do not demonstrate a good deal of love for one another, there are, beneath that surface, sufficient reserves of mutual respect and affection to help them cope with their difficulties. When a real crisis erupts in Hilda's life, she will find that her father is there for her.
The film's two internationally known stars are James Mason and Susan George, and both are excellent here. George's career was later to suffer from her being typecast as wild young sexpots, which made it difficult for her to get decent parts as she got older; she made few major films after 1980. It has, however, to be admitted that she could be very good in her limited range, and here as the rebellious young Hilda, a nonconformist in a deeply conformist household, she gives one of her best performances. (She was only nineteen at the time). Mason had the previous year in "Mayerling" played another autocratic father, albeit one from a very different social background, the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef. That had been one of his weaker films, but he is much better here as Rafe, the traditionalist trying hard to come to terms with the fact that the traditions he holds dear are no longer universally accepted. Other contributions of note come from Diana Coupland as Daisy, Hannah Gordon as Hilda's milder, more conciliatory older sister Florence, and Avril Elgar as Betsy-Jane Duckworth, the Cromptons' sluttish, slatternly neighbour.
The film was directed by Peter Hammond, better known as a television actor. It appears to be the only feature film he ever made as director, but it is an excellent one. Like many British films it has a strong sense of place, something deriving from extensive use of real Bolton scenes. As in many industrial Northern towns, the late sixties and early seventies were a period of extensive change in Bolton, a period when many historic buildings were being demolished to make way for modernistic, often ill thought-out, urban redevelopment schemes, and much of this transformation is clearly visible in the film. (Something similar can be seen in another British film from around the same time, "Get Carter" set in Newcastle). It seemed to me that Hammond was using these scenes as a visual metaphor for a similar transformation taking place at the heart of the Crompton family as the old inexorably gives way to the new. 8/10
The film is set in Bolton and concerns the working-class Crompton family, especially the patriarch, Rafe. Rafe, a factory worker, is a very conservative figure, not in the sense that he is politically right- wing- if anything, he inclines to the Left- but in the sense that he is traditional in his social attitudes. He is deeply religious and patriotic (he cannot understand people who go abroad for their holidays), and a lover of serious literature and classical music. Above all he takes a very old-fashioned view of family life; the father is head of the household and is owed unquestioning obedience from his wife and from his children, at least as long as they are living under his roof. Something of his attitudes can be gauged from the fact that he has named his four children Harold, Wilfred, Florence and Hilda, all names which would have been regarded as absurdly old-fashioned by most parents of Rafe's generation. (Some of those names, particularly Florence, have made something of a comeback since the sixties).
It must be said, however, that Rafe's attitudes are not always consistent- he claims to hate waste and extravagance, and makes his wife Daisy keep detailed housekeeping accounts, yet will happily spend forty guineas (two week's wages for the average working man at this period) on an expensive bespoke overcoat. (This coat will subsequently play an important role in the plot). Although he dislikes all manifestations of youth culture, especially pop music, and bemoans what he sees as the decline in morality in modern times, he seems unconcerned by the fact that his teenage daughter Hilda habitually wears a provocatively short mini-skirt.
The main theme of the film, a common one in the sixties, is the clash of values between old and young. An explanation of the rather enigmatic title is given in the original play, but this is omitted from the film; cinema audiences probably assumed that "Spring" referred to the rising young generation as contrasted with the "Autumn" of the old. (Hence the title of my review, borrowed from Gabriel Garcia Marquez). A crisis is provoked in the life of the Crompton family when Hilda, with the tacit support of her siblings, defies her father's authority by refusing to eat a herring for supper. Yet the Cromptons are not really a dysfunctional family. Although on the surface they do not demonstrate a good deal of love for one another, there are, beneath that surface, sufficient reserves of mutual respect and affection to help them cope with their difficulties. When a real crisis erupts in Hilda's life, she will find that her father is there for her.
The film's two internationally known stars are James Mason and Susan George, and both are excellent here. George's career was later to suffer from her being typecast as wild young sexpots, which made it difficult for her to get decent parts as she got older; she made few major films after 1980. It has, however, to be admitted that she could be very good in her limited range, and here as the rebellious young Hilda, a nonconformist in a deeply conformist household, she gives one of her best performances. (She was only nineteen at the time). Mason had the previous year in "Mayerling" played another autocratic father, albeit one from a very different social background, the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef. That had been one of his weaker films, but he is much better here as Rafe, the traditionalist trying hard to come to terms with the fact that the traditions he holds dear are no longer universally accepted. Other contributions of note come from Diana Coupland as Daisy, Hannah Gordon as Hilda's milder, more conciliatory older sister Florence, and Avril Elgar as Betsy-Jane Duckworth, the Cromptons' sluttish, slatternly neighbour.
The film was directed by Peter Hammond, better known as a television actor. It appears to be the only feature film he ever made as director, but it is an excellent one. Like many British films it has a strong sense of place, something deriving from extensive use of real Bolton scenes. As in many industrial Northern towns, the late sixties and early seventies were a period of extensive change in Bolton, a period when many historic buildings were being demolished to make way for modernistic, often ill thought-out, urban redevelopment schemes, and much of this transformation is clearly visible in the film. (Something similar can be seen in another British film from around the same time, "Get Carter" set in Newcastle). It seemed to me that Hammond was using these scenes as a visual metaphor for a similar transformation taking place at the heart of the Crompton family as the old inexorably gives way to the new. 8/10
- JamesHitchcock
- Dec 21, 2012
- Permalink
'Ee, it were right grim up north, especially if your dad was James Mason's Rafe Crompton, who the minute he enters the family home after putting in a shift at the local mill in Bolton, Lancashire, runs the roost with one hand on his wife's housekeeping money and the other on the Holy Bible. Diana Coup!and, later to play a similar part in a comedic manner opposite Sid James in the popular TV sitcom "Bless This House", is his adoring, but fearful wife who tries to keep the peace between father's draconian ways and their rebellious brood of four fast-growing children, all crammed under the one roof. He calls her "mother" and she calls him "father" which is enough to tell you the hierarchical rules of this particular household, but rebellion is in the air in the form of younger daughter Susan George, a free-spirit who duly picks her moment over a portion of herring put down before her at the family evening meal to at last revolt against the old man's outdated ways.
This sets off a chain reaction amongst the rest of the family as one by one they all, in their own ways, join in the revolution with old man Crompton standing his ground until the pressure finally tells on his wife at last forcing him to re-evaluate both himself and his draconian methods as head of the house.
While the ending is somewhat contrived and sentimental, betraying its origins as a stage play of the time, there's still much to enjoy here. The exterior shots of Bolton in the late 60's will strike a nostalgic chord with many of a certain age-group, to whom it will no doubt evoke memories of Dvorak's New World Symphony / Hovis advert, as well as recollections of the generation gap battles enacted here.
There are some frank dialogue exchanges, which while no doubt familiar in living rooms up and down the country are unlikely to have been heard much on the cinema screen.
Mason effects a fine Northerner's accent as the unyielding father figure while Coupland offers credible support as the recognisable "'er indoors", who with a mother's instinct, sees more than her husband and who gets caught in the crossfire. George is good too as the catalyst for change as are other recognisable faces from TV of the time, such as Rodney Bewes, Hannah Gordon and Frank Windsor.
As indicated, for dramatic purposes, I'd have probably preferred a darker ending but in the end my growing affection for the individual characters made me content with the "all's well that bloody ends well" conclusion presented instead.
This sets off a chain reaction amongst the rest of the family as one by one they all, in their own ways, join in the revolution with old man Crompton standing his ground until the pressure finally tells on his wife at last forcing him to re-evaluate both himself and his draconian methods as head of the house.
While the ending is somewhat contrived and sentimental, betraying its origins as a stage play of the time, there's still much to enjoy here. The exterior shots of Bolton in the late 60's will strike a nostalgic chord with many of a certain age-group, to whom it will no doubt evoke memories of Dvorak's New World Symphony / Hovis advert, as well as recollections of the generation gap battles enacted here.
There are some frank dialogue exchanges, which while no doubt familiar in living rooms up and down the country are unlikely to have been heard much on the cinema screen.
Mason effects a fine Northerner's accent as the unyielding father figure while Coupland offers credible support as the recognisable "'er indoors", who with a mother's instinct, sees more than her husband and who gets caught in the crossfire. George is good too as the catalyst for change as are other recognisable faces from TV of the time, such as Rodney Bewes, Hannah Gordon and Frank Windsor.
As indicated, for dramatic purposes, I'd have probably preferred a darker ending but in the end my growing affection for the individual characters made me content with the "all's well that bloody ends well" conclusion presented instead.
No matter what mood I'm in, this film always sorts me out. I can't count the times I've watched it, at any time of the day or night. It is the most basic of love stories, showing that the ties that bind a family are often stretched to the limit, but cannot be broken. I have over 500 films in my collection and I don't think there's a more romantic moment in any, than when James Mason takes of his jacket and puts is round Diana Coupland's shoulders. I remember feeling the tenderness of that moment when I first saw the film in the cinema as a young teenager and now I am 50 and it still makes me shiver. There's never been another film which comes anywhere near it. My old video is just about played out and I've copied it on to DVD, but I would love to know if anyone has ever seen it for sale on DVD.
- moirazollinger
- Dec 1, 2004
- Permalink
- Prismark10
- Aug 14, 2020
- Permalink
I love Kitchen Sink Dramas...this one was good, but something was off about it.
The story was good, a great cast, brilliant cinematography. It just felt like the whole thing was unrehearsed, poorly directed and badly edited.
Did they spend so much of the budget on the cameras that they had none left for rehearsals? It also feels like the director couldn't decide on just how to portray the father...one min the family are terrified of him, the next they are picking on him and joking with him....I'd love to see some stage productions and see how other directors deal with this...here it even sometimes feels like the actors were not in the same room when their scenes were shot as the reactions are all over the place.
Lots of great bits about this movie...and I enjoyed it...but it was let down by the direction and editing.
The story was good, a great cast, brilliant cinematography. It just felt like the whole thing was unrehearsed, poorly directed and badly edited.
Did they spend so much of the budget on the cameras that they had none left for rehearsals? It also feels like the director couldn't decide on just how to portray the father...one min the family are terrified of him, the next they are picking on him and joking with him....I'd love to see some stage productions and see how other directors deal with this...here it even sometimes feels like the actors were not in the same room when their scenes were shot as the reactions are all over the place.
Lots of great bits about this movie...and I enjoyed it...but it was let down by the direction and editing.
- marktayloruk
- Sep 8, 2018
- Permalink
Outside the household is a different world and the family struggle to tread the line between Dads authority and their hopes and dreams.
The period is captured; The bakelite light swithes, the Georgian floorpan, the picture rails, the wall paper, the short skirts, the cheeky lads, the Mini van, shiny modern mangles....
The location is captured; A wind lashed glacier hewn rocky landscape, walls of local stone, community, freedom.
But there is much much more; Childhood, happiness, sensuality, pride, values, freedom, authority, rebellion, violence (in the deepest sense), love, struggle, puberty, naivety, morality, trust, faith, deceit, machismo, manners, maturity, loss, poverty, sacrifice, horror, acceptence, revelation, comedy and parenthood are all there. (And in no particular order!).
This film is a richly woven expression of family tensions that are as relevent today as ever. The fact that some of these aren't tackled directly is testament in itself to the attitudes of the day but the fact that they are all here is a testament to the acting skill, the story and the direction.
If there's anything bad about this film, it's that all this deeply entrenched and wonderfully enacted tension is swept away a little too lightly towards the end. Maybe I missunderstand - the doom and gloom felt by many teenagers really does disappear if they deal with it (**) - maybe the film is trying to send even that message too - well worth doing.
What is the film trying to say? Kids: Parents were young too, parents struggle too, everyone makes mistakes, everyone learns, things change, struggle can end happily. Parents: Don't try too hard! Try to remember that your support is the key to their well being.
It sounds simplistic doesn't it? Sometimes the film feels like that too but it's then that you notice how much is being being challenged and uncovered.
The film is a classic.
(**) - Not the problems themsleves.
The period is captured; The bakelite light swithes, the Georgian floorpan, the picture rails, the wall paper, the short skirts, the cheeky lads, the Mini van, shiny modern mangles....
The location is captured; A wind lashed glacier hewn rocky landscape, walls of local stone, community, freedom.
But there is much much more; Childhood, happiness, sensuality, pride, values, freedom, authority, rebellion, violence (in the deepest sense), love, struggle, puberty, naivety, morality, trust, faith, deceit, machismo, manners, maturity, loss, poverty, sacrifice, horror, acceptence, revelation, comedy and parenthood are all there. (And in no particular order!).
This film is a richly woven expression of family tensions that are as relevent today as ever. The fact that some of these aren't tackled directly is testament in itself to the attitudes of the day but the fact that they are all here is a testament to the acting skill, the story and the direction.
If there's anything bad about this film, it's that all this deeply entrenched and wonderfully enacted tension is swept away a little too lightly towards the end. Maybe I missunderstand - the doom and gloom felt by many teenagers really does disappear if they deal with it (**) - maybe the film is trying to send even that message too - well worth doing.
What is the film trying to say? Kids: Parents were young too, parents struggle too, everyone makes mistakes, everyone learns, things change, struggle can end happily. Parents: Don't try too hard! Try to remember that your support is the key to their well being.
It sounds simplistic doesn't it? Sometimes the film feels like that too but it's then that you notice how much is being being challenged and uncovered.
The film is a classic.
(**) - Not the problems themsleves.
- Quinn Fissler
- Mar 1, 2002
- Permalink
Naughton's 1958 play Spring and Port wine was a phenomenal success both as a radio play and stage production - and deservedly so. It was inevitable that at some point the story should find its way onto film but, alas, this production does not do it justice.
The most enthusiastic reviews here on IMDb concentrate on the story - which is not surprising because it is a good story and an excellent snapshot of working class life in late 50's Bolton. But this filmed version loses a lot of the tension and drama so well-crafted in the play and adds nothing in return.
This technicolor lit-for-television view of Bolton looks more 70's than late 50's and combined with the cheerful music score is more evocative of contemporary "Carry On.." films than working class kitchen sink. Naughton had to write new material to flesh this out into a full movie and unfortunately the additional bits do nothing more than add stock Northern comedy characters into the mix. Not so much "port wine" as "Last of the Summer Wine".
As for performances - every one gives their best and the family ensemble generally works well together but there are times when you wish the direction had been a bit more "hands on" with tighter interactions in the humorous bits and more tension when serious. Susan George, once again shows that she is a better actor than frequently credited, Diana Copeland however doesn't seem to be able to shake off the caring middle-class mother image that she made her own in "Bless this House" and her desperate flight to the canal-side is far from convincing.
James Mason, of course, is excellent. His look, body language and general presence is spot on even though his accent has not an atom of Bolton in it. Great pity that some of his best lines and most telling moments are not given the directorial treatment they deserve.
I recommend the film because it is a story worth watching - especially if you haven't seen the play. But if you have seen the play you will spend it thinking how much better this could have been with a bit more 50's feel, Northern grit and the directing talents of Tony Richardson or John Schlesinger.
The most enthusiastic reviews here on IMDb concentrate on the story - which is not surprising because it is a good story and an excellent snapshot of working class life in late 50's Bolton. But this filmed version loses a lot of the tension and drama so well-crafted in the play and adds nothing in return.
This technicolor lit-for-television view of Bolton looks more 70's than late 50's and combined with the cheerful music score is more evocative of contemporary "Carry On.." films than working class kitchen sink. Naughton had to write new material to flesh this out into a full movie and unfortunately the additional bits do nothing more than add stock Northern comedy characters into the mix. Not so much "port wine" as "Last of the Summer Wine".
As for performances - every one gives their best and the family ensemble generally works well together but there are times when you wish the direction had been a bit more "hands on" with tighter interactions in the humorous bits and more tension when serious. Susan George, once again shows that she is a better actor than frequently credited, Diana Copeland however doesn't seem to be able to shake off the caring middle-class mother image that she made her own in "Bless this House" and her desperate flight to the canal-side is far from convincing.
James Mason, of course, is excellent. His look, body language and general presence is spot on even though his accent has not an atom of Bolton in it. Great pity that some of his best lines and most telling moments are not given the directorial treatment they deserve.
I recommend the film because it is a story worth watching - especially if you haven't seen the play. But if you have seen the play you will spend it thinking how much better this could have been with a bit more 50's feel, Northern grit and the directing talents of Tony Richardson or John Schlesinger.
- prustage95
- Aug 13, 2020
- Permalink
I love this film 'Spring and port wine'. I was born in Leigh, a town about 7 miles away from Bolton, I moved to Bolton in 1965 when I was 20. My place of work was daily via Little Lever through Farnworth, sometimes on a bike but then by car when I could afford it.The film brings back all the memories of the working class neighbors who were almost always broke but who would always help you if they could. Fred Dibnah was round the corner from Bromwich St. were my bedsit was. If you didn't see the film when first released then you may be forgiven for comparing it to a soap such as Coronation St, well I agree it is a soap, but then, it was called 'Kitchen Sink Drama!' Watch this film for the talented cast who shortly afterwards became household names from frequent roles on TV, I watch mainly for the shots of the locality and the feel good factor of people being poor but happy!
- trevcollingee
- Jun 26, 2004
- Permalink
This 1970 British kitchen sink/family drama is caught between the early 60s, bleak, black and white versions of this sub genre, like, say, "Taste Of Honey" and "A Kind Of Loving" and the later, more whimsical incarnations offered by Mike Leigh. Unfortunately, it feels watered down compared to the Tony Richardson and John Schlesinger films, with a most unconvincing happy ending, and not as inspiredly quirky as Leigh's best works like "Life Is Sweet" and "Secrets And Lies". Throw in cinematography and direction that look and feel like Brit TV that has been tossed onto the big screen and you can see why the whole thing is somewhat underwhelming.
As usual with UK movies, it is the acting that saves it. Mason and George are excellent as are two actors of whom I was previously unaware, Hannah Gordon and Len Jones. Best performance, in my opinion, though, is turned in by Diana Coupland as the mom who is aware of what a jerk her husband is, but cannot help loving him, and who expresses these dueling emotions in an under stated yet forceful manner. C plus.
As usual with UK movies, it is the acting that saves it. Mason and George are excellent as are two actors of whom I was previously unaware, Hannah Gordon and Len Jones. Best performance, in my opinion, though, is turned in by Diana Coupland as the mom who is aware of what a jerk her husband is, but cannot help loving him, and who expresses these dueling emotions in an under stated yet forceful manner. C plus.
I have watched this film many times, and it always seems to get better. With great acting performance by James Mason, and the cast of this classic English film. If you have not seen it before, then I highly recommend that you do.
- Steve-0001
- Mar 2, 2020
- Permalink
The film is adapted from a play and at times it is very evident and like most plays it doesn't transfer well to film.
The story is a simple one about a family who adhere to strict rules laid down by their strict father played by James Mason and when one rebels over an uneaten herring it causes consternation amongst the rest of the family.
James Mason gives a good performance but the film is set in the late sixties and the play the mid fifties and references to hunger marches of the 1930s date it very badly and I feel they miscast the mother as she looks far too young to play that part.
A decent watch but could and should have been much better with good writing and casting.
The story is a simple one about a family who adhere to strict rules laid down by their strict father played by James Mason and when one rebels over an uneaten herring it causes consternation amongst the rest of the family.
James Mason gives a good performance but the film is set in the late sixties and the play the mid fifties and references to hunger marches of the 1930s date it very badly and I feel they miscast the mother as she looks far too young to play that part.
A decent watch but could and should have been much better with good writing and casting.
- colinprunty-1
- Sep 30, 2023
- Permalink
Stern James Mason and indulgent Diana Coupland head a Lancashire mill hand's family that looks snugly comfortable. However, beneath the seemingly calm situation, there's trouble brewing. The first sign is when daughter Susan George won't eat her herring.
It's a kitchen sink drama that at times seems a parody of the form as we wait for the crisis, after which it takes about twenty seconds for things to turn around, with Mason giving two performances. First he's the acerbic, blind authoritarian, and then he turns into the kindly, observant dad. Mason, of course, is almost always worth watching, and he is here, and Miss Coupland is a warm presence, but when you have a situation which can be resolved by five minutes of talk, it simply annoys me. With Hannah Gordon and Rodney Bewes.
It's a kitchen sink drama that at times seems a parody of the form as we wait for the crisis, after which it takes about twenty seconds for things to turn around, with Mason giving two performances. First he's the acerbic, blind authoritarian, and then he turns into the kindly, observant dad. Mason, of course, is almost always worth watching, and he is here, and Miss Coupland is a warm presence, but when you have a situation which can be resolved by five minutes of talk, it simply annoys me. With Hannah Gordon and Rodney Bewes.
Even though I have lived abroad for more than 50 years, this film so perfectly captures the essence of life in northern England in the 50-60's that I cannot decide whether I want to go back there or stay away. Father knows best - no question. You do as you're told! You "tip up" on Fridays. Mother cooking fish on Friday pay day. Oh my gosh, it is all there. There are so many unforgettable scenes of northern working class life it is like a time warp for those of us who lived it.
For anyone in the future who may wonder what life was like back then when there was virtually full employment in the cotton mills, they could do worse than watch this film.
I wish this film were on TV regularly so that I could show my friends what it was like.
For anyone in the future who may wonder what life was like back then when there was virtually full employment in the cotton mills, they could do worse than watch this film.
I wish this film were on TV regularly so that I could show my friends what it was like.
Superb movie. Very good photography of 1969/70 Bolton, which seems now to be a different world. Thoughtful and an excellent dramatisation and production. James Mason a real first class star. It is and I would agree with the above comment that this movie is a national treasure.
If any of you wondered why James Mason wasn't cast as the patriarch in The Family Way, check out the British family flick Spring and Port Wine. While the plot isn't the same, it has a very similar feel to it. He's a husband and father who tries his best but doesn't have a great relationship with his family. The lifestyle and dialogue are both very British, and it feels like a slice of life in one unhappy happy family. Everyone has a natural chemistry together, as if they've really lived under the same roof for thirty years. James is very strict with his children, but he has extremely good intentions.
In one way or another, the family always seem to get the better of him. His eldest son gets away with smoking in the house as long as he puts out the cigarette a few minutes before James comes home. His eldest daughter has a boyfriend he doesn't approve of. His wife, Diana Coupland, is terrible with the household budget and borrows from her neighbors and children to fool James into thinking she didn't overspend. When his entitled, attitude-ridden teenage daughter asks for a different meal during their afternoon tea, James takes offense. It isn't enough that Diana slaves away in the kitchen to prepare a lovely fried haddock; now she has to prepare a second meal for one person's serving? He argues that she should eat the dinner out of respect to her mother, and she smugly states, "There's nothing you can say that will make me eat it."
There sprouts a battle of the wills. Under James's direction, Diana brings out the same plate of fried herring for her daughter during every meal. She either eats the haddock or she doesn't eat at all. I'm sure people in the audience will take father or daughter's side, and I unapologetically took James's side. I understood his strict parenting style and agreed that it was best for his goals. When his kids tried to get back at him, go behind his back, or disrespect him, it hurt to watch. Since I also know that the Masons had difficulty raising their own children, I could only imagine how much this script hit home for him. Plus, James has such expressive eyes, when he's hurt, disappointed, or regretful, it just makes me want to sweep him up in a bear hug.
In one way or another, the family always seem to get the better of him. His eldest son gets away with smoking in the house as long as he puts out the cigarette a few minutes before James comes home. His eldest daughter has a boyfriend he doesn't approve of. His wife, Diana Coupland, is terrible with the household budget and borrows from her neighbors and children to fool James into thinking she didn't overspend. When his entitled, attitude-ridden teenage daughter asks for a different meal during their afternoon tea, James takes offense. It isn't enough that Diana slaves away in the kitchen to prepare a lovely fried haddock; now she has to prepare a second meal for one person's serving? He argues that she should eat the dinner out of respect to her mother, and she smugly states, "There's nothing you can say that will make me eat it."
There sprouts a battle of the wills. Under James's direction, Diana brings out the same plate of fried herring for her daughter during every meal. She either eats the haddock or she doesn't eat at all. I'm sure people in the audience will take father or daughter's side, and I unapologetically took James's side. I understood his strict parenting style and agreed that it was best for his goals. When his kids tried to get back at him, go behind his back, or disrespect him, it hurt to watch. Since I also know that the Masons had difficulty raising their own children, I could only imagine how much this script hit home for him. Plus, James has such expressive eyes, when he's hurt, disappointed, or regretful, it just makes me want to sweep him up in a bear hug.
- HotToastyRag
- Jan 16, 2022
- Permalink
An amusing film relating to mill-town working-class mores and cosy domestic habits in the pioneering late-'60s/early-'70s adapted from Bill Naughton's stage play. Some of the perfectly formed visual props are very interesting with a sense of the vaguely surreal in the mundane:- a canister of 'Vim' bleach, jars of 'Heinz mayonnaise, 'HP brown sauce' and the dense sugary pink and lemon-yellow layers of a sliced 'Angel cake' in the Crompton family's kitchen and dining room; dark mahogany cabinets and bright lime-green patterned curtains in the living room; vinyl records and colour posters; shift scenes in a mill; cigarette street advertisements (Marlboro or Embassy Regal?); views of redbrick industrial Bolton and the bleak rugged Pennines; they all record time so well. A quartet of Yorkshire-born actors are featured including Huddersfield's Marlborough and Cambridge-educated James Mason and Keith Buckley; Leeds-born Diana Coupland ('Bless this House') and Bingley-born Rodney Bewes, while teenager Len Jones is from Leigh. Although its soap qualities are in contrast to Mason's flair role as Captain Nemo in '20000 leagues under the Sea' (1954) he gives a very good interpretative exposition as the moustachioed, flat-cap sporting, mill-town pater familias, Rafe Crompton. He had great affection for the rubric of Huddersfield and the mill-towns of the Pennines in real life and there are references to Handel's 'Messiah' which is the staple of Huddersfield Choral Society in the film. In fact, 1970 was an exciting year in Huddersfield as the 'Terriers' won promotion to the top flight featuring classy Shelf-born soccer star Frank Worthington and Trevor Cherry.
- mark-rojinsky
- Oct 30, 2021
- Permalink
This is an excellent film about a traditional working class family in Northern England. Filmed on location in Bolton, it stars James Mason as the father who is the dominant force within his home. Or so it seems. Cleverly, the film, based on the play, portrays the complexities of family life. The supporting cast is terrific as well, with many familiar faces lending support.
- Dawnfrancis
- Jan 13, 2004
- Permalink
- writers_reign
- Jun 28, 2016
- Permalink
A true view of working class northern England of the past. Mason rules like a king over his family, as he does with his acting as he heads a super cast. This can't be faulted.
- carl-henleys
- Feb 19, 2020
- Permalink
I really enjoyed this movie, even though I didn't grow-up in Bolton, Manchester life was O so similar. The father of the house 'Rafe Crompton' played by James Mason, is a typical example of what the head of Northern families we're all about. The Mother,(Mother) as referred, played by Diana Coupland, is a typical stay at home housewife looking after her grown up kids. It's quite unbelievable that at their age, they're all still living at home. Rafes' character is old fashioned and quite domineering (due to his own upbringing and suffering through his families relentless debts). However,It is a good loving home, but Rafe has lost touch with changing times. His suffering wife has to juggle the housekeeping to make the books tally, as Rafe takes care of all the families finances. I love this movie, as its nostalgia brings back loving memories of days gone by. Times have surely changed with regards to the family unit...Watching this Classic Depiction of Northern Life, keeps the good Ol' days alive...
A fab' late 60s early 70s Movie, it Should go down as a British Classic...
A Great Supporting cast.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
- carmenjulianna
- Aug 13, 2020
- Permalink
Movie opens on a dismal working-class Bolton scene (back in 1969), and one's heart sinks to one's knees, especially as that poor ol' fish is being chopped up while the opening credits appear. I'm only here for my old flame Susan George, and it's only two weeks ago that I waded through ALL NEAT IN BLACK STOCKINGS, and alas! yet another drama with English spoken in a peculiar accent. I should talk, I'm South African, but believe you me, an American at heart. Really, people, when British movies go on DVD, give us subtitles, please, your Lordships.
Fortunately, Susan George does not disappoint. She is as vivacious as only a cute house-kitten can be. Doesn't take the movie long to show us her legs. And what lovely legs they are!
Aye, to the wee lot of ye who'd expect a dram o' a decent review o' this fine ol' beloved classic (hello, Moira), ye will 'ave to wait till the cows come home. The Raven is only botherin' with this for the wee bonnie lassie's sake.
But, hark! After taking a sneak preview, and reaching the bit around the kitchen table, I am as hooked as that misfortunate herring. I can see that this is going to be well worth watching after all. Obviously in for a treat as James Mason and Susan George square up.
Okay, watched the movie. I wholeheartedly agree with the reviewer who pointed out the serious flaw: the easy resolve. The only explanation would have been if Dad had an epiphany on the way to the canal, with that sickening feeling of impending doom, of what his life would have been like without Mom. But that is left to the viewer's discrimination.
You realize, though, that this movie has at its heart a gut-wrenching emotional showdown over a serving of herring... Not that I am missing the point, I know it is about family values, but still... Jeepers, try this for a script nowadays, you'd be laughing stock. You'd never live down the bowl of fish like an albatross around your neck for the rest of your life.
By the way I just last week watched Hannah Gordon in THE PERSUADERS! "A Home Of One's Own". Britain's really a small place.
Moira, luv, I trust you 'ave by now pinched off some of the household money and bought y'self the official DVD, and laid ye ol' overworked VHS copy to rest, bless your heart, luv.
Fortunately, Susan George does not disappoint. She is as vivacious as only a cute house-kitten can be. Doesn't take the movie long to show us her legs. And what lovely legs they are!
Aye, to the wee lot of ye who'd expect a dram o' a decent review o' this fine ol' beloved classic (hello, Moira), ye will 'ave to wait till the cows come home. The Raven is only botherin' with this for the wee bonnie lassie's sake.
But, hark! After taking a sneak preview, and reaching the bit around the kitchen table, I am as hooked as that misfortunate herring. I can see that this is going to be well worth watching after all. Obviously in for a treat as James Mason and Susan George square up.
Okay, watched the movie. I wholeheartedly agree with the reviewer who pointed out the serious flaw: the easy resolve. The only explanation would have been if Dad had an epiphany on the way to the canal, with that sickening feeling of impending doom, of what his life would have been like without Mom. But that is left to the viewer's discrimination.
You realize, though, that this movie has at its heart a gut-wrenching emotional showdown over a serving of herring... Not that I am missing the point, I know it is about family values, but still... Jeepers, try this for a script nowadays, you'd be laughing stock. You'd never live down the bowl of fish like an albatross around your neck for the rest of your life.
By the way I just last week watched Hannah Gordon in THE PERSUADERS! "A Home Of One's Own". Britain's really a small place.
Moira, luv, I trust you 'ave by now pinched off some of the household money and bought y'self the official DVD, and laid ye ol' overworked VHS copy to rest, bless your heart, luv.
- RavenGlamDVDCollector
- Aug 15, 2015
- Permalink
The critics seem to completely miss the point regarding James Mason's portrayal of Rafe who although is strict and disciplined, is not a tyrant but is actually shown to have a soft centre. He was cultured and appreciated quality. He clearly enjoys playing the piano while encouraging the family members to sing along. Therefore, I think he played it beautifully and understated and it was not in any way stereotypical. The supporting cast all play their parts well and it's a good portrayal of family life in the 60's in Northern England. All things considered I think Mason deserved an oscar for his performance and it is a great shame he did not.
but I want to say I cannot agree more with Moira.
What a wonderful film.
I was thinking about it just this morning, wanting to give advice to some dopey sod who'd lost money on his debit card through fraud, and wanted to say 'Keep thy money in thine pocket' and realised I was talking like James Mason.
Even tho he didn't say those words, I still think he would! I've never forgotten 'Are ye carrying?' in his reconciliation with his son, Hywel Bennet: 'Always have money in thine pocket!' Good advice.
Not enough kids have fathers with such unforgiving but well-meant attitudes any more. Or any father at all.
It would be a good thing for us to reinstate 'thee', 'thy' and 'thine' in our language to show we care. It is only the same as 'tutoyer' in French or 'du' in German.
Addendum: I just realised that a lot of my remarks were about James Mason in The Family Way!
I think it's because I mixed up Susan George with Hayley Mills. Well, easy mistake.
I stand by the comments tho'.
And Spring and Port Wine is so very similar to The Family Way.
When you took a girlfriend to the pictures in those days, you really had something to say and talk about afterwards, something that affected your knowledge of the world and your personal development.
Theatrical experiences are almost real, and they are important in helping young people to grow up.
It doesn't happen now, I think, that teenagers can just go to the pics like we did.
What a wonderful film.
I was thinking about it just this morning, wanting to give advice to some dopey sod who'd lost money on his debit card through fraud, and wanted to say 'Keep thy money in thine pocket' and realised I was talking like James Mason.
Even tho he didn't say those words, I still think he would! I've never forgotten 'Are ye carrying?' in his reconciliation with his son, Hywel Bennet: 'Always have money in thine pocket!' Good advice.
Not enough kids have fathers with such unforgiving but well-meant attitudes any more. Or any father at all.
It would be a good thing for us to reinstate 'thee', 'thy' and 'thine' in our language to show we care. It is only the same as 'tutoyer' in French or 'du' in German.
Addendum: I just realised that a lot of my remarks were about James Mason in The Family Way!
I think it's because I mixed up Susan George with Hayley Mills. Well, easy mistake.
I stand by the comments tho'.
And Spring and Port Wine is so very similar to The Family Way.
When you took a girlfriend to the pictures in those days, you really had something to say and talk about afterwards, something that affected your knowledge of the world and your personal development.
Theatrical experiences are almost real, and they are important in helping young people to grow up.
It doesn't happen now, I think, that teenagers can just go to the pics like we did.
- davidshort10
- Jun 28, 2008
- Permalink