Summer's Lease

My only wish here is that more people would get to see this wonderful BBC mini-series set in the hillsides of tuscany. Unfortunately, it has not been released for distribution and there is some doubt whether a tape will ever be made available. An English housewife leases a country home in Italy for the summer. The family experiences the beauty of northern Italy and Molly (the mother) also becomes involved in a mystery to unravel. The countryside, including old church frescoes by Giotto takes center stage much of the time, but Sir John Gielgud's character blazes up the screen as the protagonist's eccentric (and randy) father-in-law. His hijinks with an old flame who has happened to settle into the region provide some of the best barrel laughs I can recall from any film. There is also the story of a dull marriage going through a renewal of sorts, as the husband starts to see more deeply into his wife's nature. All the characters are colorful and exquisitely drawn. If it should come up for a pbs replay, don't miss it!

I don't need to reiterate anything about this mini series, since all of the previous comments do a good job of giving a thumb-nail sketch of the plot. However, I am willing to beg, borrow or steal a copy of this movie! Does anyone out there have a copy to sell to me??

"Summer's Lease" was the first John Mortimer book that I ever read and it transported me to Tuscany then- and it does so every time that I've read it since. The film version manages to capture much of the magic of the book in a story about a slightly dysfunctional family vacationing in a somehow sinister, rental villa in Tuscany. While the family dynamics appear to be the main purpose of the plot, this is in fact, a mystery as wife Molly searches for details about the mysterious owner of the rented villa; asking questions of the quirky residents of the local `ex-pat' community and following the `della Francesca' trail in search of the art works of Peiro della Francesca, and ultimately `The Flagellation", `undoubtedly the greatest small painting in the world.' The scenery of Tuscany is enhanced by the background music (by a group called Chameleon) in a way the mere pictures could never do - an acceptable compromise for the book's descriptive prose. There are lots of laughs from the antics of the various characters, especially those of Molly's randy father, played to perfection by John Gielgud, but the underlying sense of intrigue is never lost. A very enjoyable mini series that, sadly, is not available on VHS or DVD. Well worth watching it ever appears again.

Intriguing story about an English family who rent a villa in Tuscany for the summer. Strange things are afoot and the mother/housewife of the family plays amateur sleuth. But it's done in such a very subtle manner--in the typical English manner. There is also a very stated undertone of marital unease that the wife and husband play to perfection. John Gielgud is TERRIFIC as the wife's father--he plays a socialist writer singularly preoccupied with shocking his family by his carefree attitude of love and sexuality--all this despite his advancing years.

This drama was superbly cast, especially John Gielgud as Molly's philandering father. However Molly's journey of self discovery was underdeveloped as was the eventual climactic meeting with the mysterious "T. Buckland Kettering".

The scenery of Tuscany is beautiful enough, but the acting does fall down in some places. For anyone wanting to appreciate Mortimer's classic, I suggest you read the book.