An Angel at My Table

1990 biographical drama film by Jane Campion

An Angel at My Table

Directed by| Jane Campion
Screenplay by| Laura Jones
Based on| To the Is-Land
by Janet Frame
An Angel at My Table
by Janet Frame
The Envoy from Mirror City
by Janet Frame
Produced by| John Maynard
Bridget Ikin
Starring| Kerry Fox
Cinematography| Stuart Dryburgh
Edited by| Veronika Jenet
Music by| Don McGlashan

Production
companies

ABC
Television New Zealand
Channel 4
Hibiscus Films

Distributed by| Sharmill Films (Australia)
Artificial Eye (United Kingdom)

Release dates

* 5 September 1990 (1990-09-05) (Venice Film Festival)
* 20 September 1990 (1990-09-20) (Australia)

Running time

| 158 minutes
Countries| New Zealand
Australia
United Kingdom
Language| English
Box office| NZ$569,000 (New Zealand)[1]
$1,054,638 (US and Canada)[2]

An Angel at My Table is a 1990 biographical drama film directed by Jane Campion. The film is based on Janet Frame's three autobiographies, To the Is-Land (1982), An Angel at My Table (1984), and The Envoy from Mirror City (1984).[3] The film was very well received. It won awards at the New Zealand Film and Television awards, the Toronto International Film Festival, and second prize at the Venice Film Festival.[4]

## Synopsis

[edit]

An Angel at My Table is a dramatisation of the autobiographies of New Zealand author Janet Frame. Originally produced as a television miniseries, the film, as with Frame's autobiographies, is divided into three sections, with the lead role played by three actresses who portray Frame at different stages of her life: Alexia Keogh (child), Karen Fergusson (teenager), and Kerry Fox (adult). The film follows Frame from when she grows up in a poor family, through her years in a mental institution, and into her writing years after her release.

## Cast

[edit]

* Kerry Fox as Janet Frame (adult)
* Alexia Keogh as Janet Frame (child)
* Karen Fergusson as Janet Frame (teenager)
* Iris Churn as Mother
* Kevin J. Wilson as Father
* Melina Bernecker as Myrtle
* Glynis Angell as Isabel
* Mark Morrison as Bruddie Frame (child)
* Sarah Llewellyn as June Frame (child)
* Natasha Gray as Leslie
* Brenda Kendall as Miss Botting
* Martyn Sanderson as Frank Sargeson

## Awards

[edit]

* New Zealand Film and TV Awards (1990):[4]
* Best Cinematography: Stuart Dryburgh
* Best Director: Jane Campion
* Best Film
* Best Performance in Supporting Role: Martyn Sanderson
* Best Female Performance: Kerry Fox
* Best Screenplay: Laura Jones
* Toronto International Film Festival (1990):[4]
* International Critics Award: Jane Campion
* Valladolid International Film Festival (1990):[4]
* Best Actress: Kerry Fox
* Venice Film Festival (1990)[4]
* Elvira Notari Prize: Jane Campion
* Filmcritica "Bastone Bianco" Award: Jane Campion
* Grand Special Jury Prize: Jane Campion
* Little Golden Lion Award: Jane Campion
* OCIC Award: Jane Campion
* Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics (UCC) (1992):[5]
* Grand Prix
* Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) (1992):[6]
* CFCA Award: Best Foreign Language Film
* Independent Spirit Awards (1992)[4]
* Best Foreign Film: Jane Campion

## Impact and reception

[edit]

An Angel at My Table was the first film from New Zealand to be screened at the Venice Film Festival, where it received multiple standing ovations and was awarded the Grand Special Jury Prize despite evoking yells of protest that it did not win The Golden Lion.[7] In addition to virtually sweeping the local New Zealand film awards, it also took home the prize for best foreign film at the Independent Spirit Awards and the International Critics' Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.[4] The film not only established Jane Campion as an emerging director and launched the career of Kerry Fox, but it also introduced a broader audience to Janet Frame's writing.

Roger Ebert gave the film 4 out of 4 stars, stating; "[The film] tells its story calmly and with great attention to human detail and, watching it, I found myself drawn in with a rare intensity".[8] The film also received praise in The Guardian where film critic Derek Malcolm called it "one of the very best films of the year".[9] The Sydney Morning Herald wrote, "Angel is a film where almost every image strikes the eye with the vividness of an inspired art composition: one where small incidents gain magical properties".[10] Variety said the film is "potentially painful and harrowing...imbued with gentle humor and great compassion, which makes every character come vividly alive".[11] In 2019, the BBC polled 368 film experts from 84 countries to name the 100 greatest films directed by women, with An Angel at My Table voted at No. 47.[12]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Top Fourteeen New Zealand Movies Released in New Zealand". No. 97–98. Cinema Papers. April 1994. p. 15. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
2. ^ "An Angel at My Table (1991)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
3. ^ Hunter Cordaiy, "An Angel at My Table", Cinema Papers, November 1990, pp. 32–36.
4. ^ a b c d e f g "Background - An Angel at My Table - Film". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
5. ^ "BELGIAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION: Grand Prix Honours List – Movie List". MUBI. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
6. ^ "1988-2013 Award Winner Archives". Chicago Film Critics Association. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
7. ^ Campion, Jane (19 January 2008). "Jane Campion recalls her encounters with Janet Frame". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
8. ^ Ebert, Roger (21 June 1991). "An Angel at My Table". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
9. ^ "Quotes - An Angel at My Table - Film - NZ on Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
10. ^ "An Angel at my Table - Review - Photos - Ozmovies". www.ozmovies.com.au. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
11. ^ "Film Review: 'An Angel at My Table'". Variety. 31 December 1989. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
12. ^ "The 100 greatest films directed by women". BBC Culture. Retrieved 17 March 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* An Angel at My Table at IMDb
* An Angel at My Table at Rotten Tomatoes
* An Angel at My Table at Turner Classic Movies
* NZ On Screen page
* An Angel at My Table at Oz Movies
* An Angel at My Table: Alone, Naturally an essay by Amy Taubin at the Criterion Collection

* v
* t
* e

Jane Campion

Films directed|

| Feature films|

* Sweetie (1989)
* An Angel at My Table (1990)
* The Piano (1993)
* The Portrait of a Lady (1996)
* Holy Smoke! (1999)
* In the Cut (2003)
* Bright Star (2009)
* The Power of the Dog (2021)

|

Short films|

* Mishaps of Seduction and Conquest (1981)
* Peel (1982)
* Passionless Moments (1983)
* A Girl's Own Story (1984)
* The Lady Bug (2007)
* The Water Diary (2008)

Television|

* Dancing Daze (1985)
* Two Friends (1986)
* Top of the Lake (2013, 2017)

Awards for An Angel at My Table

* v
* t
* e

Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film

1980s|

* Au revoir les enfants (1988)
* Henry V (1989)

1990s|

* The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1990)
* An Angel at My Table (1991)
* The Crying Game (1992)
* The Piano (1993)
* Three Colours: Red (1994)
* Il Postino: The Postman (1995)
* Dekalog (1996)
* Shall We Dance? (1997)
* Life Is Beautiful (1998)
* All About My Mother (1999)

2000s|

* Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
* Amélie (2001)
* Y tu mamá también (2002)
* City of God (2003)
* A Very Long Engagement (2004)
* Caché (2005)
* Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
* 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
* Let the Right One In (2008)
* The White Ribbon (2009)

2010s|

* A Prophet (2010)
* A Separation (2011)
* Amour (2012)
* The Act of Killing (2013)
* Force Majeure (2014)
* Son of Saul (2015)
* The Handmaiden (2016)
* The Square (2017)
* Roma (2018)
* Parasite (2019)

2020s|

* Another Round (2020)
* Drive My Car (2021)
* Decision to Leave (2022)
* The Zone of Interest (2023)

* v
* t
* e

Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film

* Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
* A Room with a View (1986)
* My Life as a Dog (1987)
* Wings of Desire (1988)
* My Left Foot (1989)
* Sweetie (1990)
* An Angel at My Table (1991)
* The Crying Game (1992)
* The Piano (1993)
* Three Colours: Red (1994)
* Before the Rain (1995)
* Secrets & Lies (1996)
* The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
* The Celebration (1998)
* Run Lola Run (1999)
* Dancer in the Dark (2000)
* Amélie (2001)
* Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
* Whale Rider (2003)
* The Sea Inside (2004)
* Paradise Now (2005)
* The Lives of Others (2006)
* Once (2007)
* The Class (2008)
* An Education (2009)
* The King's Speech (2010)
* A Separation (2011)
* Amour (2012)
* Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)
* Ida (2014)
* Son of Saul (2015)
* Toni Erdmann (2016)
* A Fantastic Woman (2017)
* Roma (2018)
* Parasite (2019)
* Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020)
* Drive My Car (2021)
* Joyland (2022)
* Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

* v
* t
* e

Venice Film Festival Grand Jury Prize

1951–1968|

* A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
* The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird / Mandy (1952)
* Executive Suite (1954)
* The Lovers / La sfida (1958)
* The Magician (1959)
* Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
* Peace to Him Who Enters (1961)
* Vivre sa vie (1962)
* The Fire Within / Introduction to Life (1963)
* The Gospel According to St. Matthew / Hamlet (1964)
* I Am Twenty / Modiga mindre män / Simon of the Desert (1965)
* Chappaqua / Yesterday Girl (1966)
* China Is Near / La Chinoise (1967)
* Our Lady of the Turks / Le Socrate (1968)

1981–2000|

* Sweet Dreams / They Don't Wear Black Tie (1981)
* Imperative (1982)
* Biquefarre (1983)
* Favorites of the Moon (1984)
* Tangos, the Exile of Gardel (1985)
* A Tale of Love / Wild Pigeon (1986)
* Hip Hip Hurrah! (1987)
* Camp de Thiaroye (1988)
* And Then There Was Light (1989)
* An Angel at My Table (1990)
* The Divine Comedy (1991)
* Death of a Neapolitan Mathematician (1992)
* Bad Boy Bubby (1993)
* Natural Born Killers (1994)
* God's Comedy / The Star Maker (1995)
* Brigands (1996)
* Ovosodo (1997)
* Terminus Paradis (1998)
* The Wind Will Carry Us (1999)
* Before Night Falls (2000)

2001–present|

* Dog Days (2001)
* House of Fools (2002)
* The Kite (2003)
* The Sea Inside (2004)
* Mary (2005)
* Daratt (2006)
* I'm Not There / The Secret of the Grain (2007)
* Teza (2008)
* Soul Kitchen (2009)
* Essential Killing (2010)
* Terraferma (2011)
* Paradise: Faith (2012)
* Stray Dogs (2013)
* The Look of Silence (2014)
* Anomalisa (2015)
* Nocturnal Animals (2016)
* Foxtrot (2017)
* The Favourite (2018)
* An Officer and a Spy (2019)
* New Order (2020)
* The Hand of God (2021)
* Saint Omer (2022)
* Evil Does Not Exist (2023)

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