Cold Comfort Farm (film)

1995 British TV series or programme

Cold Comfort Farm

US theatrical release poster

Based on| Cold Comfort Farm
by Stella Gibbons
Screenplay by| Malcolm Bradbury
Directed by| John Schlesinger
Starring|

* Eileen Atkins
* Kate Beckinsale
* Sheila Burrell
* Stephen Fry
* Freddie Jones
* Joanna Lumley
* Ian McKellen
* Miriam Margolyes
* Rufus Sewell

Music by| Robert Lockhart
Country of origin| United Kingdom
Original language| English
Production
Producers| Alison Gilby
Richard Broke
Cinematography| Chris Seager
Editor| Mark Day
Running time| 95 minutes
Production company| Thames Television
Original release
Release| 1 January 1995 (1995-01-01)

Cold Comfort Farm is a 1995 British comedy film directed by John Schlesinger and produced by the BBC and Thames Television, an adaptation of Stella Gibbons' 1932 book of the same name, the film stars Kate Beckinsale, Joanna Lumley, Ian McKellen and Rufus Sewell. Originally broadcast on 1 January 1995 on the BBC, it was Schlesinger's final film shot in his home country of Britain, and was picked up for theatrical release in North America through Gramercy Pictures, where it was a small success.

## Plot[edit]

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After the death of her parents, young Flora Poste goes to stay with her friend, the eccentric divorcee Mrs. Mary Smiling. Flora initially aspires to be a writer, deciding that the only way for her to live whilst researching her writing is to stay with one of her many “dreadful” relatives. Mary suggests anything else, including beekeeping.

Because of her relative lack of means, her city-based relations show no interest. Flora sends letters to her country relatives. While the smattering of responses are generally unsuitable, one is intriguing. Flora chooses to stay for a while with the Starkadder branch of the family on their rundown farm.

The Starkadders are an assortment of rustic, uncouth, truly eccentric and quite possibly mad characters, each with a secret or not-so-secret heart's desire. Flora’s desire is to find out what was the ancient wrong which was “done to” her father and why the resulting doom lay over the Starkadder farm.

She finds out that her cousin Judith, is morose and depressed while Judith’s husband, Amos, wants to be the leader of his own, somewhat “Pentecostal” religion, the Quivering Brethren. But believing himself responsible for the farm, and shunning vanity, he makes everyone else unhappy. Meanwhile the brothers Seth and Reuben fear Flora’s influence and believe she’s come to take the farm away from them.

Flora quickly realises that, as a sensible, modern woman, she has the ability to assess, coax and organise each person into solving their own problems.

## Cast[edit]

* Kate Beckinsale as Flora Poste
* Joanna Lumley as Mrs. Mary Smiling
* Ian McKellen as Amos Starkadder
* Rufus Sewell as Seth Starkadder
* Eileen Atkins as Judith Starkadder
* Sheila Burrell as Ada Doom
* Stephen Fry as Mybug
* Freddie Jones as Adam Lambsbreath
* Miriam Margolyes as Mrs. Beetle
* Ivan Kaye as Reuben Starkadder
* Jeremy Peters as Urk
* Maria Miles as Elfine Starkadder
* Christopher Bowen as Charles Fairford
* Louise Rea as Meriam Beetle
* Sophie Revell as Rennet
* Rupert Penry-Jones as Dick Hawk-Monitor
* Angela Thorne as Mrs. Hawk-Monitor
* Harry Ditson as Earl P. Neck

## Production[edit]

The film was edited at Rank Film Laboratories, part of The Rank Organisation. The film itself reached a length of 2,902 metres, and ultimately became 105 minutes long in movie format. The soundtrack was created through development of pre-existing pieces remixed for the film. The majority of the songs used in the film were arranged by Robert Lockhart.[1][better source needed] The soundtrack was recorded at Lansdowne Studios in London, and was rerecorded at Twickenham Film Studios.

Director John Schlesinger was the only one who thought it would work in North America cinemas and so had to put up the money himself to blow up the print from 16mm to 35mm; he took the new format to the Toronto Film Festival, where its success led to a North American release.[2]

The production visited Kent where they filmed at Kent & East Sussex Railway which provided the trains for Flora's journey from London to her relatives at Cold Comfort Farm and Northiam station in East Sussex which is the fictional railway station of Beershorne.

Further scenes were filmed in Brightling in East Sussex, and Twickenham Studios in London.

The Royal Military Canal was also used for scenes where Flora and Elfine walk and chat.[3]

## Reception[edit]

In the opening weekend of the film's release in the United States, it grossed $4,139,000.[4][better source needed] During its theatrical release in North America, the film grossed $5,682,429 in total.[5] Cold Comfort Farm received generally positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 83% based on reviews from 40 critics.[6] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[7]

Emanuel Levy of Variety wrote: "The fun that Schlesinger and his first-rate ensemble must have had while working on this production is infectious, for there isn't one dull -- or quiet -- moment in the film."[8][9][10]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Robert Lockhart". IMDb.
2. ^ McKellen, Ian (June 2000). "Cold Comfort Farm: Words". McKellen.com. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
3. ^ Kent Film Office (January 1995). "Kent Film Office Cold Comfort Farm Article".
4. ^ "Cold Comfort Farm" - via www.imdb.com.
5. ^ Cold Comfort Farm at Box Office Mojo
6. ^ Cold Comfort Farm at Rotten Tomatoes
7. ^ "Cold Comfort Farm". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc.
8. ^ Levy, Emanuel (21 June 1995). "Cold Comfort Farm". Variety.
9. ^ Ebert, Roger (24 May 1996). "Cold Comfort Farm". Chicago Sun-Times. RogerEbert.com.
10. ^ Kevin Thomas (10 May 1996). "Inspired Comedy, Charm at 'Cold Comfort Farm'". Los Angeles Times.

## External links[edit]

* Cold Comfort Farm at AllMovie
* Cold Comfort Farm at the British Film Institute
* Cold Comfort Farm at IMDb
* New York Times review Archived 3 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by John Schlesinger

Feature films|

* A Kind of Loving (1962)
* Billy Liar (1963)
* Darling (1965)
* Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)
* Midnight Cowboy (1969)
* Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)
* The Day of the Locust (1975)
* Marathon Man (1976)
* Yanks (1979)
* Honky Tonk Freeway (1981)
* The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
* The Believers (1987)
* Madame Sousatzka (1988)
* Pacific Heights (1990)
* The Innocent (1993)
* Eye for an Eye (1996)
* The Next Best Thing (2000)

Documentary|

* Terminus (1961)
* Israel: A Right to Live (1967)
* Visions of Eight (1973)

Television|

* An Englishman Abroad (1983)
* A Question of Attribution (1991)
* Cold Comfort Farm (1995)
* The Tale of Sweeney Todd (1998)

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