From Time to Time (film)
From Time to Time is a 2009 British fantasy drama film directed by Julian Fellowes starring Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Carice van Houten, Alex Etel, Eliza Bennett, Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh, Dominic West, Hugh Bonneville, and Pauline Collins. It was adapted from Lucy M. Boston's children's novel The Chimneys of Green Knowe (1958). The film was shot in Athelhampton Hall, Dorset.
| From Time to Time | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Julian Fellowes |
| Written by | Lucy M. Boston Julian Fellowes |
| Starring | Maggie Smith Timothy Spall Carice van Houten Alex Etel Eliza Bennett Hugh Bonneville |
| Distributed by | Ealing Studios |
Release date |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
Set in England, this ghostly, haunting story spans two worlds, over a century apart. Near the end of World War II, teen-aged Tolly (Alex Etel) goes to spend Christmas at his grandmother's large country estate, Green Knowe. Tolly's soldier father has been reported missing in action while his mother remains in London awaiting more information. His grandmother, Mrs. Oldknow (Maggie Smith), disapproved of her son's marriage, considering his wife a commoner. Mrs. Oldknow is financially strapped and faced with selling Green Knowe.
On Tolly's first night at Green Knowe, he sees and hears a ghostly young girl and adolescent boy. Soon after, he discovers that he magically time travels between the present and the early 19th century in the old manor house. Certain people in that time period can see and communicate with him, while he remains invisible to others. Susan, the blind daughter of Lord Thomas Oldknow, is the ghostly figure that Tolly first saw. She can speak to Tolly both in her time and his. He learns that his grandmother also sees the ancestral ghosts. Susan leads him on an adventure that unlocks family secrets laid buried for generations. Exciting events include a terrible fire, a tale of stolen jewels, and threats of a servant being sold into a press gang.
Although the lost treasure is found and Green Knowe is saved, Tolly's father is a casualty of the war. Mrs. Oldknow finally welcomes Tolly's mother into the family. Tolly is comforted when his father's ghost appears, assuring him everything will be all right.
Cast
- Alex Etel as Tolly Oldknow
- Timothy Spall as Boggis
- Maggie Smith as Mrs. Thomas Oldknow
- Hugh Bonneville as Captain Thomas Oldknow
- Pauline Collins as Mrs. Tweedie
- Harriet Walter as Lady Gresham
- Elisabeth Dermot Walsh as Joan
- Dugald Bruce-Lockhart as David
- Eliza Hope Bennett as Susan Oldknow
- Rachel Bell as Perkins
- Dominic West as John Caxton
- Carice van Houten as Maria Oldknow
- Douglas Booth as Sefton Oldknow
- Jenny McCracken as Mrs. Gross
- Christine Lohr as Mrs. Robbins
- Allen Leech as Fred Boggis
- Alan Charlesworth as Robert the Footman
- Kwayedza Kureya as Jacob
- Helen Kennedy as Nellie
- Daisy Lewis as Rose
- David Robb as Lord Farrar
- Anthony Gordon Lennox as Carbery
- Denise Stephenson as Mrs. Carbery
- Christopher Villiers as Officer
- Lynn Farleigh as Gypsy
- Cornelius Booth
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 43% fresh rating based on reviews from seven critics and a rating average of 5.9 out of 10.[1] Tom Huddleston of Time Out described the film as "an emotionally wise but logically skewed children’s tale", the logical inconsistencies of which "largely restricts the film’s appeal to bookish pre-teens".[2] Henry Fitzherbert of the Daily Express praised the actors' performances, particularly Smith's, and noted that it "casts a magical spell by the touching conclusion".[3]
References
- From Time To Time. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- Huddlestone, Tom (20 October 2009). From Time To Time | review. Timeout.com. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- Fitzherbert, Henry (1 October 2010). From Time To Time film review and trailer. Express.co.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2013.