Rosamunde Pilcher: The Shell Seekers (1989)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The shell seekers |
| Original title | The Shell Seekers |
| Country of production |
Great Britain , United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1989 |
| length | 102 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Waris Hussein |
| script | John Pielmeier |
| production |
Anne Hopkins , William Hill , Marian Rees |
| music | James Di Pasquale |
| camera | Brian West |
| cut | Fred A. Chulack |
| occupation | |
| |
The Shell Seekers (original title The Shell Seekers ) is a British - American film drama from 1989, directed by Waris Hussein . In addition to Angela Lansbury in the leading role of Penelope Keeling, Anna Carteret , Patricia Hodge and Christopher Bowen are cast as their children.
The script is based on Rosamunde Pilcher's novel The Shell Seekers , which was edited for television by John Pielmeier . It is the first film adaptation of a novel written by Rosamunde Pilcher that many more were to follow. Piers Haggard filmed the story in 2006 in a longer version with Vanessa Redgrave in the role of Penelope Keeling.
action
After a heart attack, Penelope Keeling leaves the clinic at her own request and responsibility and returns to her home, a country house in the Cotswolds . Penelope's daughter Nancy, who lives close by with her family, criticizes her mother for leaving the hospital against the advice of the doctors. Since she is celebrating her birthday on the weekend, she asks her mother to come to the celebration for her sake. The relationship between the dignified elderly lady and her three children is not without its problems. Nancy and her brother Noel, who are interested in being part of society and having more than good material security, do not embody the values by which Penelope raised their children. Olivia, who has embarked on a successful journalism career, is closest to her mother, but travels a lot and rarely has time for Penelope.
After a call from Olivia, Penelope decides to visit her daughter, who lives in Ibiza with her new partner Cosmo. Cosmo's grown daughter Antonia also lives there with the couple in a house in the mountains. Olivia has received an offer to be editor-in-chief and asks her mother for advice on whether to accept. However, Penelope means to her that only she can make this decision herself and however she decides, it will be the right decision.
After Penelope returned to her home, she asked the nursery to hire someone to do regular gardening. She is placed with the likeable former student Danus. When one of the paintings of Penelope's father sells for £ 200,000 , Nancy shows up at her mother's house to persuade her to sell more paintings in her possession in the expectation that her mother will endanger the family's costly lifestyle will support. She also reproaches her Penelope for having always been neglected by her, just like her brother Noel, because her mother only ever loved Olivia. At that very moment the phone rings and Penelope has to cope with another bad news . Cosmo has had a second heart attack and is dead.
After the burial takes place at sea, Olivia and Antonia seek out Penelope. Since Antonia no longer has a home; Penelope offers her that she can stay with her as long as she wants. But Olivia also needs consolation, since she accepted the job as editor-in-chief and had less time for Cosmo. Noel, on the other hand, is looking for a reason to be able to look around the house inconspicuously for his grandfather's pictures and finds one too; he wants to clean up the attic without realizing that his mother hides various sketches and pictures behind the wall unit of her wardrobe. When Penelope goes through some things, memories of the past catch up with her, as has so often happened recently. She decides to sell some of the sketches about her good friend Roy Brookner in order to use the money to finance a trip to Cornwall, where her father's studio is still located.
When Penelope visits her son, she meets her mother-in-law Dolly in his apartment, who tells her once again that she has never been good enough for her son George and that she heaped accusations on Penelope. There is a wide gap between women’s views on how to raise children. Noel inadvertently overhears part of the conversation and runs away. During the night, the dream of the death of her mother caught up with Penelope, who had been buried during the war. When she runs into Antonia in her kitchen, she spontaneously invites the young woman to accompany her to Cornwall. Danus is also there. Penelope visits her parents' graves and lays shells on the tombstones. Then she goes to the studio. Here comes the memory of Richard, a soldier stationed in Cornwall and her great love. And then the unbelievable happens, she meets Richard again. Both have a long, intense conversation in which Penelope quarrels with herself because she has not managed to make her children happy.
Penelope also has to fathom Danu's secret, who behaves strangely towards Antonia, who loves him. He tells her that he is an epileptic and of his fears about it . The conversation shows the success that Penelope had hoped for. Penelope has also made a decision regarding her three children. She has bequeathed the painting “The Shell Seekers”, which always hangs over her fireplace, to a museum so that other people can also enjoy it. She donates most of the proceeds from further sketches and pictures to her three children, and Antonia and Danus also receive money for a joint start. But even more important to Penelope is that she can finally make it clear to Nancy how much she has always loved her and that Noel is also seeking rapprochement with his mother at Antonia and Danus' wedding party.
production
Production notes
It is a production by Central Films Ltd. for Central Television in cooperation with Marian Rees Associates, Inc. The German version was made by Bavaria Film , dialogues: Sabine Boquoi, dialog director: Otto Düben , editing: Ute Garbe, Süddeutscher Rundfunk (SDR) Stuttgart.
Locations
The shooting took place on the Spanish Balearic island of Ibiza , in the small fishing village of Lamorna Cove in Cornwall in England and in Land's End in Cornwall, where Porthgwarra and the State House Hotel, not far from Land's End, were also used as locations. Further, in the Lee International Studios in Shepperton in County Surrey filmed in England. Further recordings were made in Marazion in the county of Cornwall . Filming also took place in the Cornish town of St Ives .
publication
The film was released in the United States on December 3, 1989 under the original title The Shell Seekers , in Sweden on August 19, 1990 under the title Snäcksamlarna and in Austria on April 23, 1997 under the title Die Muschelsucher . In the US, the film also operates under the alternative title Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Shell Seekers (# 39.1) . The film was first shown on German television on January 14, 1991 under the title Love Without Shackles on SDR, and on April 23, 1997, ZDF first broadcast the film, where it was known as The Shell Seekers .
The film was released on DVD on June 24, 2016, published by Pidax Film- und Hörspielverlag as part of the “Film-Klassiker” series.
reception
criticism
On The Movie Scene page , it is said that it was an "interesting experience" to watch the film, especially if you have seen the long-term second version from 2006 before. Then you notice that you are trying to go very fast and cram everything into the 102 minutes, which takes away some of the character depth from the film that is necessary for the structure to work and to understand the characters. That robs the film of some of its charm, since it seems to be in a hurry. The role of Penelope is perfectly cast with Angela Lansbury, who can say so much without a word and at a glance. All in all , The Shell Seekers is an enchanting film with beautiful locations, in which Angela Lansbury stands out. Unfortunately, the scenes in which Penelope does not appear appear rash, which means that the children's characters are often clichéd.
The film service wrote that the basic tenor of the Pilcher novel had been “brightened up” in contrast to the book at the request of the production company.
TV Spielfilm said that the film was “after all more British than the ZDF Pilchers”.
Awards
Primetime Emmy Awards 1990
- Primetime Emmy for James Di Pasquale for his excellent music for the film
Nominations for the Primetime Emmy
- for Fred A. Chulack for editing
- for Irene Worth for her portrayal of Dolly Keeling
Web links
- Rosamunde Pilcher: The Shell Seekers in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Rosamunde Pilcher: The shell seekers at Fernsehserien.de
- The shell seekers the film in pictures, see page diethelm-glaser-net
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Shell Seekers (first film adaptation) see locations on the page rosamundepilcherblog.wordpress.com
- ^ A b Rosamunde Pilcher: Die Muschelsucher (1989) see filmdienst.de. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ↑ Rosamunde Pilcher: Die Musselsucher Fig. DVD case "Film Classic" (in the picture: Angela Lansbury)
- ↑ Rosamunde Pilcher: The shell seekers see page dvd-sucht.de
- ^ The Shell Seekers (1989) see page themoviescene.co.uk (English). Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ↑ The shell seekers see page tvspielfilm.de. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
