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Savoy Pictures
Spelling Films International
Not part of a collection.
He distanced himself from love as he distanced himself from pain, until one woman got close enough to open his heart to the world.
C.S. Lewis, a world-renowned writer and professor, leads a passionless life until he meets spirited poet Joy Gresham.
Filipe Manuel Neto
Sep 27, 2022 · via TMDB
**Hopkins and Attenborough in an emotional and feeling-filled work.** When I decided to see this movie, I knew little about the life of the writer C. S. Lewis, who I only knew from having written the books "The Chronicles of Narnia". And I confess that, in order to fully understand the film and also be able to write something about it, I had the curiosity and interest to read one thing or two about him. For example, I was very impressed by his deep connection to the university and his closeness to J. R. R. Tolkien, who is also the author of a great work of fiction. In fact, thinking about it, it is interesting to see how their works share a lot of points of contact, subtle similarities. But that's a thing for another review. The film focuses on Lewis' life and, especially, on his love relationship with his American wife, Joy Gresham. Lewis was an academic, philosopher and theologian who left many works on these topics, and who unexpectedly decides to marry a recently divorced American, in a union that only later gave way to love between them. The film was inspired by a play, which in turn was inspired by the texts that Lewis wrote about what he experienced and felt. The best thing about the film, for me, is the direction and the cast performance. The director, Sir Richard Attenborough, was known for his attention to detail, cinematography and choice of locations. Considered by many to be one of the great British film directors, this film leaves us with a work full of elegance and beauty, but which seems to be largely forgotten these days, undoubtedly deserving more attention. The cast, in turn, is expertly led by Debra Winger and Sir Anthony Hopkins, a duo of actors of great quality and talent. Hopkins does deeply emotional work, in which we can see that he tried to employ a lot of feeling as well as intellect. Winger didn't impress me that much, but the great quality of her work is undeniable, especially in the moments when she plays with Hopkins or with her fictional son, played by a young boy, Joseph Mazello, who also deserves praise for a job well done. The rest of the cast gives the protagonists the necessary support, but does not stand out or stand out. The film was filmed in Oxford, and we can see how Attenboroug tried to take advantage of the original places, where Lewis would have been and that he surely knew, such as the university and academic spaces. The film gives us an aroma of the atmosphere of the old and renowned institution, and of some of the ceremonies and traditions that take place there. The cinematography is very beautiful and makes the best use of light, close-ups, landscapes and the beauty of old buildings. There are no great effects here, nor does the film need that, but we have an effective soundtrack.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Anthony Hopkins
C. S. 'Jack' Lewis
Debra Winger
Joy Gresham
Edward Hardwicke
Warnie Lewis
John Wood
Christopher Riley
Michael Denison
Harry Harrington
Peter Firth
Dr Craig
Matthew Delamere
Simon Chadwick
Julian Fellowes
Desmond Arding
Julian Firth
Father John Fisher
Robert Flemyng
Claude Bird
Peter Howell
College President
Pat Keen
Mrs Young
Karen Lewis
Hotel Receptionist
Roddy Maude-Roxby
Arnold Dopliss
Gerald Sim
Superintendent Registrar
James Frain
Peter Whistler
Joseph Mazzello
Douglas Gresham
Tim McMullan
Nick Farrell
Toby Whithouse
Frith
Scott Handy
Standish
Roger Ashton-Griffiths
Dr Eddie Monk
Howard Lew Lewis
Tea Room Waiter
John Quentin
Station Acquaintance
Alan Talbot
College Porter
Sylvia Barter
Woman in Bookshop
Pauline Melville
Committee Chairwoman
Ninka Scott
Lecture Committee
Walter Sparrow
Fred Paxford
Terry Rowley
Registrar
Norman Bird
Taxi Driver Witness
Stuart Craig
Production Design
Stephenie McMillan
Set Decoration
Roger Pratt
Director of Photography
Richard Attenborough
Director
Adam Somner
Second Unit First Assistant Director
Alison Webb
Associate Producer
Richard Attenborough
Producer
George Fenton
Original Music Composer
Chris Corbould
Special Effects Supervisor
William Nicholson
Screenplay
William Nicholson
Theatre Play
Dec 25, 1993
(Los Angeles, California, New York City, New York)
Jan 14, 1994
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The Stranglers - Live '78, SF
1978
Saddle Leather Law
1944
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
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