Masterpiece Theater just aired a new production of the E.M. Forester novel. While this new take captures a little more of the class conflict inherent in the original novel and focuses on a few different scenes from the book, while cutting others, it loses all of the charm and humor of the novel, and the Merchant-Ivory film, as well as the thread of insufferable stuffiness of Lucy Honeychurch's life, from which George Emerson represents a happy escape.
In addition to losing the core theme of the novel (Lucy's escape from her stuffy upper class prison-like future existence with Cecil) the writer has inexplicably decided to tack on a sad ending. Who knows why. Perhaps it's an anti-Hollywood move: give the original light and witty story a heavy-handed treatment complete with downer ending in the hopes of making the entire production more highbrow. Lest we forget, this is *Masterpiece* Theater and this is high drama, darn it, so you'd better get used to the pedestrian pacing too.
And then there's the casting. None of the current cast members compare to the definitive 1985 version. Timothy Spall, as Mr. Emerson, has the right build but puts in a tepid performance. His real life son, Rafe, as George Emerson lacks the animal magnetism that Julian Sands had to woo Lucy away from her secure, but stuffy, upper class life. And Sophie Thompson's Miss Bartlett does more stammering than acting. But worst of all, Laurence Fox's Cecil Vyse looks like he would have fared better as George Emerson: while no one could ever equal Daniel Day-Lewis's up tight prig, Laurence Fox gives off a rough, unpredictable energy and seems more rebel than stuck up, elitist snob.
I've never been very fond of the name Masterpiece Theater, since there are truly so few masterpieces. The build-up created by the show's presumptive name usually dooms the resultant films to fall short. The production qualities of this made-for-TV version make this retread just as doomed to mediocrity from the get go: the Merchant-Ivory film is itself a true masterpiece, lovingly put together and with a feature film budget and sensibilities. Anything after that will surely be a let-down, and it is.
In addition to losing the core theme of the novel (Lucy's escape from her stuffy upper class prison-like future existence with Cecil) the writer has inexplicably decided to tack on a sad ending. Who knows why. Perhaps it's an anti-Hollywood move: give the original light and witty story a heavy-handed treatment complete with downer ending in the hopes of making the entire production more highbrow. Lest we forget, this is *Masterpiece* Theater and this is high drama, darn it, so you'd better get used to the pedestrian pacing too.
And then there's the casting. None of the current cast members compare to the definitive 1985 version. Timothy Spall, as Mr. Emerson, has the right build but puts in a tepid performance. His real life son, Rafe, as George Emerson lacks the animal magnetism that Julian Sands had to woo Lucy away from her secure, but stuffy, upper class life. And Sophie Thompson's Miss Bartlett does more stammering than acting. But worst of all, Laurence Fox's Cecil Vyse looks like he would have fared better as George Emerson: while no one could ever equal Daniel Day-Lewis's up tight prig, Laurence Fox gives off a rough, unpredictable energy and seems more rebel than stuck up, elitist snob.
I've never been very fond of the name Masterpiece Theater, since there are truly so few masterpieces. The build-up created by the show's presumptive name usually dooms the resultant films to fall short. The production qualities of this made-for-TV version make this retread just as doomed to mediocrity from the get go: the Merchant-Ivory film is itself a true masterpiece, lovingly put together and with a feature film budget and sensibilities. Anything after that will surely be a let-down, and it is.