Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageThis Happy Breed (1944)
Director: David Lean
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
One of a number of British films in the '40s attempting to depict the lives of 'ordinary people', adapted by Noël Coward from his own play. Coward's homage to his roots daringly spans the whole of the inter-war period through the lives of Frank Gibbons (Newton) and his bickering, feuding, lower middle class family. Ronald Neame's camera rarely strays outside the family home of the decidedly un-funky Gibbonses, but there is a constant in-rush of public events - from wars to Wembley festivals - to leaven the domestic squabbling, and the evocation of the recent past proved enormously successful in war-torn Britain. Though Lean and Coward are less happy here than in the brittle, refined atmosphere of Brief Encounter, their adventurous excursion into suburban Clapham remains endlessly fascinating.Author: RMy
User reviews of this film
-
- Julian Allen said...
-
Posted on Feb 28 2008 16:54
Moving and funny depiction of family life between the wars.
This is expertly scripted and performed and could be seen many times without diminishing its impact - Report as inappropriate
-
- Julian Allen said...
-
Posted on Feb 28 2008 16:52
Moving and funny depiction of family life between the wars.
This expertly scripted and performed and could be seen many times without diminishing its impact - Report as inappropriate
Now showing
This film is showing at these cinemas near Leicester Square, Greater London
[change location]
Cast & crew
Director: David Lean
Producer: Noël Coward, Anthony Havelock-Allan
Cast: Robert Newton, Celia Johnson, John Mills, Kay Walsh, Stanley Holloway, John Blythe, Amy Veness, Alison Leggatt, Laurence Olivier full cast
Duration: 114 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade
Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this
Martin Provost discusses 'Séraphine'
Trevor Johnston talks to the director of 'Séraphine' about bringing a little known French painter back to life
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now