Country (1981)

★ 7.0 1h 22m IMDb

In 1945, the Carlions assemble at an English country house for a family gathering. During the event, they must determine who is to take over the family brewing empire, since the present head of the business, Sir Frederick, is getting old. The results of the 1945 general election causes a major stir, and some angry farmers occupy a barn.

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Cast

Leo McKern
Leo McKern as Sir Frederick Carlion Died 2002 · Sydney, New South Wales, Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Reginald "Leo" McKern, AO (16 March 1920 – 23 July 2002) was an Australian-born English actor who appeared in numerous British and Australian television programm...
James Fox
James Fox as Philip Carlion Age 86 · London, England, UK William Fox (born 19 May 1939), known professionally as James Fox, is an English actor. He appeared in several notable films of the 1960s and early 1970s, including King Rat, The Servant, Thoroughly M...
Wendy Hiller
Wendy Hiller as Daisy - Lady Carlion Died 2003 · Bramhall, Cheshire, England, UK Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller DBE (15 August 1912 – 14 May 2003) was an English actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Separate Tables (1958)..
Penelope Wilton
Penelope Wilton as Virginia Carlion Age 79 · Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK Dame Penelope Alice Wilton DBE (born 3 June 1946) is an English actress. She was formerly married to fellow actor Sir Ian Holm, and as she has not remarried, she retains her married style of Lady Holm...
Jill Bennett
Jill Bennett as Alice Carlion Died 1990 · Penang, Federated Malay States ​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Jill Bennett (24 December 1931 – 4 October 1990) was a British actress, and the fourth wife of playwright John Osborne. Description above from the Wikipedia...
Joan Greenwood
Joan Greenwood as Dollie van der Biek Died 1987 · Chelsea, London, England, UK Joan Greenwood (4 March 1921 – 27 February 1987) was an English actress. Born in Chelsea, she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, w...

Audience Reviews

CinemaSerf 7/10 Nov 17, 2024
With WWII won, the "Carlion" family gather at their stately home in the run up to the British General Election. These are wealthy and privileged people who run a brewing business and it's their head "Sir Frederick" (Leo McKern) who is now looking to pass on the mantle. As with many family gatherings, the atmosphere quickly becomes quite toxic only here it's not just the mix of personalities that sparks, but attitudes. Politics in the kingdom is changing, attitudes are changing and the days of gentry and serf might well be on the way out as it becomes clear that Clement Attlee's socialist government is going to be running the country with quite a substantial mandate. McKern holds this together well providing a mix of stoicism and belligerence as his character has to deal with societal changes as well as those affecting his own role in his business and his family. Dame Wendy Hiller and Penelope Wilton also contribute well helping to illustrate the changing nature of the role of women in this brave new world, too. There are also references to the hitherto under-the-heal labouring classes who finally take their pitchforks in hand and gently (they are British, after all) make their presence felt. It's a little bit verbose at times, and Richard Eyre doesn't always manage to sustain the pace leading to maybe a few too many troughs amidst the undoubted peaks provided by a cast who present us with a familial equivalent of Janus - looking both behind them and to the front, left and then right, all at the same time unsure how to jump. Perhaps prophetic of a period of national "realignment" under Margaret Thatcher's newly elected government that was about to start as this was made?

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