Classic 90s Movie: “Howard’s End”
May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Barbara Thomas.
Movie Title: Howard’s End
Year: 1992
Writers: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, based on the novel by E.M. Forster
Lead Actors: Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter, Vanessa Redgrave
Director: James Ivory
IMDB Plot Summary: Encounter of three social classes of the England at the beginning of the century : the Victorian capitalists (the Wilcoxes) considering themselves as aristocrats, whose only god is money ; the enlightened bourgeois (the Schlegels), humanistic and philanthropist ; and the workers (the Basts), fighting to survive. The Schlegel sisters’ humanism will be torn apart as they try both to softly knock down the Wilcox’s prejudices and to help the Basts.
Why I Think This Is A Classic 90s Movies: Period dramas and literary adaptations were huge in the 90s: in addition to Howard’s End, the Merchant-Ivory team produced The Remains of the Day (which also paired Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins). And the decade saw films based on: Sense and Sensibility (which Thompson adapted and starred in), The English Patient, The Scarlet Letter, The Piano, The Age of Innocence, Where Angels Fear to Tread,
I was fortunate to see all these films on the big screen because I worked at a movie theater in college and free movies were one of two things that made up for the low, low, pay (the other was free popcorn). But the thing is — I hadn’t actually wanted to see these films. At the time, my tastes ran more toward Jurassic Park, Braveheart, The Fugitive. But I had been assigned to Cineplex Odeon’s “art house” theater where employees were encouraged to see all the films currently playing so we could accurately advise curious ticket buyers as to which ones they might enjoy. Blockbusters get commercials and big ads the newspaper (remember those?). Independent films, in those days, got enthusiastic movie theater employees.
I’m so, so grateful that I “had to” see these films (these and so many others!) They introduced me to worlds and ideas and authors I might never have found on my own and even though I didn’t enjoy or like every film I saw in those years, I found some value in them. To this day, I make an effort to seek out a few films each year that at first glance, I didn’t particularly want to see. And each year the experience has been worthwhile.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie: When Margaret Schlegel (Emma Thompson) first sees her sister Helen (Helena Bonham Carter) after their long estrangement. Helen has been hiding a secret, which is revealed to the Margaret and to the audience.
My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: “The poor are poor and one’s sorry for them — but there it is.” One simple sentence that perfectly captures how the wealthy feel about the classes below them — true in Forster’s time, true today.
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie:
There’s quite a bit of humor in the beginning, especially the early scene when prosaic Leonard Bast has tea with the whimsical Schlegels.
While the entire cast is excellent, and Emma Thompson more than earned her Best Actress Oscar, you can’t help but note Vanessa Redgrave’s brief but unforgettable performance as the too-fragile-for-this-world Ruth Wilcox.
Visually, this is a beautiful film that immerses you in the English countryside. You will have no trouble wondering why all the characters are so fond of the house called Howard’s End — you’ll be in love with it yourself.
Thanks, Barbara! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
We already have a set of 80s Movies. This month we cover 90s movies. So thanks to all of you for your participation in this project, creating a resource for writers, movies they should watch to help learn the craft of screenwriting!
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