Very Annie Mary

Last updated

Very Annie Mary
Very-Annie-Mary-DVD.jpg
Directed by Sara Sugarman
Written by Sara Sugarman
Produced by Graham Broadbent
Damian Jones
Starring Rachel Griffiths
Jonathan Pryce
Ioan Gruffudd
Matthew Rhys
Joanna Page
Cinematography Barry Ackroyd [1]
Edited by Robin Sales
Music by Stephen Warbeck
Distributed by FilmFour
Release date
  • 25 May 2001 (2001-05-25)
Running time
104 minutes [1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$46,352

Very Annie Mary is a 2001 musical-comedy film, written and directed by Sara Sugarman and starring Rachel Griffiths and Jonathan Pryce. It is a coming-of-age tale, set in south Wales, about a woman in her 30s who lives with her verbally abusive father. It was filmed on location in Bridgend and at Workingman's Institute and Memorial Hall, Newbridge, Wales.

Contents

Premise

After her father suffers a stroke, a woman is forced to take care of him but uses the circumstances to emancipate herself and find the courage to sing once again.

Cast

Minor roles in the film are played by Ray Gravell, Mary Hopkin and Ruth Jones, among others.

Music

The film features the following songs: [1]

Production

The film was shot in the middle of 1999, with filming taking place in the Garw Valley in Bridgend, Wales, posing as the fictional village of "Ogw" (a play on the name of the Ogmore Valley's Welsh name of Ogwr). It was scheduled to be presented at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and the Dinard Festival of British Cinema but failed to show at either event. [2]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 34%, based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "An exercise in strained whimsy and saccharine sentiment." [3] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 33 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [4]

Variety called it a "half-klutzy, half-engaging eccentric comedy...bolstered by good turns from leads Rachel Griffiths and Jonathan Pryce" but "falling prey to a general disorganization in tone and structure." [2] The Guardian called it "a broad comedy with a very derivative Monty-ish plot, but likeable and good-natured." [5] The New York Times called the film "alternately mushy and farcical" with an "undertone of satire" that keeps the film from "choking on its own cuteness"; it "churns up a few genuinely funny bits" including a climax "that is almost worth waiting for." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Diaz</span> American actress (born 1972)

Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including nominations for four Golden Globe Awards and a British Academy Film Award. As of 2018, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S., making her the fifth-highest-grossing actress at the domestic box office. Diaz's roles in comedies and romances cemented her as a sex symbol and a bankable star, and she was named the highest-paid Hollywood actress over 40 in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Weisz</span> British actress (born 1970)

Rachel Hannah Weisz is a British actress. She began acting in stage and television productions in the early 1990s, and made her film debut in Death Machine (1994). She won a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for her role in the 1994 revival of Noël Coward's play Design for Living, and went on to appear in the 1999 Donmar Warehouse production of Tennessee Williams' drama Suddenly, Last Summer. Her film breakthrough came with her starring role as Evelyn Carnahan in the Hollywood action films The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001). Weisz went on to star in several films of the 2000s, including Enemy at the Gates (2001), About a Boy (2002), Runaway Jury (2003), Constantine (2005), The Fountain (2006), The Lovely Bones (2009) and The Whistleblower (2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HandMade Films</span> British film production and distribution company

HandMade Films was a British film production and distribution company. Notable films from the studio include Monty Python's Life of Brian, Time Bandits, The Long Good Friday and Withnail and I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Griffiths</span> Australian actress (b. 1968)

Rachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian actress. Raised primarily in Melbourne, she began her acting career appearing on the Australian series Secrets before being cast in a supporting role in the comedy Muriel's Wedding (1994), which earned her an AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 1997, she was the lead in Nadia Tass's drama Amy. She had a role opposite Julia Roberts in the American romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), followed by her portrayal of Hilary du Pré in Hilary and Jackie (1998), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

<i>The Rachel Papers</i> 1989 British film

The Rachel Papers is a 1989 British film written and directed by Damian Harris, and based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Martin Amis. It stars Dexter Fletcher and Ione Skye with Jonathan Pryce, James Spader, Bill Paterson, Jared Harris, Claire Skinner, Lesley Sharp and Michael Gambon in supporting roles.

<i>Haunted Honeymoon</i> 1986 film by Gene Wilder

Haunted Honeymoon is a 1986 American comedy horror film starring Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, Dom DeLuise and Jonathan Pryce. Wilder also served as writer and director. The title Haunted Honeymoon was previously used for the 1940 U.S. release of Busman's Honeymoon based on the stage play by Dorothy L. Sayers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Madoc</span> Welsh actress (1943–2022)

Ruth Madoc was a British actress who had a career on stage and screen spanning over 60 years. She was best known for her role as Gladys Pugh in the BBC television comedy Hi-de-Hi! (1980–1988), for which she received a BAFTA TV award nomination for Best Light Entertainment Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Rhys</span> Welsh actor (born 1974)

Matthew Rhys Evans is a Welsh actor. He gained recognition for playing Kevin Walker in the family drama series Brothers & Sisters (2006–2011) and Philip Jennings in the spy drama series The Americans (2013–2018). For his performance in The Americans, he received a Primetime Emmy Award and nominations for two Golden Globe Awards. He received further Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for playing the title role in the period series Perry Mason (2020–2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marley Shelton</span> American actress (born 1974)

Marley Eve Shelton is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Wendy Peffercorn in David Mickey Evans's coming-of-age comedy The Sandlot (1993), the Customer in Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez's neo-noir anthology film Sin City (2005), Dr. Dakota Block in Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's double-feature film Grindhouse (2007), and Sheriff Deputy Judy Hicks in two installments of Wes Craven's Scream franchise (2011–2022). Her other notable films include Pleasantville (1998), Never Been Kissed (1999), Sugar & Spice (2001), Valentine (2001), Bubble Boy (2001), and Rampage (2018).

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2001 to Wales and its people.

<i>Pierrepoint</i> (film) 2005 British film

Pierrepoint is a 2005 British film directed by Adrian Shergold about the life of British executioner Albert Pierrepoint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaengarw</span> Human settlement in Wales

Blaengarw is the uppermost village in the river valley of the River Garw, in the county borough of Bridgend, Wales.

<i>Marci X</i> 2003 American film

Marci X is a 2003 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Benjamin, written by Paul Rudnick, and starring Lisa Kudrow as Jewish-American Princess Marci Feld, who has to take control of a hip-hop record label, as well as the controversial rapper Dr. S, played by Damon Wayans. The film was released on August 22, 2003, by Paramount Pictures. Marci X received negative reviews and was a box office flop, grossing $1.7 million worldwide against a $20 million budget.

<i>Bride of the Wind</i> 2001 film by Bruce Beresford

Bride of the Wind is a 2001 period drama directed by Academy Award-nominee Bruce Beresford and written by first-time screenwriter Marilyn Levy. Loosely based on the life of Alma Mahler, Bride of the Wind recounts Alma's marriage to the composer Gustav Mahler and her romantic liaisons. The title of the film alludes to a painting by Oskar Kokoschka named Die Windsbraut, literally meaning The Bride of the Wind, though often translated as The Tempest. The artist dedicated this painting to Alma Mahler.

<i>Listen Up Philip</i> 2014 film by Alex Ross Perry

Listen Up Philip is a 2014 comedy-drama film written and directed by Alex Ross Perry. The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2014, and won the Special Jury Prize at the 2014 Locarno International Film Festival.

<i>A Royal Night Out</i> 2015 British romantic comedy-drama film

A Royal Night Out is a 2015 British romantic comedy-drama film directed by Julian Jarrold and written by Trevor de Silva and Kevin Hood. The film stars Sarah Gadon as the teenaged Princess Elizabeth, who, with younger sister Princess Margaret, ventures out of Buckingham Palace to enjoy the VE Day celebrations.

<i>Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance</i> 2015 British film

Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance is a 2015 documentary directed by Louise Osmond.

<i>Game Night</i> (film) 2018 American film

Game Night is a 2018 American action comedy film directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and written by Mark Perez. It stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams and follows a group of friends whose game night turns into a real-life mystery after one of them is kidnapped. The film's supporting cast includes Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Michael C. Hall, and Kyle Chandler.

<i>A Very English Scandal</i> (TV series) British series about Jeremy Thorpe

A Very English Scandal is a British television comedy-drama series. The three-part 2018 serial is based on John Preston's 2016 book of the same name. It is a dramatisation of the 1976–1979 Jeremy Thorpe scandal and more than 15 years of events leading up to it.

<i>Military Wives</i> (film) 2019 British film

Military Wives is a 2019 British comedy-drama film directed by Peter Cattaneo, from a screenplay by Rosanne Flynn and Rachel Tunnard. It stars Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan and Jason Flemyng. The film is inspired by the true story of the Military Wives Choirs, a network of 75 choirs in British military bases across the United Kingdom and overseas, featured in the fourth season of the British documentary television series The Choir.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Very Annie Mary (2001)". BFI Film & TV Database . British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 Elley, Derek (31 March 2001). "Very Annie-Mary". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  3. "Very Annie Mary (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 8 October 2021. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  4. "Very Annie Mary Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  5. Bradshaw, Peter (25 May 2001). "Very Annie Mary". The Guardian . Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  6. Holden, Stephen (29 March 2002). "FILM IN REVIEW; 'Very Annie Mary'". The New York Times . Retrieved 11 April 2018.