The Holly and the Ivy

Another older film which is, unfortunately ,unavailable in video or DVD. This is a refreshing holiday movie in that it shys away from the blatant sweetness of most holiday pictures.It deals well with a family in post-war Britain that has survived the ordeal with several scars. Sir Ralph Richardson is excellent as a clergyman and a father trying to deal with uprisings and emotion within his family, caught between the "old" and the progressive. The english cast is as usual excellent - watch for a youthful Denholm Eliot. Too bad the film isn't shown often, especially for a needed change of pace from the usual Christmas line-up that happens every year.

Until recently I had never heard of this little gem of British holiday sentiment. I heard someone call it the "Christmas movie for people who don't like Christmas movies" and the quest to find it was on.

This is the story of a Christmas in which the emotionally wounded family of a Church of England clergyman come home and attempt to have a happy holiday. What happens is not your typical happy tearjerker, nor is it a Christmas nightmare. Its a reasonably realistic, as much as films of the time could be in 75 minutes, look at a family of emotional cripples as they all try to put their lives back on track. The ending while hopeful is far from certain, so much so that I cursed the fact that it didn't go on another five or six hours, my sole complaint about the film.

A word of warning, don't abandon the film until you get to the end. I wasn't enraptured of the film for almost two thirds of its running time. I was interested in what was happening but I didn't know if I liked it, and then suddenly all of the pieces were in place and it became this charming atypical jewel of a movie.

Forget Its a Wonderful Life, watch this instead, its so much more real.

This movie is a little gem for the most part. And a welcome change from the usual Christmas fare. The only fault is with the ending which appears rushed and we are left to grieve the characters a little. Rather like a dessert that gets whisked away before one is quite finished. Unsatisfied. It tells the story of a widowed parson and the family members who come home for the holidays to a quaint old village. Father, played wonderfully by Ralph Richardson, has always been shielded from the facts of life by his three - now adult - children. For the era in which it was made (1952)the secrets one of the three carries is quite a shocker. A flaw is that Celia Johnson, an actress I enjoy, is far too old in this to play a thirty one year old. Margaret Leighton's brittle charm is never more appealing than here. However, the two aunts steal every scene in which they appear, two wonderful stage actresses, Margaret Halstan and Maureen Delaney. A great script, a little stagey, and ending far too swiftly, I gave it a 7 out of 10.

A fine play in a 1950s screen version, wonderfully cast - Ralph Richardson is the parson who has bred a dysfunctional family (daughters Celia Johnson and Margaret Leighton, son Denholm Elliott).

When the family comes together at Christmas, with the two maiden aunts - the holly and ivy represented in human form? - secrets tumble out, the family comes together, and peace and understanding comes to pass as it should in the festive season.

Leighton's flighty daughter with the grief of a loss in the war hanging over her; Johnson's tired and emotionally drained woman in love (with John Gregson, about to emigrate for his work); Elliott's Army private bristling against authority at all levels - all these characterisations are spot-on.

But the film belongs to Richardson - quietly watching and waiting for his moment in the sun, a long speech to his daughter - although he is saddled with a slightly odd accent.

The Holly and the Ivy is a heartwarming fable of Christmas and should be much better known than it is - can we have a television showing this season?

Beware, this film may creep up on you, it can be so easily dismissed but any viewer infused with the passion of humanity and what makes us tick will be enthralled.

Some reviewers missed the point (or simply didn't want to see it!) The insightful will relish the final outcome. Writer Wynyard Brown brings to mind the intensity of Eugene O'Neal, but somehow makes it easier to take.

Brown's collaboration with Producer/Writer Anatold De Grunwald offers the discerning viewer a true gem. Pity writers and Producers of this quality were given over to the bleak grittiness of the 'kitchen sink' movement (who managed to leave us a somewhat limited legacy)

Performances are quite remarkable, especially the principal characters (Richadson is a standout) The stories search for faith in life over self pity is solid.

Sure, it was written as a play (as was O'Neill) but unlike some others, I felt the coupling of an astute Director, and Cinematographer, has fashioned many subtle, but smart cinematic moments.

D.O.P Ted (Edward) Scaife an amazing all rounder, often associated with outdoor action spectaculars (Outcast of the Islands, Dirty Dozen, Tazan's Greatest Adventure/The Magnificent, Night of the Demon, to name just a few) gives this mostly indoor film a unique look and feel, allowing the personalities of the characters to speak directly to us.

If you enjoy a film to think about and feel, this could be for you. Malcolm Arnolds well arranged Music score adds greatly. I would like to buy it on DVD but don't know if the original 83min vers has been transfered or only the inferior 74min (sadly the one usually run on TV) is all thats on offer. The full running time is moderate anyway, but in this case, the longer is the better. Its rare, so find either and enjoy....