The Camomile Lawn

Jennifer Ehle is certainly attractive and shows a lot more in this epic than in her later Jane Austen roles. But for an example of dark and sultry pouting look no further than Tara Fitzgerald. This production also features everyones 1970's favourite pin-up Felicty Kendal, but she's playing an old woman here folks!

With a strong cast headed by two of the stars of the Britcom classic "Good Neighbors" and a rash of complaints from Netflix members about nudity, "smut" and depravity, this '92 UK series seemed like a sureshot. Based on a novel by the renegade daughter of an old-school military family, it's a brisk, gossipy account of the martial, marital and extramarital adventures of an extended family of cousins in the early years of WW II. The Martha Stuarty title might be misleading; the lawn in question adjoins a cliffside house in Cornwall that belongs to most of the other characters' Aunt Helena (Felicity Kendal!), the exasperated wife of Uncle Richard (Paul Eddington!), a cranky, appeasement-minded, one-legged veteran of "the last show" (WW I). Also in residence is Sophy (an amazing debut performance by 11-year-old Rebecca Hall), a sensitive younger cousin who's being raised, haphazardly, by Richard and Helena. It's true that some of the characters, in their youthful self-involvement, can be a bit much (notably flashy, posh-voiced Calypso, a nice juicy part for Jennifer Ehle), but the series is consistently involving and occasionally quite moving. Paul Eddington totally nails a scene in which Richard, portrayed as a squawking grotesque till then, discusses sex and marriage with Calypso in a sweetly unguarded way; the last episode, set in the 1970s—by which time adorable Sophy has grown up to be a cranky Claire Bloom—is watchable but disappointing.

A story about a family (and associated friends) where most of the characters are either selfish or inadequate seems an unlikely hit, but I continue to find this one of my favorite winter evening viewings. The story is told, as in the book, with flash-forwards that help crystallize your opinions of the characters and their motivations. With promiscuous behavior throughout, various unconventional relationships (Polly and the twins, Max and his town wife/country wife etc), it would have been all too easy for the series to dissolve into an orgy of explicit sex; this was, after all, made by Channel 4, who can teach HBO a thing or too about the subject! It runs along a pace, and as each episode ends, the temptation to just press play and watch the next is strong.

The performances are wonderful. I loved Felicity Kendall as the bad-tempered matriarch in the flash-forwards. Jennifer Ehle is, of course, delectable, and completely gorgeous, and acts the pants off everyone. Her accent is a wonderful mids-40s upper-class English, taken straight from Brief Encounter and the like. I didn't realize until today that she was born in North Carolina, I had her marked an English rose! Tara Fitzgerald plays Polly, the most likable character, a strong, self-minded and tolerant person. The male characters are weaker, but Oliver Cotton and the late Paul Eddington make the best of the material they're given.

The production is great - period detail is excellent, although perhaps the grimness of war on the Home Front is not given enough emphasis. However, these are privileged people, they would have had it better than the masses simply because they had more to start with.

You can watch this series over and over, like rereading a favorite book.

This is an exceptional adaptation of a very good novel. Virtually nothing is changed from the original and the story is beautifully told. Whilst it is not really necessary to place this very accessible saga in the context of more acknowledged works of art about the effects of the War on society (e.g. 'Brideshead Revisited') it does stand up well even in such illustrious company.

In just a few years attitudes, morals, priorities and sensitivities change beyond recognition for this appealing family group. A rather self-satisfied and indulgent family is first rocked by the effects of the Spanish Civil War (on Oliver). Then in rapid succession, as the effects of the Second World War take their grip, we get a believable series of events which make a modern morality tale.

There is adultery; pedophilia; under age sex; bereavement; racial prejudice; a 'marriage' with two fathers and one mother; homosexuality; a manslaughter; a 'flasher'; sentimentality; casual sex; women's liberation; alcoholism; rape… Put like this, of course, its sounds improbable and sensational but in fact it is wholly believable.

The women are the stronger characters and it is they who get their act together best to survive the war. Tara Fitzgerald's Polly is the classic example – a brilliant, pragmatic, practical and fabulously desirable woman who decides for herself what is right and brokes no argument. Her secret war work is clearly significant – but she is equally adept at managing her unconventional private life - where she begins a relationship (which endures) with both of a set of twins each of whom fathers one of her children. Jennifer Eale's 'Calypso' is no less determined – although her ambition (to marry a rich man) is selfish and she remains self-centered throughout. But there is honesty in her chosen lifestyle which is no less appealing than that of Polly. The young Sophy (Rebecca Hall) is again a strongly painted character who grows up rather too quickly as a result of the war. In the book this leads to a deflowering by the old goat Max Erstweiler when she is around 14 – although the constraint of the TV adaptation do not (quite) allow this to be seen. Helena (Felicity Kendal), wife of the dull and pompous Richard, also breaks free in war conditions and Max shows her that life need not end at 40 – with satisfying results for them both.

Although the men in the story are rather weaker than the women there are some touching vignettes and good performances from Paul Eddington (as Richard) and others. I can unhesitating recommend the DVD to anyone interested in the social changes of the Second World War in England.

Let's get the obvious out of the way first , Jennifer Ehle is GORGEOUS , so excuse me if i seem biased! Set during the war , a family with a strange besotment with the smell of their yard (?) are thrown in to a sea of love , hate and torrid affairs! The acting is absoloutely priceless throughout with everyone doing a marvellous job! Only problem is , where can i get it on VHS or DVD? A fantastic drama , a treat for all!