gardenwriter

I echo what another commentator said - this was a tough film to watch. Even the sight of the lovely Emma Thompson with her head completely denuded of hair thanks to her accelerated cancer treatments is painful - and yet, somehow, one cannot look away.

Thankfully, the script injected enough wry humor to make it bearable. Emma Thompson seemed to live very much in her own mind as she slowly fought her battle against cancer - except for those times when she chose to speak directly to the audience. During those times her basic dry wit and fighting spirit shone through.

Despite (or perhaps because of) the presence of a former student as one of the medical team, and a sympathetic nurse, Thompson's character seems essentially alone - something that, because of her extreme devotion to her career and its subject matter - was not a new condition. Even as a student she spent more time buried in books than in making friends; her standards with students were rigid and did not make her a popular teacher - albeit a respected one. And so she enters the hospital for this final duel alone. Only one person cares enough to remember her and visit - her old mentor (played beautifully by Eileen Atkins) - the one person who tried to do what academic advisers rarely do, which is to get away from those books and try bit of real life. The scene between Thompson and Atkins is so stirring that I found myself crying again the following day as I tried to describe it to my husband.

As painful as this film was to watch, it was also worthwhile - so much so that I immediately purchased the DVD. Courage, loneliness, grace under extreme pressure, the kindness of strangers and the message that we need to live while we can - plus some magnificent acting - all make this a worthwhile film to see.

I'm not kidding. My sister had to remind me to breathe as we sat and watched this excellent drama together. As a college theater major I had worked on this production and so was totally familiar with the plot and characters - but not done this way. The production was stunning; the acting superb - the entire thing was completely riveting. I only wish it was available on DVD as I could probably watch it again and again.

Richard Chamberlain was the perfect Thomas and one could easily see how he could entrance the Allaged witch, Jennet. I also enjoyed Kristoffer Tabori as the clerk, Richard.

It has been nearly 20 years since I saw this show but it still stands out in my mind as one of my all time favorite viewing experiences. Christopher Fry, the playwright, uses language that may sound a bit archaic to the modern ear, but it soon becomes quite normal as we settle in to be absorbed by an entrancing tale.