Missing Persons

Patricia Routledge is better known as the bucket lady but here she displayed her versatile talents as Hetty Wainthrop, a grandmother turned detective. This is the pilot episode for the series. There are some light moments than dark and nobody is murdered. Here she comes into her own as a caring, funny, intelligent mature woman. We see Hetty as a friend, wife, and detective. It's funny to see her besides Hyacinth. While I do prefer her doing comedy, Patricia Routledge is still the grand Dame of British comedy. She should be awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire because nobody can compare in today's world.

This TV movie was made as the pilot for a "Hetty Wainthropp" series, but six years elapsed before the series was made, and the pilot was never broadcast in the US. Although Patricia Routledge was brought back to play the title role, the series is markedly different from the pilot. Here the character of Hetty is edgier, and her social milieu is seedier - think Daisy and Onslow, rather than Hyacinth and Richard. The narrative style is more elliptical, and the actual "detection" often takes a back seat to other themes, especially toward the end. But for just that reason, it's worth seeing if you're a fan of the series. It's Hetty Wainthropp as she might exist in a parallel universe.

Hetty Wainthropp starts in the private detective business by tracking down the son abandoned fifty years previously by the husband of her lifelong friend, Edith. Frank Cross isn't sure he wants his son found but find him Hetty does. Then the son, Bernard, asks Hetty to find his runaway 16 year old son, Geoffrey. Due to an implausible coincidence, she does find him. But a major focus is on Frank and Edith Cross who lead unnecessarily impoverished and exceedingly dreary lives but evidently the Crosses are satisfied. Bernard's appearance on the scene somewhat upsets the apple cart in the Cross household but then things take a dramatic turn. The last part of the movie is both sad and pathetic. Rutledge shines in the role of Hetty with her no nonsense manner and easy affability with a variety of people. One thing's for sure - everyone should be as lucky as Edith in having a friend such as Hetty. A highlight of the movie is seeing Jean Kent as the elderly and delightful former actress, Phillida Meadowhite. I'm a big fan of the Hetty Wainthropp series and I'm glad they decided to replace the dour Robert as her husband and the bland Geoffrey as her young assistant in the television series. And that they lightened up the series. Good moves, all.

For the type of movie it is near perfect. I haven't seen the series or read the book. I expect since this screenwriter wrote the original novel it is true to his vision perhaps more than the series. He did not apparently write for the series which I gather is a lot less edgy.

This is a very dark, insightful comedy relentlessly portraying both the human character without the white-wash job we usually see in fictional characters and the human condition without any imaginary sugar frosting. Outside of Hetty you might find the characters unlikable because they don't have imaginary positive characteristics rarely found in nature. But what's the point of only caring about people that meet our fantasy standards? Why don't we care about people portrayed realistically, people like our neighbors and relatives and work-mates? The film focuses on the lower middle class, not people you would call successful or failures, which is a good choice for the film. These people are not suffering for material needs but they also cannot conceal themselves in luxury.

While the movie for the most part portrays common life events it is so funny and dark that at times I found myself simultaneously horrified and laughing and horrified that I was laughing. The writer proved by the end of the film that he was not laughing heartlessly at these people but ruthlessly drawing our attention to their foibles and limitations. The humor and pathos blended seamlessly like the warp and woof of a carpet.

The film was genuinely and cleverly humorous with more than the usual load of funny lines. All the performances were terrific managing to capture the pathos of the characters while keeping it a comedy.

The direction / editing kept up the pace and knew when to slow down and when to skip over. Each of the many characters had their own space in the film.

Often times a good film for me falls down in the ending. Not so in this case. For me it was exceptionally successful. The strong ending was where the film was headed all along and summed up and completed it.

The main unrealistic element is Hatty's adventures. Her detective forays form the backbone of the plot and, as in many detective films, provide a way to dig through a coal seam of characters and life situations. Because it's a comedy we don't mind so much some of the unrealistic events commonly used as plot devices.

Hatty is a remarkable yet believable woman worth getting to know. The film serves up brilliantly fun humor, striking character portrayals, and strong human feelings. Thanks to masterful work by all the film makers.

Set in Halifax, Missing Persons tells the story of Hetty Wainthropp, and her visit to see old friend Edith where she learns all sorts about her husband's private life. Her discovery convinces her she's capable enough to become a Private Detective.

It's rather theatrical, and a little over the top, having gotten into the TV series I find this one somewhat odd, her character is a little raw, and the mystery itself is a little dull, perhaps it's the production more so than the story, but I'd have to say it's rather dreary.

The series would be a million times better when it returned in 1996, Routledge would somehow feel more the character, and those around her somehow felt right.

It's ok, it's just at odds with the wonderful series.