Offbeat, whimsical, period-set shaggy dog story with daffy performances from Sam Neill and Peter O'Toole. Fantasy, Comedy. Wed love your help. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. The scene is packed with incidental detail, one train of which leads to Henslowe becoming fascinated with Spanley whom he lures with bottles of a rare imperial Tokay (obtained from Wrather) to a series of dinners. $2. "Dean Spanley" is the kind of film that emerges when a government agency -- the New Zealand Film Commission in this case -- and other regional development funds put together a relatively low-budget project where no one has to worry about commercial appeal. Set in Edwardian England where upper lips are always stiff and men from the Colonies are not entirely to be trusted, Fisk Senior has little time or affection for his son, but when the pair visit an eccentric Indian, they start a strange journey that eventually allows the old man to find his heart. Honours go to Neill; it is among his finest performances. The elderly, self-centred widower Horatio Fisk (Peter O'Toole) cannot come to terms with his elder son's death in the war and the subsequent demise of his grieving wife. So Northam enlists the help of a conveyancer (Bryan Brown) to obtain rare bottles of the wine so he can delight in the Dean's amusing flashbacks. 1 hr 37 mins. Precipitated by the bouquet of Imperial Tokaj wine, his past life memories are compelling and entertaining. Fisk Junior reluctantly visits his father every Thursday. , But it is anintelligent, kind and gentle movie, with a lovely tale and a message about the glories of dogs and baying at the Moon. This is an elegant fantasy about a man who was once a dog. Horatio Fisk (Peter O'Toole) is an elderly and cynical curmudgeon, with little zest for life and none at all for new experiences. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. Cinemark They culminate in the revelation that, when plied with Tokay, Spanley is the reincarnation of a Victorian spaniel called Wag, and ultimately the O'Toole character re-examines his past, challenges his natural scepticism, and establishes a new relationship with his son. Dean Spanley is an Anglo-New Zealand co-production developed from a novella written in the 1930s by Lord Dunsany, an Irish writer interested in the occult, and adapted by the Scottish novelist Alan Sharp, best known for his scripts for Hollywood genre movies, Ulzana's Raid, Night Moves and Rob Roy among them. If you are a dog person you will find the vision of the internal life of a dog hilarious. Fisk Junior, initially intrigued by the Dean's oddly open-minded views on reincarnation, is prompted to look beyond the Dean's appearance (that of an affable, rather bland clergyman) by his weakness for certain peculiar sensations produced by Hungarian Imperial Tokay wine, which leads him into a dreamlike state. Dean SpanleyDirector: Toa FraserStaring: Jeremy Northam, Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Peter OToole.RatedTrailer: Flicks.co.nz. }}(document,'script','twitter-wjs'); Inventive, and especially so for its time, but dated. Set in Edwardian England where upper lips are always stiff and men from the Colonies are not entirely to be trusted, Fisk Senior has little time or affection for his son, but when the pair visit an eccentric Indian, they start a strange journey that eventually allows the old man to find his heart. One day, trying to entertain his father, Fisk Junior takes him to a lecture by a visiting swami (Art Malik) about the transmigration of souls. The lecture is also attended by the new local clergyman, Dean Spanley (Sam Neill). fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs); On this day, the son suggests they attend a visiting guru's lecture on the transmigration of souls. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. His other son, the dedicated Henslowe (Jeremy Northam), seeks to console him but can't win his love. 1 hr 37 mins. Highest Rated: 88% Dean Spanley (2008) Lowest Rated: Not Available. Then, like magic, inside a scene or two, Dean Spanleyrevealed its quirky brilliance. There is a sub-plot concerning Fisk Senior's childhood that receives an unexpected resolution forming the climax of the story. Small film, big delight. Hoping to find scientific proof of the transmigration of souls if he can get Dean Spanley to talk, the narrator invites him to dinner. Ahead of general release, Dean Spanley was shown twice at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a red-carpet gala premiere, the first New Zealand production ever to do so. A first person narrative of a man who meets Dean Spanley, an elder minister, at his club and discovers the Dean has a strong belief in Reincarnation. It is about dogs; a riotous, fabulous tribute to canines and a savage critique of the low ways of cats, set in a wintery Victorian Norfolk, England, at a time when gentlemen were polite and unemotional. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie Preferences, as described in the Cookie Notice. New York: G.P. Synopsis. Directed by the New Zealand film-maker Toa Fraser and sensitively lit by Leon Narbey, it's set in Edwardian England immediately after the Boer War. Peter O'Toole delivers a mesmerising performance as a misanthropic curmudgeon who cannot come to terms with his elder son's death, and has little time or affection for his younger son. Watchlist. A region-2 DVD was released in 2009. But, since the dean is close-mouthed about this, how to get him to talk about it? One of my favorite dog stories (one of my favorite stories, period). with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. Dean Spanley, did you say? At first, it was ponderous, it was difficult and -for a moment- the idea of walking out was tempting. !function(d,s,id) It's been interesting watching how variou Hoping to find scientific proof of the transmigration of souls if he can get Dean Spanley to talk, the narrator invites him to dinner. Almost always the book is superior to the movie, but this is a cinema darling you will fall in love with. One day the younger man encounters Dean Spanley (Neill), who after two glasses of his favorite Tokay sweet wine, relates his recollections of a past life as a dog named Wag. The United Kingdom general release was announced by Icon Distribution for 12 December, and a "U" classification issued by the British Board of Film Classification. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. It's the favourite tipple of one Dean Spanley (Sam Neill), an enigmatic clergyman who becomes a focus of interest to Henslowe Fisk (Jeremy Northam), the story's narrator. Fantasy, Comedy. PG. Norwich, Norfolk: 18 December 2007, Norwich Evening News (Kate Scotter), Wisbech, Cambs: The Fenland Citizen, 21 November 2007: Hollywood Comes to Wisbech, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, "Exclusive: RT Visits the Set of Dean Spanley. Click Customise Cookies to decline these cookies, make more detailed choices, or learn more. It included the film screenplay, set photos, publicity stills and interviews and comments from the cast, director, producers and crew members. After drinking Tokay, the dean becomes animated and chatty but the subject matter is confusing to Henslowe. The build up nearly dies under Young Fisks dull narration until Wrather (Bryan Brown) enters the scene. Their repasts recall the wonderful encounter between Alec Guinness and Dennis Price in Kind Hearts and Coronets. * What do you think of Dean Spanley? Dean Spanley is based on a short story by Lord Dunsany and as with most short stories, the plot turns on circumstances which create a single but profound change -in this case, in the inner life And this somehow inspires the old man finally to give in to his grief over losing a son. Dean Spanley. the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. If you compare the book with the movie though, I think you might be disappointed. Set in Edwardian England where upper lips are always stiff and men from the Colonies are not entirely to be trusted, Fisk Senior has little time or affection for his son, but when the pair visit an eccentric Indian, they start a strange journey Thanks for subscribing! Background choir music was provided by the 30-voice New Zealand choir Musica Sacra.[8]. Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. There they chat with a vicar and a soldier of fortune; dinner follows. Very good. Spanley has a taste for a powerful Eastern European wine, tokaji. '"[citation needed]. The novella was optioned from the Dunsany Will Trust through Curtis Brown of London by Alan Sharp. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Just confirm how you got your ticket. He plays the sadness of a man alone, left with no way to explain himself, with simple honesty. You can buy "Dean Spanley" on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu as download or rent it on Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Apple iTunes, Vudu online. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. This book was written for a 19th Century audience and probably made a big splash with its treatment of "the transmigration of souls" or reincarnation. See it Tuesday, 7 December at 9.30pm on SBS World Movies. All rights reserved. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. Tap "Sign me up" below to receive our weekly newsletter Summaries. Receiving a standing ovation at the gala premiere, initial commentary was positive, with particular praise for O'Toole's performance and the final "act". Read critic reviews. Refresh and try again. Peter O'Toole said that the film's use of comedy to explore the relationship between a father and son was part of the attraction for him: "All of us have had these difficult familial relationships and I think it's a film for all of us who understand the relationship between a father and son. Enduring his cantankerous father (Peter O'Toole), Fisk invites the Dean to dinner and listens to the strange stories of his past life as a dog. With more than 4.75 million votes cast and counted, the 13th Annual Goodreads Choice Awards are now official. A local rich cricket-playing Indian Nawab hosts a talk on reincarnation, attended by churchman Dean Spanley (Sam Neill) and Young Fisk (Jeremy Northam) with his father Old Fisk (Peter OToole). A funny, intelligent and delightfully adult fairytale set in Edwardian England, Dean Spanley will be unlike anything else that you've seen. There they meet Dean Spanley (Sam Neill), a dignified Trollopian cleric, and a crafty Australian businessman, Wrather (Bryan Brown). The scene is packed with incidental detail, one train of which leads to Henslowe becoming fascinated with Spanley whom he lures with bottles of a rare imperial Tokay (obtained from Wrather) to a series of dinners. In the very early 1900s, Henslowe Fisk lives beholden to his father, the difficult Horatio Fisk. Set in Edwardian England, the film is based on an Alan Sharp adaptation of Irish author Lord Dunsany's 1936 novella My Talks with Dean Spanley. Dean Spanley was funded by the New Zealand Film Commission and has nothing particularly to do with us. Reviews were generally positive, Rotten Tomatoes website gives the film a rating of 88% based on 32 reviews. Post your comments below. Art Malik. Crikey, what was everybody thinking? The Fisks eventually discover why thanks to the tipsy churchman. Fisk Senior is looked after by his housekeeper Mrs Brimley (Judy Parfitt) who has lost her husband. Start by marking My Talks With Dean Spanley as Want to Read: Error rating book. We use cookies and similar tools that are necessary to enable you to make purchases, to enhance your shopping experiences and to provide our services, as detailed in our Cookie Notice. Dean Spanley was funded by the New Zealand Film Commission and has nothing particularly to do with us. Both are funny, interesting, and informative. The critical consensus describes the film as "Offbeat, whimsical, period-set shaggy dog story with daffy performances from Sam Neill and Peter OToole. Both are British, feature some of our finest actors, touch affectingly on relationships between fathers and sons and fathers and daughters without getting unduly sentimental, and they have literate scripts. A soundtrack CD was released in New Zealand on Warner Music (NZ) 5186531802 consisting of 14 tracks and a running time of 41:05. [1] Peter O'Toole said that the film's use of comedy to explore the relationship between a father and son was part of the attraction for him: "All of us have had these difficult familial relationships and I think it's a film for all of us who understand the relationship between a father and son. Summaries. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. If you compare the book with the movie though, I think you might be disappointed. Plot Keywords Dean Spanley. and the Coming Soon, Regal Each Thursday, a man approaching middle age calls upon his father, aged, caustic, nihilistic, and emotionally distant, perhaps from the loss of a son in the Boer War and his wife soon after. Trevor Johnston has written, "If you read the original story before seeing the film , then see the film, whats striking is that Sharp has not so much effected an adaptation as a reinvention."[3]. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. We talk the transmigration of souls with Peter O'Toole and Sam Neill", IMDb Technical Specifications for Dean Spanley, "Toronto Gala world premiere for Dean Spanley", Dean Spanley goes to US with Miramax | News | Screen, Miramax Take Up Journey with Dean Spanley, "Dean Spanley (My Talks with Dean Spanley) (2008)", BAFTA: 'Australia' and 'Dean Spanley' make the long list, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dean_Spanley&oldid=1108578092, Articles with dead external links from July 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Elizabeth Goram-Smith as a young lady of stature (uncredited), This page was last edited on 5 September 2022, at 05:51. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. I wanted to read it because of the film, but the two are different works. Both producers, the director, some of the lead cast (Neill was born in Northern Ireland but grew up in New Zealand, where he still lives), the cinematographer, the editor, the composer and a number of other members of the production crew and cast are from New Zealand. Rating: PG (Some Thematic Material|Mild Language) Genre: Comedy, [2] Support for the production came from both English (Screen East) and New Zealand (NZ Film Commission) government agencies, with financing completed by Aramid Entertainment, General Film Corporation and Lipsync Productions. Dean, though, is no ordinary guest. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Birthday: Nov 13, 1952. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. This compelling fantasy drama stars Sam Neill as Dean Spanley, a man who remembers his former life as a dog after drinking a rare In Ireland it was certified "G" and was released on the same date. It's the favourite tipple of one Dean Spanley (Sam Neill), an enigmatic clergyman who becomes a focus of interest to Henslowe Fisk (Jeremy Northam), the story's narrator. Lawrence of Arabia legend Peter O'Toole plays a stiff upper lip Englishman whose frosty relationship with his son warms after hearing an extraordinary tale of reincarnation from Reverend Dean Spanley (Sam Neill). Offbeat, whimsical, period-set shaggy dog story with daffy performances from Sam Neill and Peter O'Toole. We also use these cookies to understand how customers use our services (for example, by measuring site visits) so we can make improvements. Starting off with the Dean explaining there's different ways the master said Wag. Review. Cinemark 1972 When Spanley. He claims to be the reincarnation of a dog, which only intrigues Horatio more. "Only the closed mind is certain," is his defence of this mystical metempsychosis. {js=d.createElement(s); I'm glad I finally read this novel by Dunsany. by Collins. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Dean Spanley will never be a box office sensation and it will not necessarily appeal to all. It goes far beyond those wacky Disney comedies in which humans find themselves occupying the bodies of cats and dogs. It was utterly winning, as we gradually learn that the very proper Edwardian gentleman perfectly played by Sam Neill (no less than a dean in the Church of England) will, when sufficiently in his cups, reveal that in a previous life he was a dog. There are no featured reviews for Dean Spanley because the movie has not released yet (). [14] A region-1 DVD was released in 2010.[15]. This includes using first- and third-party cookies, which store or access standard device information such as a unique identifier. Birthplace: Bahawalpur, Pakistan. A first person narrative of a man who meets Dean Spanley, an elder minister, at his club and discovers the Dean has a strong belief in Reincarnation. The story is intricate and requires considerable setting up, calling for the patience of its audience. | Terms and Policies By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and For all the uproarious nonsense of the story or poppycock to use Horatios favorite expression the effect on audiences is positively sleep inducing.Production companies: The New Zealand Film Commission in association with Screen East Content Investment Fund/Aramid Entertainment/Lip Sync Productions present a Matthew Metcalfe/Atlantic Film Group productionCast: Jeremy Northam, Sam Neill, Byron Brown, Peter OToole, Judy Parfitt, Art Malik.Director: Toa Fraser.Screenwriter: Alan Sharp.Based on a novel by: Baron Dunsany.Producers: Matthew Metcalfe, Alan Harris.Executive producers: Finola Dwyer, David Parfitt, Simon Fawcell, Alan Sharp.Director of photography: Leon Narbey.Production designer: Andrew McAlpine.Music: Don McGlashan.Costume designer: Odile Dicks-Mireaux.Editor: Chris Plummer.Sales: NZ Film.No rating, 100 minutes. This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. Announcing the Winners of the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards. But it is the story itself that makes Spanley so marvellous. The adapted screenplay was written by Alan Sharp, with clearance from the Dunsany Literary Estate. We already have this email. And that there was no greater pleasure. Dont worry, it wont take long. Watchlist. Dean Spanley (2008) Summary News Box Office International Video Sales Full Financials Cast & Crew Trailer Metrics Movie Details Quick Links DEG Watched at Home Top 20 Netflix Daily My Talks With Dean Spanley 1h 36m After attending a talk on reincarnation with his son, Horatio Fisk meets an eccentric man named Dean Spanley who shares stories of his past life as a dog. The film was certified in Australia as "G" also, and was released 5 March 2009, and in New Zealand 26 February 2009; distribution in both Australia and New Zealand was by Paramount. It was utterly winning, as we gradually learn that the very proper Edwardian gentleman perfectly played by Sam Neill (no less than a dean in the Church of England) will, when sufficiently in his cups, reveal that in a previous life he was a dog. His son Henslowe (Jeremy Northam), whom he calls young Fisk, always visits him on Thursdays; dinner is invariably hotpot and he refuses to allow his housekeeper, Mrs Brimley (Judy Parfitt), to vary the menu. | On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A first person narrative of a man who meets Dean Spanley, an elder minister, at his club and discovers the Dean has a strong belief in Reincarnation. Regal The book is just so "small" compared with the movie, which expanded the character count and changed the plot in ways that appeal to the modern reader/movie-gower. The story comes to an abrupt and frankly unsatisfying end. This offbeat father and son tale was written by Scotsman Alan Sharp, and was mostly filmed in England by a Fijian-British Kiwi. There is much, much more to the movie than this, and it is qui. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Privacy Policy Enter Dean Spanley (Neill), a clergyman who is haunted by flashes of his former life as a dog. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. I thought Dr. Zhivago was the greatest movie of all time , but this tops it. Over glasses of Hungarian Tokay, the vicar, Dean Spanley, tells a story of friendship, freedom, and reincarnation. 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PG. Nor have we had imposed upon us one of those sentimental Run of the Moulin Scrooge fables of cynics and workaholics converted during yuletide celebrations. It's been interesting watching how various members of the crew have been looking at the monitors during scenes, because they come up to me and say, 'I had the same thing with my father. This is a delightful, oddly moving film, immaculately acted, carefully skirting whimsy, and nicely located in its period. Strange, the Fisk familys faithful spaniel was named Wag. Dj vu! Dean Spanley is the kind of film that emerges when a government agency the New Zealand Film Commission in this case and other regional development funds put Later the same day Fisk Junior encounters the Dean at his father's club. This delightful and amusing and extremely well-written little novel is the tale of an earnest and somewhat odd fellow seeking to learn more about reincarnation. The Fisk family has suffered first the loss of its younger son, Harrington Fisk (Xavier Horan), killed in the Second Anglo-Boer War, shortly followed by the death of Horatio's wife. 1996-2022, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. In early November, the film was offered to United States distributors at the annual American Film Market (512 November), with two showings announced, and in early February 2009, Miramax bought the United States rights. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. They move from everyday reality into realms of fantasy and don't constantly allude to popular Hollywood films. Try again. Dean Spanley is the kind of film that emerges when a government agency the New Zealand Film Commission in this case and other regional development funds put together a relatively low-budget project where no one has to worry about commercial appeal. Film festivals will be most understanding but distributors who want to make money will not. Dean Spanley was funded by the New Zealand Film Commission and has nothing particularly to do with us. How it links to the death of Fisk's brother Harry in the Boer War is the dramatic crux of Alan Sharp's script (adapted from a novel by Baron Dunsany), and the only drawback to its fey shaggy-dog story is the ponderous pace. It's more a play than a movie. "[16], Dean Spanley was longlisted for the 2009 British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards for Adapted Screenplay (Alan Sharp) and Supporting Actor (Peter O'Toole).[17][18].
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