In Celebration
Encyclopedia
In Celebration is a 1975 film directed by Lindsay Anderson
. It is based in the 1969 stage production of the same name by David Storey
which was also directed by Anderson. The movie was meant to be shown theatrically with tickets sold in advance.
It stars Alan Bates
(recreating his stage role) and takes place in a Yorkshire
mining town. The Shaws (Bill Owen, Constance Chapman
) are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary
and their three sons have come up for a night out at an expensive restaurant. Mr Shaw is a coal miner with 49 one year left until retirement. Andy (Bates), the oldest, studied to be a solicitor gave it up to become an artist. Colin (James Bolam
) was a former Communist party
member but is now a factory manager has become middle class
. The youngest brother Steven (Brian Cox) is a teacher, married with four children of his own, and writing a book. The film examines the tensions which develop as the family reunite over the course of one evening.
Lindsay Anderson
Lindsay Gordon Anderson was an Indian-born, British feature film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and the British New Wave...
. It is based in the 1969 stage production of the same name by David Storey
David Storey
David Rhames Storey is an English playwright, screenwriter, award-winning novelist and a former professional rugby league player....
which was also directed by Anderson. The movie was meant to be shown theatrically with tickets sold in advance.
It stars Alan Bates
Alan Bates
Sir Alan Arthur Bates CBE was an English actor, who came to prominence in the 1960s, a time of high creativity in British cinema, when he demonstrated his versatility in films ranging from the popular children’s story Whistle Down the Wind to the "kitchen sink" drama A Kind of Loving...
(recreating his stage role) and takes place in a Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
mining town. The Shaws (Bill Owen, Constance Chapman
Constance Chapman
Constance Chapman was an English character actor working in theatre and television. She also made occasional film appearances....
) are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary
Wedding anniversary
-Official recognition:In the Commonwealth realms, one can receive a message from the monarch for 60th, 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries, and any wedding anniversary after that...
and their three sons have come up for a night out at an expensive restaurant. Mr Shaw is a coal miner with 49 one year left until retirement. Andy (Bates), the oldest, studied to be a solicitor gave it up to become an artist. Colin (James Bolam
James Bolam
James Christopher Bolam, MBE is a British actor, best known for his roles as Jack Ford in When the Boat Comes In, Trevor Chaplin in The Beiderbecke Trilogy, Terry Collier in The Likely Lads and its sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Roy Figgis in Only When I Laugh, Dr Arthur Gilder in...
) was a former Communist party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
member but is now a factory manager has become middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
. The youngest brother Steven (Brian Cox) is a teacher, married with four children of his own, and writing a book. The film examines the tensions which develop as the family reunite over the course of one evening.