In Celebration (film)
Encyclopedia
In Celebration is a 1975 film adaptation of the play by David Storey
. It was directed by Lindsay Anderson
and was produced and released as part of the American Film Theatre
, which adapted theatrical works for a subscription-driven cinema series.
The film focuses on the turmoil facing a North England couple who are celebrating their 40th anniversary. The father (Bill Owen
) was a coal miner who married a woman from a higher social level (Constance Chapman). She urged their sons to abandon their father’s mining heritage in pursuit of corporate careers, but the results were not positive. One son (Alan Bates
) became an attorney, but abandoned the work to pursue painting. Another son (Brian Cox) dedicated his career to writing, but has not produced any notable published works. The third son (James Bolam
) enjoyed material (but not emotional) success as a labour negotiator for an automobile company. During the family gathering, the parents and their sons recall unpleasant past incidents, including the death of another brother, the mother’s suicide
attempt, and the outing
of one son as a homosexual.
In Celebration received strong reviews during its theatrical run. Vincent Canby
, writing in The New York Times
, praised Anderson for having “succeeded in making a very complete, full-bodied film of Mr. Storey's play without being tricky or intrusive…Mr. Anderson has also gotten terrific performances from everyone, especially Mr. Bates, Miss Chapman and Mr. Cox, as the most troubled of the Shaw sons.” New York Magazine echoed the sentiment, noting “Anderson and a superb cast have made a harrowing and satisfying suspense drama.”
, London
by Sonia Friedman
productions.
Cast
Steven Orlando Bloom
Mr Shaw Tim Healy
Mrs Burnett Lynda Baron
Mrs Shaw Dearbhla Molloy
Andrew Paul Hilton
Colin Gareth Farr
Reardon Ciaran McIntyre
Creatives
Director Anna Mackmin
Designer Lez Brotherston
Lighting Mark Henderson
Music Stephen Warbeck
Sound John Leonard
Choreographer Scarlett Mackmin
David Storey
David Rhames Storey is an English playwright, screenwriter, award-winning novelist and a former professional rugby league player....
. It was directed by Lindsay Anderson
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...
and was produced and released as part of the American Film Theatre
American Film Theatre
The American Film Theatre was a limited run series of film adaptations of stage plays, produced by Ely Landau. Two seasons were produced from 1973 to 1975...
, which adapted theatrical works for a subscription-driven cinema series.
The film focuses on the turmoil facing a North England couple who are celebrating their 40th anniversary. The father (Bill Owen
Bill Owen
William John Owen Rowbotham MBE , better known as Bill Owen, was an English actor and songwriter.-Career:...
) was a coal miner who married a woman from a higher social level (Constance Chapman). She urged their sons to abandon their father’s mining heritage in pursuit of corporate careers, but the results were not positive. One son (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...
) became an attorney, but abandoned the work to pursue painting. Another son (Brian Cox) dedicated his career to writing, but has not produced any notable published works. The third son (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...
) enjoyed material (but not emotional) success as a labour negotiator for an automobile company. During the family gathering, the parents and their sons recall unpleasant past incidents, including the death of another brother, the mother’s suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
attempt, and the outing
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
of one son as a homosexual.
In Celebration received strong reviews during its theatrical run. Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...
, writing in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, praised Anderson for having “succeeded in making a very complete, full-bodied film of Mr. Storey's play without being tricky or intrusive…Mr. Anderson has also gotten terrific performances from everyone, especially Mr. Bates, Miss Chapman and Mr. Cox, as the most troubled of the Shaw sons.” New York Magazine echoed the sentiment, noting “Anderson and a superb cast have made a harrowing and satisfying suspense drama.”
Revivals
In Celebration was revived at the Duke of York's TheatreDuke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by Sonia Friedman
Sonia Friedman
Sonia Friedman is a prolific British West End and Broadway theatre producer. She is the younger sister of actress Maria Friedman.-Biography and career:...
productions.
Cast
Steven Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom is an English actor. He had his break-through roles in 2001 as the elf-prince Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and starring in 2003 as blacksmith Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and subsequently established himself as a lead in Hollywood...
Mr Shaw Tim Healy
Tim Healy (actor)
Timothy Malcolm Healy is an English actor. He is best known for playing Dennis Patterson in the television series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He is married to the actress Denise Welch.-Career:...
Mrs Burnett Lynda Baron
Lynda Baron
Lynda Baron is a BAFTA-nominated English stage, film and television actress, perhaps best known for playing the extremely busty Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, the object of Arkwright's affection, in the BBC comedy series Open All Hours....
Mrs Shaw Dearbhla Molloy
Dearbhla Molloy
Dearbhla Molloy is an Irish actress of the stage and screen from Dublin.Molloy consolidated her stage reputation at both the Abbey and the Gate theatres, coming to England to tour with an Abbey production. She was invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company and has played Gertrude to Kenneth...
Andrew Paul Hilton
Paul Hilton
Paul Jerome Remigius Hilton was an Australian politician, and a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1935 until 1963 representing the seat of Carnarvon, and a minister in both the Hanlon and Gair Ministries....
Colin Gareth Farr
Gareth Farr
Gareth Vincent Farr ONZM is a New Zealand composer and percussionist. He has released a number of classical CDs and composed a number of works performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Royal New Zealand Ballet...
Reardon Ciaran McIntyre
Creatives
Director Anna Mackmin
Anna Mackmin
Anna Mackmin is an award-winning British theatre director. She has been an associate director at the Sheffield Crucible and at the Gate Theatre in London.-Life and career:...
Designer Lez Brotherston
Lighting Mark Henderson
Music Stephen Warbeck
Stephen Warbeck
Stephen Warbeck is an English composer, best known for his film and television scores.Warbeck was born in Southampton. He first became known for the music for Prime Suspect and won an Academy Award for his score for Shakespeare in Love...
Sound John Leonard
John Leonard
John Leonard may refer to:* John Leonard , American literary, television, film, and cultural critic* John Leonard , Australian poet* John Leonard , Gaelic footballer...
Choreographer Scarlett Mackmin
Scarlett Mackmin
Scarlett Mackmin is an English choreographer. She trained at the Martha Graham School in New York and at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance in London...