The Dresser
- Albert Finney: Sir
- Tom Courtenay: Norman
- Edward Fox: Oxenby
- Zena Walker: Her Ladyship
- Eileen Atkins: Madge
- Michael Gough: Frank Carrington
- Cathryn Harrison: Irene
- Betty Marsden: Violet Manning
- Sheila Reid: Lydia Gibson
- Lockwood West Geoffrey Thornton
- Donald Eccles: Mr. Godstone
- Llewellyn Rees: Horace Brown
- Guy Manning: Benton
- Anne Blackman: Beryl
- Kevin Stoney: C. Rivers Lane
- Ann Way: Miss White
- John Sharp: Mr. Bottomley
- Roger Avon: Charles
- Joe Belcher: Arthur
The In-Laws is a British film drama from the year 1983. It is the film adaptation of the eponymous autobiographical stage play The Dresser by Ronald Harwood.
Action
But Sir plays in the evening the lead role in Shakespeare's King Lear. The Complete Theatre Company is based on his appearance. He can not fail easily. All the revenue that you would need to survive, fell away. So Norman is making every effort to bring Sir returned to the stage, no matter what the cost. It protects all concerned individuals from him, cheer him on, it's beautiful promises rewards and persuades the absent-minded and occasionally aggressive Sir again to go on stage. Finally, he was an actor that belongs simply to the theater stage. Sir sees one too, though it disgusts him to be reduced to the games of cripples and seniors. The good news that Sir was preparing his appearance, Norman disseminated to all other actors. But when he returns, he discovers shocked that Sir not only as Othello makeup, but also sinks into self-pity. Norman yells at him to let that be, finally, his was the 227th performance of King Lear. But Sir can not even remember the first line and suddenly fluctuates between absolute self-confidence and largest self-doubt. In order to remember his lines, he says on anything that comes to his mind, which he also makes the worst thing that can only happen to a theater actor. He speaks the name Macbeth.
But the time is approaching and the actors find a backstage. The bomb alarm does not bode well. The Germans attacked again. But no one escapes from the audience. They want to see the show. The actors play their piece to the moment, to occur in the King Lear, sovereign. But King Lear does not appear. Sir remains frozen backstage sitting on his chair and does not warp a face. Norman is desperate. While the actors improvise on the outdoor stage further and the audience wonder where Sir remains, Norman is close to a nervous breakdown. He desperately tries to bring tears Sir to play. But Sir does not move. Only when a second bomb alarm sounds, he awakens from his catatonia and is pushed by Norman on stage, where he plays like mad. Until the break he plays out masterfully and his full talent.
With applause he is accompanied by the stage. Back he insulted the poor commitment of all others, and disappears into his dressing room. Norman follows him and reassured in with applause and exaggerated adulation. As Sir asleep doing, Norman uses the time to get into the nearest bar alcohol supplies. Meanwhile, Sir is visited by Madge. He tells her excitedly that he felt for the first time not only as an actor. For the first time, he was the true King Lear on stage. All the words have not been said, but emerged immediately in his head. He has now used 20 years to experience this feeling once allowed. He asks her if it's been worth it and she was happy. Madge says she unhappy, but it was still worth what it leaves his dressing room again. Then comes Irene, even times to be an actress and would necessarily completely devoted to the profession. She feels downright mystical force that hovers in Sir wardrobe, as well as the tension that exists between her and Sir. With animalistic roar Sir crashes on Irene to lift them. But it is too heavy and he collapses beneath her. That scares them so much that she runs away. She is intercepted by Norman. He sells, but not to have made it clear without her beforehand that she only pushed Sir, since it requires the next scene. King Lear has a lady wearing on stage and since now help times only the easiest actress.
Then the scene starts and after the break the game. Sir wears as King Lear a woman on stage. He provides as an actor an incredible feat from which abfordert him everything, but will be honored at the end of the piece with a standing ovation. Exhausted, he then gives the program the next day known and has to swallow when he mentioned that he is already playing again Thursday Lear. He just can not and drags himself more bad than good in his wardrobe. Who had always planned this tour who wanted to enslave him well, complains Sir. Here it was he himself who organized the pieces in their arrangement, adds Norman. Sir plops down on his chair and would like to have read a few lines from his autobiography. Norman comes the desire for and reads the dedication at the Sir really grateful to everyone and everything, who made his career only possible even with the carpenters and electricians, not only in Norman. While Norman realized that and looked terribly upset about it, Sir dies in chair. Norman loses his last shred of dignity piece, howls, screams and is desperate. He does not know where to go, now that his true love left him.
Criticism
The renowned film critic Roger Ebert praised Finney, who play a " seriously disoriented, hung-over, trembling and confused " old Shakespeare actors and Courtenay, the perfect play his character of " proud, grudge and self- doubting outsider ". In addition, the film was well cast in his supporting roles and would provide wonderful detail.
Although the " mechanical details always go hand in hand with the whole spectacle not ," said Vincent Canby of The New York Times, the film was " a failed work". Since the entire film was working on the chemistry of the two leads, it just makes fun to see this movie.
The lexicon of the International film said: " An impressive lead performances by brilliant character study and a witty and ironic response to the problems of human coexistence that stimulates thinking about forgotten virtues such as loyalty, love and humility. "
Background
Ronald Harwood's stage play based on his own experience as an actor and dresser by Donald Wolfit. From 1953 to 1958 he worked for a Shakespeare theater group in this function. He processed his experiences both in the biography of Sir Donald Wolfit CBE: His life and work in the Unfashionable Theatre as well as in the play The Dresser. Had its premiere the piece on 6 March 1980 at the Royal Exchange in Manchester. In London it was played on April 30, 1980 for the first time at the Queen 's Theatre. Here, Freddie Jones played the role of Sir Tom Courtenay and that of Norman. In the same year it was nominated as the best piece for a Laurence Olivier Award. His Broadway debut was the piece on 9 November 1918 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, after over 200 performances were played. Courtenay again embodied the role of Norman, said Sir this time was played by British actor Paul Rogers. At the end of the piece for two Tony Awards, was nominated for the best drama and Best Actor.
The film was launched on 9 December 1983 in the American cinema, where he was able to import a little more than 5 million U.S. dollars. In the Federal Republic of Germany he came on March 23, 1984 in the cinemas and in the German Democratic Republic on 10 May 1985. Since 6 April 2004, he is also available as a German -language DVD.
Awards (selection)
- Best Film: Nomination
- Best Director: Nominated for Peter Yates
- Best Actor: Nomination for Albert Finney
- Best Actor: Tom Courtenay nominated for
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Ronald Harwood nomination for
- Best Actor - Drama: Tom Courtenay
- Best Actor - Drama: Nomination for Albert Finney
- Best Foreign Language Film: Nomination
- Best Director: Nominated for Peter Yates
- Best Screenplay: Ronald Harwood nomination for
- Best Film: Nomination
- Best Director: Nominated for Peter Yates
- Best Actor: Nomination for Albert Finney
- Best Actor: Tom Courtenay nominated for
- Best Supporting Actress: Nomination for Eileen Atkins
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Ronald Harwood nomination for
- Best Mask: nomination for Alan Boyle
- Best Actor: Albert Finney
- C.I.D.A.L.C. Award for Peter Yates
- Golden Bear: Nomination