Directed by: John Schlesinger
Staring: Kate Beckinsale, Joanna Lumley, Ian McKellen, Rufus Sewell
Production company: Thames Television
Music by: Robert Lockhart
Release: 1 January 1995 (United Kingdom TV), 10 May 1996 (United States theatrical)

Plot: After the death of her parents, young Flora Poste goes to stay with her friend, the eccentric divorcee Mrs. Mary Small. Flora initially aspires to be a writer, deciding that the only way for her to live whilst researching her writing is to stay one of her many “dreadful” relatives. Mary suggests anything else, including beekeeping.

Due to her, relative lack of means, her city-based relations show no interest. Flora sends letters to her country relatives. While the smattering of responses are generally unsuitable, one is intriguing. Flora chooses to stay for a while with the Starkadder branch of the family on their rundown farm.

The Starkadders are an assortment of rustic, uncouth, truly eccentric, and quite possibly mad characters, all with a secret or not-so-secret hearts desire. Flora’s desire is to find out what the ancient wrong which was “done to” her father and what the resulting doom lays over the Starkadder farm.

She finds out that her cousin Judith, is morose and depressed while Judith’s husband, Amos, wants to be the leader of his own, somewhat “Pentecostal” religion, the Quivering Brethren. But believing himself responsible for the farm, and shunning vanity, he makes everyone else unhappy. Meanwhile the brothers Seth and Amos fear Flora’s influence and believe she’s come to take the farm away from them. Flora quickly realises that, as a sensible, modern woman, she has the ability to assess, coax and organise each person into solving their own problems.

Review:The film is an adaptation of British novelist Stella Gibbons book by the same title. It tells the traveling story of Flora Poste (Kate beckinsale). How she looks for inspiration to write her novel.

Moving in with distant and somewhat mysterious relatives (the Starkadders) Flora sets about bringing the farm and the inhabitants up to date and open to the joys of life. She confronts and meets with a range a archetypal characters from a range of classic British novels. Winning in the end.

Yet you are challenged to see if you can discover the deep dark secret that the farm holds. Also, you might want to make a decision as to the future Flora may have as a writer.

All in all, not a bad Saturday afternoon movie to enjoy.

M J Flack