- Radio Times
- Review by:
- Alison Graham
Wide-eyed model Tippi Hedren (Sienna Miller) can’t believe her luck when she lands the coveted role of Melanie Daniels in Alfred Hitchcock’s follow-up to Psycho, The Birds. “I’ll make you so proud of me,” she trills. “I’ll be putty in your hands.”
Poor Tippi comes to rue the day she uttered those words as Hitch (Toby Jones) is an old perv who develops a fixation on the beautiful, unattainable actress. Writer Gwyneth Hughes’s script doesn’t add much to what has become a well-known, even notorious story — after being rejected repeatedly by Hedren, Hitchcock becomes sadistic towards his star, making sure she’s pecked by real birds and is thoroughly terrified. There isn’t much for Miller to do except look both wooden and frightened, but Toby Jones does an eerily good impersonation of the director. And those birds really are scary.
About this programme
Toby Jones and Sienna Miller star in this one-off drama based on the story of director Alfred Hitchcock's obsession with Tippi Hedren, leading lady of his 1963 thriller The Birds. The film-maker was at the height of his fame when he chose the fashion model to star in his latest production, sculpting her into the perfect blonde of his imagination. But before long, he became determined to win her love, a pursuit that would end in bitter disappointment. Imelda Staunton and Penelope Wilton co-star.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Toby Jones
- Tippi Hedren
- Sienna Miller
- Alma Hitchcock
- Imelda Staunton
- Peggy Robertson
- Penelope Wilton
- Jim Brown
- Carl Beukes
- Evan Hunter
- Conrad Kemp
- Melanie
- Angelina Ingpen
- Josephine Milton
- Candice D'Arcy
- Rita Riggs
- Kate Tilley
- Ray Berwick
- Leon Clingman
- Bob Boyle
- Patrick Lyster
- Maitre 'd
- Aubrey Shelton
Crew
- Director
- Julian Jarrold
- Executive Producer
- Leanne Klein
- Executive Producer
- Lucy Richer
- Producer
- Amanda Jenks
- Writer
- Gwyneth Hughes
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