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Ethel & Ernest
Roger Mainwood
(2016)
90min
PG Certificate
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Review
Our Score
by
Trevor Johnston
Author Raymond Briggs's loving tribute to his parents inspires this animated feature which retains the original book's homely drawing style in chronicling their decades of marriage. The couple's experiences in setting up home together in a modest London terrace, raising their young son amid the Blitz and coping with the subsequent social changes affecting postwar Britain are typical of many households, but the story celebrates their everyday capacity for keeping calm and carrying on. That said, the film-making is not without its issues, from ploddy pacing, somewhat repetitive humour and unimaginative direction, yet the overall effect remains sincere and heart-warming, buoyed by ever-cheery vocal performances from Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent. It would certainly make a wonderful teaching tool to help today's youth understand the sacrifices of the wartime generation, yet the story's sense of quiet pride is also tinged with a wistful element too - we'll certainly never see these times again, not least the possibility of owning a London home on a milkman's salary.
Summary
Animated drama based on Raymond Briggs' graphic novel following the lives of his parents, from their chance meeting in 1928 through the next 40 years of their marriage, an era marked by sweeping social changes from the hardships of the Great Depression and the Second World War to the cultural transformation of the 1960s. With the voices of Jim Broadbent, Brenda Blethyn and Luke Treadaway as Raymond Briggs himself.
Cast & Crew
Ethel Briggs
Brenda Blethyn
Ernest Briggs
Jim Broadbent
Raymond Briggs
Luke Treadaway
Lady of the House
Virginia McKenna
Mrs Bennet
Pam Ferris
Ernest's stepmother
June Brown
Young Raymond
Harry Collett
Middle-aged doctor
Roger Allam
Director
Roger Mainwood
see more
Other Information
Language:
English
Colour
Theatrical distributor:
Vertigo
Guidance:
Some swearing.
Available on:
DVD
Released on:
28 Oct 2016
Drama
Full Episode Guide
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The Snowman creator Raymond Briggs wins Lifetime Achievement Award
The author and illustrator brought us Father Christmas, Fungus the Bogeyman, Ug, The Bear and recent festive hit Ethel & Ernest
Ethel & Ernest was "the best thing on telly this Christmas", according to viewers
What did you think of Ethel & Ernest?
Is Ethel & Ernest based on a true story?
Meet the cast of Ethel and Ernest
What time is Ethel & Ernest on TV?
Behind the scenes of Ethel & Ernest
Michael Rosen and Raymond Briggs – the men putting the heart into this year's festive TV
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