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A Private Function

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A Private Function

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Summary

In post-war Yorkshire, with rationing still very much in force, a mild-mannered chiropodist tries to prove his worth to the snobbish locals by kidnapping a pig which is being fattened up for a local banquet. Alan Bennett's comedy, starring Michael Palin, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott, Alison Steadman and Liz Smith

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

David Parkinson

With its gentle, witty portrait of postwar Britain and its sly digs at bourgeois aspirations, this comedy is a wonderful throwback to the spirit of Ealing. Scripted by Alan Bennett, it is an often hilarious mixture of well-observed social comedy and sometimes laborious earthy humour, much of the latter being inspired by the bodily functions of a pig being fattened for a feast to celebrate the 1947 royal wedding. Michael Palin does a nice line in mortified meekness, but he is upstaged by Maggie Smith (as his scheming wife) and Liz Smith (as his mother-in-law), whose eccentric antics and distracted ramblings provide some of the highlights.

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6.5/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameGilbert ChilversMichael PalinJoyce ChilversMaggie SmithDr Charles SwabyDenholm ElliottHenry AllardyceRichard GriffithsBernard SutcliffTony HaygarthFrank LockwoodJohn NormingtonDouglas NuttalPete PostlethwaiteMaurice WormoldBill PatersonMotherLiz SmithMrs AllardyceAlison SteadmanInspector Howard NobleJim CarterPC PennyReece DinsdaleBarracloughDon EstelleMrs SutcliffEileen O'Brien

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Crew

rolenameDirectorMalcolm Mowbray

Details

Theatrical distributor

Handmade Films (Dists) Ltd

Released on

1984-11-09

Languages

English

Guidance

Contains swearing.

Available on

video and DVD

Formats

Colour

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