The Winter Guest (1997)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Alan Rickman

Writers:

Sharman Macdonald (play)
Sharman Macdonald (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

24 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Come in from the cold.

Plot:

The film centers on four pairs - Frances is a recent widow who wants to get away from Scotland to Australia...

Plot Keywords:

Mother Daughter Relationship | Beach | Boy | Child Smoking Cigarette | Kitten

Awards:

5 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Phyllida Law	...	Elspeth
Emma Thompson	...	Frances
Sheila Reid	...	Lily
Sandra Voe	...	Chloe
Arlene Cockburn	...	Nita
Gary Hollywood	...	Alex
Sean Biggerstaff	...	Tom
Douglas Murphy	...	Sam
Tom Watson	...	Minister
Jan Shand	...	Café Proprietor
Sandy Neilson	...	Passer-by
Billy McElhaney	...	Bus Driver
Helen Devon	...	Woman in Tea Shop
Harry Welsh	...	Boy in Tea Shop
Christian Zanone	...	Young Man in Church
Ross Lewis	...	Jamie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alan Rickman	...	Man in street (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Rickman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sharman Macdonald		play
Sharman Macdonald		screenplay
Alan Rickman		writer

Produced by
Steve Clark-Hall	....	producer
Ken Lipper	....	producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	producer
Alan J. Wands	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Michael Kamen

Cinematography by
Seamus McGarvey

Film Editing by
Scott Thomas

Casting by
Joyce Nettles

Production Design by
Robin Cameron Don

Art Direction by
Ben Scott

Costume Design by
Joan Bergin

Makeup Department
Miri Ben-Schlomo	....	makeup artist
Morag Ross	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Gregory G. Woertz	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ben Howarth	....	assistant director
Christopher Newman	....	assistant director
Keith Young	....	assistant director

Art Department
Roy Bell	....	assistant to designer
Mat Bergel	....	stand-by props
John Booth	....	additional prop assistant
Bryan Boyne	....	stagehand
Tony Braden	....	plasterer laborer
Frank Cameron	....	carpenter
Tristan Carlisle-Kitz	....	additional prop assistant
Stewart Cunningham	....	dressing prop man
Paul Curren	....	painter
Sam Curren	....	painter
John Donnelly	....	stagehand
Gordon Fitzgerald	....	property master
Colin H. Fraser	....	construction manager
Derek Fraser	....	construction chargehand
Bobby Gee	....	painter
Paul Grange	....	plasterer
Mark Harrold	....	carpenter
Richard Hassall	....	carpenter
Will Hughes-Jones	....	art department assistant
Piero Jamieson	....	dressing prop man
Roger Jorgensen	....	draughtsman
Peter Knotts	....	carpenter
Dave Lawrence	....	stand-by rigger
Graham C. McGill	....	assistant to designer
Drew Meldon	....	chargehand rigger
Allison Nalder	....	assistant to designer
Jim Patrick	....	chargehand painter
Karl Probert	....	assistant art director
Neil Querns	....	carpenter
Mark Rimmell	....	property buyer
Mike Roberts	....	storeman
Alex Robertson	....	stand-by carpenter
Bob Rose	....	plasterer
Jeremy Rose	....	plasterer
Robert Ross	....	chargehand carpenter
Robert Ross	....	dressing prop man
Miguel Sapochnik	....	storyboard artist
Anna Selwood	....	stand-by props
Bill Thompson	....	plasterer laborer
John Woods	....	chargehand plasterer

Sound Department
Kevin Brazier	....	dubbing editor
Tony Cook	....	boom operator
Neil Davidge	....	sound mixer
Diane Greaves	....	foley artist
Stephen Griffiths	....	dubbing editor
Dave Humphries	....	dubbing mixer
Dave Jepkin	....	assistant sound engineer
Alastair Mason	....	sound trainee
Colin Nicolson	....	sound
Alan Sallabank	....	adr mixer
Lee Shephard	....	assistant sound engineer
Jason Swanscott	....	foley artist
Trevor Swanscott	....	foley mixer
Robert Thompson	....	assistant sound mixer

Special Effects by
John Cox	....	special effects technician
Dave Crownshaw	....	snow effects supervisor
Peter Haran	....	special effects technician
Tim Howell	....	special effects technician
John Mason	....	special effects technician
Mark E. Raymond	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Blondel Aidoo	....	visual effects producer
Andy Atkins	....	supervising digital artist
Jerr Dunlap	....	3D digital artist
Russell Frazier	....	digital artist
Peter Graziano	....	digital artist
Dan Hamilton	....	visual effects editor
Heidy Hughes	....	digital artist
Jim Livolsi	....	visual effects facility producer
Howard Minkow	....	effects coordinator
TJ Morgan	....	senior digital artist
Matt Plec	....	SGI digital artist
Mathieu Reid	....	effects color timer
Robert Scifo	....	digital matte paintings
Janice Tso	....	supervising digital artist
Bobby Vignato	....	digital artist

Stunts
Michael Scott-Law	....	action sequence coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Bates	....	generator operator
Julie Bills	....	camera trainee
Lewis Buchan	....	focus puller: second unit
Stuart Bunting	....	camera grip
Chris Burns	....	clapper loader: second unit
Matthew Butler	....	electrician
Clive Coote	....	still photographer
Neil Davidson	....	clapper loader: second unit
Nigel Finch	....	still photographer: photographs of Jamie
Baz Irvine	....	focus puller
Ivan Kyncl	....	still photographer: photographs of Jamie
Kristen McMahon	....	clapper loader
Jan Pester	....	Steadicam operator
Alastair Rae	....	Steadicam operator
Mark Ritchie	....	best boy
Steve Rundell	....	additional photographer
Garry Thomson	....	electrician
Lee Walters	....	gaffer
Simon Werry	....	aerial camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ruth Cummings	....	wardrobe assistant
Gabriel O'Brien	....	wardrobe manager

Editorial Department
Chris Bannister	....	grader
Lucy Chapman	....	assistant film editor
Joe Fineman	....	post-production consultant
Mike Fraser	....	negative cutter
Sara King	....	executive in charge of post-production
Martin Morrison	....	assistant film editor
Gary Scott	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
James Seymour Brett	....	music co-producer
David Harrod	....	additional musician: piano
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music mixer
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music recordist
Michael Price	....	music co-producer

Transportation Department
Danny Blain	....	driver: wardrobe bus
Alan Doyle	....	driver: dressing props car
Frank Hudson	....	driver: stand-by props car
John McDowell	....	make-up bus driver
Dennis McElhaney	....	driver: winnebago
Arthur Morrison	....	transportation captain
Brian Morrison	....	driver: minibus
Terence Morrison	....	driver: construction bus
Conrad Phillips	....	driver: camera car
Bill Stevenson	....	unit driver
Clark Tracy	....	driver: greenroom truck

Other crew
Pete Beaver	....	tutor
Claire Best	....	production executive
Robert Bowman	....	caterer
Merry Brown	....	caterer
Alison Campbell	....	production coordinator
Janice Corson	....	stand-in
Guy Cowan	....	caterer
Robert Cowie	....	floor runner
Lou Crichton	....	continuity assistant
John D'Arcy	....	caterer
Ben Dickens	....	ice floe contractor
John S. Don	....	rocking horses
Flora Fleming	....	stand-in
Kelly Forgan	....	stand-in
Mike Fraser	....	rushes transfer
Dennis Gallagher	....	additional labourer
Linda Gamble	....	unit publicist
Frank Gannon	....	lipper development staff
Michael Gerrard	....	additional labourer
Pamela Godfrey	....	marketing supervisor
Martina Gormley	....	chaperone
Izzy Graham	....	caterer
Keith Handley	....	additional labourer
Andy Irvine	....	caterer
Emma James	....	production coordinator
Brian Kaczynski	....	location manager
Roger Kass	....	legal services
Lucy Marr	....	production runner
John McKain	....	assistant accountant
John McVeigh	....	caterer
Steven Michalski	....	additional labourer
Lee Miller	....	caterer
Seth Miller	....	assistant floor runner
Geraldine Murphy	....	unit nurse
Erin O'Rourke	....	development staff: Pressman
Pat Rambaut	....	script supervisor
Janet Riddoch	....	assistant location manager
Karen Robson	....	legal services
Michael Scott-Law	....	action sequence consultant
Michael Scott-Law	....	action sequence coordinator
Peggy Smith	....	lipper development staff
David Stewart	....	seagulls
Derek Townshend	....	insurance
Will Tyler	....	production accountant

Thanks
David Aukin	....	special thanks
Lindsay Duncan	....	special thanks
Graham Easton	....	special thanks
David Evans	....	special thanks
Thelma Holt	....	special thanks
Ileen Maisel	....	special thanks
John Ross Morland	....	special thanks
Anthony J. O'Donnell	....	special thanks
Lynn Pressman-Raymond	....	special thanks
Allon Reich	....	special thanks
Celia Stevenson	....	special thanks
Stan Thomas	....	special thanks
John Wark	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Capitol Films
• Channel Four Films
• Fine Line Features
• Pressman-Lipper Productions
• Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund

Distributors

• Image Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Diaphana Films (????) (France) (theatrical)
• Fine Line Features (????) (USA) (theatrical)
• Reco Distribuidora (????) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• TriPictures (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Vitória Filmes (????) (Portugal) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• D. Rez Hollywood (visual effects)
• Snow Business International (special effects)

Other Companies

• Christchurch Studios  end title song recorded at
• Creature Feature  seagulls
• Daniel Brazier Ltd.  sound recorded at
• Ecosse World Express  rushes transport
• Film Finance  completion bond
• G & H Film & Television Services  facilities vehicles
• Grip House North  grip equipment
• Guinness Mahon and Company  banking services
• Lee Lighting  lighting equipment
• Mike Fraser  sound transfer
• Mike Fraser  telecine rushes transfers
• Near North Entertainment  insurance
• Olswang, Lisbeth, Savill  legal services
• PDG Helicopters  helicopters
• Peerless Camera Company  opticals
• Real Food  catering
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• TLS Vehicle Hire  unit transport

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sensuality.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Hungary:14 | Norway:A | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Elie, Fife, Scotland, UK

Company:

Capitol Films

Quotes:

[first lines]
Alex: Are you all right?
Frances: Don't keep asking.

Soundtrack:

Take Me With You

A delicious and touching story.

This film is one of those small but delicious productions in modern european film industry that makes it worth to continue going to the cinema. It is the film version of a Scottish theatre production, that did run with the same basic cast.

There is no main plot. It is the summing up of four basic stories which are somewhat interwoven, describing the relationships between very different human beings.

The Scottish winter, framing all the story, is almost a character of its own. You can almost sense the ice, the intense coldness around the characters, but you altogether feel the warmth of human emotions.

The actors are all outstanding in their characters. Above all others, Phyllida Law and Emma Thompson (real life mother and daughter) give a very powerful performance, portraying a depressed recent widow and her energetic and controlling mother: really a charming old lady.

The great Alan Rickman's direction is in my opinion a very good job, bringing all the different stories together and making a magnificent choral film.

I eagerly look forward to his next attempt in directorial tasks.