A Private Function (1984)
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100% of critics liked it
(5 reviews) -
54% of users liked it
(2,027 ratings)
A British couple's attempts to circumvent local food-rationing regulations trigger a chaotic series of events in this satirical comedy set in post-World War II England. The couple's scheme centers on a massive hog which has been illegally raised by a local farmer. Seeing a chance to… More A British couple's attempts to circumvent local food-rationing regulations trigger a chaotic series of events in this satirical comedy set in post-World War II England. The couple's scheme centers on a massive hog which has been illegally raised by a local farmer. Seeing a chance to capitalize on pork's scarcity, the ambitious Joyce Chilvers (Maggie Smith) convinces her mild-mannered husband (Michael Palin) to steal the pig. Unfortunately for the Chilverses, a vigilant food inspector is on duty and determined to stop all such illegal activity. The couple's efforts to hide the pig provide much material for frantic and sometimes grotesque farce. Playwright Alan Bennett's acerbic targets the British class system and the wife's social ambitions. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Directed By
- Malcolm Mowbray
- Written By
- Alan Bennett, Malcolm Mowbray
- Genres
- Art House & International, Comedy, Special Interest
R,
- In Theaters
- Mar 11, 1985 Limited
- Studio
- Island Alive
Critic Reviews
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Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs
A gentle and amusing, very English comedy.
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James Plath, Movie Metropolis
Entertains, but never dazzles or impresses us with its script, performances, or even production design.
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Bill Weber, Slant Magazine
Maggie Smith and Michael Palin hoard a pig in a food-rationed postwar town, and hilarity actually ensues in this largely forgotten gem.
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Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com
Click to read the article.
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Cast
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Michael Palin
as Gilbert Chilvers
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Maggie Smith
as Joyce Chilvers
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Liz Smith
as Mother
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Denholm Elliott
as Dr. Charles Swaby
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John Normington
as Frank Lockwood
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Bill Paterson
as Maurice Wormold
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Anthony Haygarth
as Bernard Sutcliffe
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Alison Steadman
as Mrs. Allardyce
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Pete Postlethwaite
as Nuttol
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Jim Carter
as Inspector Noble
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Rachel Davies
as Mrs. Forbes
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Reece Dinsdale
as P.C. Penny
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Donald Eccles
as Father
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Denys Hawthorne
as Hotel Manager
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Eileen O'Brien
as Mrs. Sutcliff
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Philip Whileman
as Preston
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Elijah Wood
as Ernest
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Charles McKeown
as Medcalf
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David Morgan
as Marvin
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Gilly Coman
as Dorothy
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Lee Daley
as Painter's Boy
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Don Estelle
as Barraclough
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Amanda Gregan
as Veronica
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Josie Lane
as Mrs. Beavers
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Maggie Ollerenshaw
as Woman
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Susan Porrett
as Mrs. Medcalf
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Paula Tilbrook
as Mrs. Turnbull
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Bernard Wrigley
as Painter
- Richard Griffiths
- Tony Haygarth
- Dr. Monica Neagoy
