Brideshead Revisited (2008)

62% of critics liked it
(127 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(21,246 ratings)

Evelyn Waugh's classic novel of love and the British class system has been given a polished screen adaptation in this film version from director Julian Jarrold. The tale opens during WWII, when Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode), an English military officer, is stationed at a country estate that has been… More Evelyn Waugh's classic novel of love and the British class system has been given a polished screen adaptation in this film version from director Julian Jarrold. The tale opens during WWII, when Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode), an English military officer, is stationed at a country estate that has been converted into a military base. Jarrold uses this time-frame and setting as a framing device, and then flashes back in time to Charles' days as a scholar in the 1920s. It becomes clear that he was raised in a middle-class household; though he was fortunate enough to have been accepted into Oxford, he doesn't belong to the British upper crust. At Oxford, Charles strikes up a friendship with twentysomething Lord Sebastian (Ben Whishaw). Charles is captivated by the splendor of Sebastian's life at his family's Brideshead Castle, and he finds himself drawn into a web of decadent comfort. For Sebastian, though, the familial estate represents a prison from which he longs to escape, and in desperation, he hits the bottle. Charles develops an infatuation with Sebastian's sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell), but also senses that his bond with Sebastian may be something far deeper than simple friendship. Also present at Brideshead is Sebastian and Julia's mother, Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson), an ice water-veined woman still reeling from her abandonment some time prior at the hands of her husband. Though bitter, the matriarch perceives Charles as an emotional anchor for the increasingly unstable Sebastian, and therefore suggests that Charles join Sebastian and Julia on a trip to see their father (Michael Gambon) and his mistress (Greta Scacchi) in Venice. Unfortunately, the romantic bond between Charles and Julia deepens, which threatens to destroy Sebastian. This feature constitutes the second major version of Brideshead Revisited to reach viewers; an earlier, 11-hour miniseries adaptation ran on television in 1981. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 14 min.
Directed By: Julian Jarrold
Written By: Jeremy Brock, Andrew Davies
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jul 25, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Jan 13, 2009
Studio: Miramax Films

Critic Reviews

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle
What's missing from Goode's performance and from the film as whole is the layer upon layer of accumulated motive -- the gradual evolution of a man's complex desires and even-more-complicated fears.
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
If you're in the market for a veddy British drama and miss seeing Emma Thompson in her natural environment, Brideshead Revisited is a worthwhile two-hour meditation on faith (and the lack thereof).
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
Yes, it's a compressed version, but I found it very enjoyable.
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
If it's a choice between the movie's 135 minutes or the 659 minutes of the miniseries, I'd say it's no choice at all. The shorter version is the one that seems long.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
The saga ultimately lacks the emotional wallop of the TV version. But its clever writing, strong performances and sumptuous production design make for a rich experience nonetheless.
Susan Walker, Toronto Star
Director Julian Jarrold and writers Jeremy Brock and Andrew Davies have not surpassed their predecessors, but neither have they done any lasting damage with their interpretation of the 1945 novel.
Fernando F. Croce, Slant Magazine
Tepid
Mike Scott, Times-Picayune
A bleak and often befuddling 2-hour-15-minute disappointment.
Simon Weaving, Screenwize
slow and beautiful, rather than intense, dramatic and insightful
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
it still has the high-class dramatic feel you'd expect from something you would have watched on PBS twenty years ago
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views
Occasionally interesting, always beautiful and regularly tedious, the film attempts to capture a time and a feeling yet it ultimately fails to provide the depth needed to make it wholly successful.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
In the end, you're torn between praising the atmosphere and performances and lamenting the second-act sag.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
Extras on the disc include a full length audio commentary, a set of deleted scenes, and a featurette on the making of the film.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
Certainly passable, but less than spectacular, Brideshead Revisited is an authentic and decent adaptation of a well-known novel, but nothing more.
Karina Montgomery, Cinerina
The events in the film felt rushed and overly obvious, as if Harry Potter's adopted parents dressed him in an "Ask me about wizardry" t-shirt before Hagrid ever turned up.
Evan Williams, The Australian
Those with warm memories of the BBC television serial in the 1980s will find much in this Brideshead to enjoy.
Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald
Even if the material is familiar, even if it has been done well before, there is room in a great book for a new interpretation.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Carlos M

Not spectacular, but an interesting drama with good performances and a strong story about family, religion and faith that may leave you thinking about it long after the film is over.
jay n

Dull, slow moving but visually beautiful. Uncharismatic leads are blown off the screen whenever Emma Thompson is on, displaying her range by playing a markedly different character than usual and as always doing it masterfully. Once she's gone from the scene its just pretty… More
Dull, slow moving but visually beautiful. Uncharismatic leads are blown off the screen whenever Emma Thompson is on, displaying her range by playing a markedly different character than usual and as always doing it masterfully. Once she's gone from the scene its just pretty pictures with people you neither really like or care about.
Jeremy S

Gruesome Hatchet Job of My Favourite Novel. "Utterly Macarbe".
Mason W

Brideshead Revisited is a lovely period piece drama set in 1920's UK. The very talented actress Emma Thopmson palys the matriarch of a very wealthy family whom owns Brideshead. A young msn named Chrales Ryder becomes friends with the son of this family and quickly gets entangled… More
Brideshead Revisited is a lovely period piece drama set in 1920's UK. The very talented actress Emma Thopmson palys the matriarch of a very wealthy family whom owns Brideshead. A young msn named Chrales Ryder becomes friends with the son of this family and quickly gets entangled in the intrique of this family and home. This movie is worthy of seeing. A very well suited cast and well done by all.
Sarah G

Year: 2008 Director: Julian Jarrold Country: UK Genre: Drama Stars: Emma Thompson, Matthew Goode, Hayley Atwell, Ben Whishaw Based on Evelyn Waugh's 1945 classic British novel,… More
Year: 2008 Director: Julian Jarrold Country: UK Genre: Drama Stars: Emma Thompson, Matthew Goode, Hayley Atwell, Ben Whishaw Based on Evelyn Waugh's 1945 classic British novel, Brideshead Revisited is a poignant story of forbidden love and the loss of innocence set in England prior to the Second World War. 2008 is almost drawing to a close and my next film to watch at the cinema was Brideshead Revisited. A film which was a re-working of a TV series and a novel. Both I haven?t seen, so I went into the film with a relatively open mind. Read many negative reviews, commenting on the lack of plot and one which is slightly constrained in it. To be perfectly honest I seemed to have watched a different film entirely to many people. Brideshead Revisited is a brilliant film indeed and wonderfully made. The film opens up with Charles?s narration, which is the centre of the film. With beautiful opening in World war 2, giving us an indication of what's to come. Perhaps there could have been more emphasises on Charles?s background as a soldier, little more about his personality after everything at Brideshead and him as an older man. Perhaps that could have given us as audience a little more to work with, in terms of adding meaning to his character and working out what kind of a man he is now. I would also like to have seen more build up to his relationship with Sebastian and Julia, giving us time to understand each character better. But for some unknown reason the fact that wasn?t done works and becomes a very enjoyable film. Acting, In Brideshead Revisited is perhaps one of the strong points of the film. Emma Thompsons excels as lady Marchmain, with enough repression and awkward expressions to create a great performance. Most likely she?ll be considered for an Oscar in January?s nominations and no doubt receive a BAFA nomination this year. Ben Whishaw was absolutely marvellous to watch as Sebastian Flyte, totally different to roles that I have seen him in and hopefully more to come. I hope he gets some kind of recognition at the BAFTAS this year, perhaps a best actor nomination but he?ll probably most likely get unnoticed. Matthew Goode seems to me to be the perfect actor for the role, who is just an absolute delight to watch on screen. I hope to see more of him in future roles. Also worth mentioning Michael Gambon as Lord Marchaim in a supporting role. The film draws upon class very slightly. As Sebastian?s family draws in the middle class Charles into an awkward world of the Marchmains? Catholic faith. Charles soon learns of the Marchmain?s faith almost eating many of the films up insider, so to speak. Sebastian?s constant drinking is a reflection of strong Catholic upbringing that he and Sister Julia had. The film depicts the downside of faith that can happen, often not depicted in many films. More to follow......
Alice S

Sensual and scandalous. Goode, Wishaw, and Atwell are captivating! A little long, but religious themes are nicely done...I guess.
Rico Z

This was a stand-out film in terms of production value. The story is all-too-familiar for those who are acquainted with the characters from the PBS series...but the lush production mounted and filmed is worth the trip to the cinema. Much like last year's Atonement, Brideshead… More
This was a stand-out film in terms of production value. The story is all-too-familiar for those who are acquainted with the characters from the PBS series...but the lush production mounted and filmed is worth the trip to the cinema. Much like last year's Atonement, Brideshead Revisited relies heavily on its countryside palacial scope of its setting. Sumptuous cinematography, costume design and lighting all make for a very beautiful picture. On the acting side, all are respectable--but it's Emma Thompson who really stands out as the iron-fisted matron of Brideshead. Her disdain oozes with every back-handed compliment or shred of seemingly civil dialogue spoken by her character. The story of unrequited love-lost is classic and plays out like a typical Merchant Ivory epic--although this technically isn't one. Definitely worth seeing on the big screen. A solid period piece despite its sad attempt to market it as something more contemporary and along the lines of a cheesy sequel to Cruel Intentions. That it is, most definitely, not.
Mark H

Beautifully filmed and acted, pre-WWII drama about the eccentricities of the young British aristocracy. Evelyn Waugh's acclaimed novel is nicely condensed, and will hold your attention throughout.
William D

[size=3]I must confess, I have not read Evelyn Waugh's 1945 novel "Brideshead Revisited" nor have I seen the legendary television mini-series based on it. Thus I attended director [b]Julian Jarrold[/b]'s new feature-film adaptation as a Brideshead virgin. My… More
[size=3]I must confess, I have not read Evelyn Waugh's 1945 novel "Brideshead Revisited" nor have I seen the legendary television mini-series based on it. Thus I attended director [b]Julian Jarrold[/b]'s new feature-film adaptation as a Brideshead virgin. My conclusion: I don't know what all the fuss has been about.[/size] [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/67/Brideshead_revisited.jpg[/img] [size=3]I found the film, starring [b]Ben Whishaw[/b] as a gay libertine cast out of the British aristocracy and [b]Emma Thompson[/b] as his authoritarian mother, to be not much more than soap opera. It reeks of television, and not the best television of the year. (Jarrold is a long-time television director who began directing feature films only a few years ago. Once a TV director always a TV director, I suppose.) [/size] [size=3]There are elements that hint at how much better the film could have been, especially the performance from Whishaw, which at times has very rich, deep resonances. But every other performance, particularly the painfully shallow one from co-star [b]Matthew Goode [/b]as the aristocrat's bourgeois love interest, is television-thin. Even Ms. Thompson is two-dimensional as the icy matron. [/size] [size=3]It would be a compliment to say that Goode's performance was two-dimensional; I'd describe it as zero-dimensional. Not for a second did I understand why his character was drawn to the ultra-fey aristocrat. Either Goode is incapable of exhibiting passion, or he got terrible advice from the director. Later in the film, Goode's character shifts his attention to the aristocrat's sister; here again he's as cold as a fish. Goode is just horrendous.[/size] [size=3]In one of the most brutally hilarious turns of phrase I've seen in a movie review this year, A.O. Scott writes the following of Goode: "Mr. Goode shows all the charisma of a stalk of boiled asparagus molded into the likeness of Jeremy Irons." Irons originated the role in the 1980s mini-series. [/size] [size=3][Quote from New York Times, July 25.][/size] [img]http://stylebubble.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/02/bhscreenshot2.jpg[/img] [size=3]I'm certain that the novel was revolutionary in its time, brazenly defying the rule that homosexuality was never to be mentioned. But homophobia has been so thoroughly undermined since then, that such content now is more quaint than defiant. Contemporary filmmakers have no difficulty depicting old-time racism in a way that captures the terror. But depictions of old-time homophobia always seem oddly faint, like a dream we can only vaguely remember. The drama does not come through. It certainly does not in this version of "Brideshead."[/size] [size=3]But homophobia is not the core of the story. Whishaw's character, Sebastian, is not just terrorized because he's gay. He's at odds with his mother in all sorts of ways. Sebastian's heterosexual sister (played adequately by [b]Hayley Atwell[/b]) is also tormented by the mother, and the sister's life is destroyed almost as completely as Sebastian's. The root of the problem is Mum's tyrannical approach to everything. [/size] [img]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/graphics/2008/05/29/ftbrides129.jpg[/img] [size=3]For some strange reason, Waugh made the mother an arch-Catholic, and Catholicism plays a central role in the story (at least it does in this film version). Every time the mother's religious devotion is brought up, the audience is reminded that she's not just a Christian but a [i]Catholic[/i] Christian. The word "Catholic" appears almost 50 times in the screenplay, and each time it was uttered I winced. I could not understand the point of continually drawing attention to the [i]denomination[/i] to which the mother subscribed. I felt I was watching a 1930s film about Jews. Catholics are presented as a strange type of person set apart from others -- their own species.[/size] [size=3]From what I've read, Waugh actually converted to Catholicism, which surprises me because the screenplay reads like an anti-Catholic screed. Waugh perhaps had as much strange psychological baggage bound up with religion as Mel Gibson does today. That would no doubt interest Waugh's psychoanalyst, but it doesn't make the man's fiction interesting. It makes it strange and overwrought (like Gibson's movies).[/size] [size=3]Putting the weird Catholic theme aside, perhaps the suffocating emotional quality of this family was intended to be a metaphor for the dying out of Britain's aristocracy and the complete triumph of the bourgeoisie, with Goode's character representing the upper middle class. If so, that kind of symbolism strikes me as thick and ponderous. It doesn't say much to me about life or history. Perhaps in more talented hands than Julian Jarrold's it might have.[/size] [size=3]I for the most part put my disappointments aside while watching the film and tried just to enjoy the soap opera, which was engaging. (Will Sebastian ever find love? Will he come back to England before his mother dies?) I also reveled in t[/size][size=3]he gorgeousness of the production. The costumes are other-worldly, and the great mansion where much of the film was shot will give you goose bumps. It made me dream of the 18th century. [/size] [size=3]************************[/size] [size=3]The most meaningful thing about this film by far is [b]Ben Whishaw[/b], whom I first saw in the wildly innovative and terribly overlooked "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" (2006). Whishaw recently completed filming on a project where he plays Romantic poet John Keats opposite Abbie Cornish, another stunning new talent. The film's tentative title is "Bright Star" and was directed by Jane Campion ("The Piano"). It is due for a 2009 release. I cannot wait for it.[/size]
Walter M

"Brideshead Revisited" starts in the 1920's as Charles Ryder(Matthew Goode) attends Oxford University as a first year history student. His cousin Jasper(Richard Teverson) gives him a tour around campus, informs him of the social rules and advises him to move his room… More
"Brideshead Revisited" starts in the 1920's as Charles Ryder(Matthew Goode) attends Oxford University as a first year history student. His cousin Jasper(Richard Teverson) gives him a tour around campus, informs him of the social rules and advises him to move his room from the ground floor. At which point, if on cue, Sebastian Flyte(Ben Whishaw) barges in and vomits on his floor. He apologizes profusely and he and Charles become good friends quickly, Sebastian even taking his poorer friend to the family home, Brideshead, for a quick visit. As they are leaving, Charles glances at Sebastian's sister Julia(Hayley Atwell) for a second. Ten years later, Charles will be a successful painter, encountering Julia while returning from abroad. "Brideshead Revisited" is an engaging, well-photographed and handsomely produced period piece. Surprisingly, the emphasis is not on class divisions, as Charles and Sebastian both have trouble fitting in with their respective families. What it comes down to is religion but not a specific belief system, just the severity of it, for there is a good deal of difference between the Catholicism practiced by Sebastian's mother(Emma Thompson) and the looser version observed in Italy. Even Brideshead cannot escape this influence, as it reminds me of a beautifully decorated mausoleum which would explain why the Flyte children thrive once they are away from it, especially considering Sebastian's attraction to other men. And the Flyte household is not the only inflexible entity, as Charles' atheism can be just as bad as any religious belief. Note: I should mention that I have not seen the 1981 miniseries of the same name. Maybe when I retire...
Daniel P

Akin to a "Cliff Notes" version of the rightly loved TV series adapted from a treasured novel, Julian Jarrold's Brideshead Revisited is not a patch on either sources, removing the complexities of the relationships between Charles, Sebastian and Julia… More
Akin to a "Cliff Notes" version of the rightly loved TV series adapted from a treasured novel, Julian Jarrold's Brideshead Revisited is not a patch on either sources, removing the complexities of the relationships between Charles, Sebastian and Julia and thus the emotional core. The three leads, Matthew Goode especially, are excellent and try their best to bring charisma and texture to rather thinly sketched characters, and the solid cinematography and impressive music score are plusses, but it was crazy to try cramming everything into a 130 minute movie and in the end the screenplay's failure is to the ultimate detriment of the film.
meril l

One of the best movies of 2008. Once again proves that Britain does film and TV better than anywhere else; exquisite acting, score, UNBELIEVABLE cinematography and LOCATIONS. A very good adaptation of the book; the story is very significant and layered, and the screenplay does it… More
One of the best movies of 2008. Once again proves that Britain does film and TV better than anywhere else; exquisite acting, score, UNBELIEVABLE cinematography and LOCATIONS. A very good adaptation of the book; the story is very significant and layered, and the screenplay does it justice (of course, it's Andrew Davies). Makes me want to find a job working on period dramas in Britain. Inspiring. I'm in love with Matthew Goode.
Andrew F

I have never read the novel Brideshead Revisited or watched the acclaimed BBC miniseries, so maybe I can't appreciate this movie properly, but I enjoyed this tale of betrayal and lust. The standout performances for me were Emma Thompson (of course) and Matthew… More
I have never read the novel Brideshead Revisited or watched the acclaimed BBC miniseries, so maybe I can't appreciate this movie properly, but I enjoyed this tale of betrayal and lust. The standout performances for me were Emma Thompson (of course) and Matthew Goode, the star. I do wish they would have gone all-out in this film and made it R-rated material, though.
William G

An engaging enough British manor melodrama that grows somewhat disjointed in its rushed second half.
Juli R

A British period drama, with Emma Thompson, who never disappoints.
Alice S

I don't know the book and I never saw the tv series, so I can't compare, but I found this movie just perfect. It is slow, but that's one of its charms, time goes slowly over Brideshead and the people connected to it, and so few seem to change. Sebastian's wish is… More
I don't know the book and I never saw the tv series, so I can't compare, but I found this movie just perfect. It is slow, but that's one of its charms, time goes slowly over Brideshead and the people connected to it, and so few seem to change. Sebastian's wish is that time could stop and always be summer at Brideshead. Somehow, it comes true: they all look like ripen fruits waitting to be gathered.
David S

Left me cold I'm afraid. Haven't seen the original TV series (although my wife has and says that the film is rubbish compared to it!) or read the book but this hasn't inspired me to look at either. Probably not a good place to start if you've always been interested… More
Left me cold I'm afraid. Haven't seen the original TV series (although my wife has and says that the film is rubbish compared to it!) or read the book but this hasn't inspired me to look at either. Probably not a good place to start if you've always been interested in checking the story out.
Sunil J

Would have liked to see a little more of Emma Thompson but it was a pretty good story of a love triangle and of wanting to go back to happier times.
Daisy M

Evelyn Waugh's classic novel of love and the British class system has been given a polished screen adaptation in this film version from director Julian Jarrold. Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) was raised in a middle-class household and though he's never known want and is… More
Evelyn Waugh's classic novel of love and the British class system has been given a polished screen adaptation in this film version from director Julian Jarrold. Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) was raised in a middle-class household and though he's never known want and is fortunate enough to have been accepted into Oxford, the life of the upper class is foreign to him. While serving in the British Army during the waning days of World War II, Charles is assigned to a temporary base set up on the estate of the wealthy and aristocratic Flyte family, where he strikes up a friendship with twentysomething Lord Sebastian (Ben Whishaw). Sebastian enjoys the pleasures his privileged life has afforded him, but he also senses that something is missing, and he tries to drown his frequent episodes of depression in alcohol. Charles is captivated by the splendor of Sebastian's life, and he finds himself drawn into a web of decadent comfort, while also developing an infatuation with Sebastian's sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell), even as Charles senses his relationship with Sebastian is something deeper than simple friendship. The idyllic days at the Flyte estate come to an end with the arrival of Sebastian's mother, Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson), a fierce Catholic who objects to her son's free and easy life and has become increasingly bitter since her husband, Lord Marchmain (Michael Gambon), has left her to live in Italy with the lovely Cara (Greta Scacchi). <a href="http://s420.photobucket.com/albums/pp286/ladypink_2009/?action=view&current=bride.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i420.photobucket.com/albums/pp286/ladypink_2009/bride.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> The plot of the film involves the attraction of Charles to both Julia and Sebastian, the importance of art in a world of rich, and--in this movie--the effects of intense faith. Charles has a genuine desire to be an artist, but that's the only positive attribute that we see. Sebastian is drunk most of the time, and cynical whether drunk of sober. Julia is attractive, especially in the early scenes. Emma Thompson is, as always, fascinating to watch and to hear. However, the character she plays is rigid, cold., and fanatical, so there is no way you can like or admire her in this movie. If you like British tales of class and religion, or period films, this one is not a letdown. It is nothing new, but nothing terrible either. I recommend it if this is your sort of thing, (atonement) the other Boleyn girl)? then you will like this. 4 stars <a href="http://s420.photobucket.com/albums/pp286/ladypink_2009/?action=view&current=2008_brideshead_revisited_0091.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i420.photobucket.com/albums/pp286/ladypink_2009/2008_brideshead_revisited_0091.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>