My House in Umbria (2004)

68% of users liked it
(2,003 ratings)

Adapted from William Trevor's novella of the same name, the made-for-cable My House in Umbria stars Dame Maggie Smith as Mrs. Emily Delahunty, a British romance novelist living in Italy. While on a shopping excursion to Milan, Emily barely survives a terrorist train bombing. Though she recovers… More Adapted from William Trevor's novella of the same name, the made-for-cable My House in Umbria stars Dame Maggie Smith as Mrs. Emily Delahunty, a British romance novelist living in Italy. While on a shopping excursion to Milan, Emily barely survives a terrorist train bombing. Though she recovers fairly rapidly from her ordeal, three others -- a German journalist a British general and a traumatized orphan girl -- still bear profound physical and emotional wounds. In the spirit of democracy and compassion, the pluck Mrs. Delahunty invites her fellow survivors to recuperate at her lavish Italian estate. This ersatz family gets along famously -- at least until the arrival of the orphan's priggish uncle, American entomologist Tom Riversmith (Chris Cooper), who strongly disapproves of Mrs. Delahunty's carefree lifestyle. Filmed on location in Tuscany and Rome, My House in Umbria debuted May 25, 2003, on the HBO cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: Richard Loncraine
Written By: William Trevor, Hugh Whitemore
Genres: Drama, Television, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Nov 28, 2003

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
The scenery in this film is lush, the acting strong. But the material wanders and falters.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
A story about guilt, love and happy endings, My House in Umbria is a delightful and uplifting encounter.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
Thin and uninvolving ... [but] the performances are good in a muted sort of way.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Mark A

Something about this film was just a tad off for this viewer. Maggie Smith as Mrs. Delahunty is faultless, but the story was maybe a little too pat, the treatment a little too sugary, the ending a little too deus ex machina. One expects a little more from a film produced by HBO. This… More
Something about this film was just a tad off for this viewer. Maggie Smith as Mrs. Delahunty is faultless, but the story was maybe a little too pat, the treatment a little too sugary, the ending a little too deus ex machina. One expects a little more from a film produced by HBO. This seemed more suited to Hallmark. Beautiful cinematography, solid pacing, a decent cast, but still something was missing to make this truly enjoyable. I liked it, I just didn't love it.
Joey N

So, I didn't realize this was an HBO movie when I rented it. Chris Cooper is hella annoying in this. Well, his character was annoying, so job well done I guess. The opening scene is awesome, the always watchable Maggie Smith + cool imagery = a winner. But, to me, things got… More
So, I didn't realize this was an HBO movie when I rented it. Chris Cooper is hella annoying in this. Well, his character was annoying, so job well done I guess. The opening scene is awesome, the always watchable Maggie Smith + cool imagery = a winner. But, to me, things got less interesting as it went along. Ultimately, it feels too thin, and not worth the trip. This isn't bad, exactly; but you can pass.
Sunil J

A surprising and interesting story of strangers coming together.