Ben Miles, James Murray, Jane Wheldon, Keeley Hawes, Richard Leaf ...( see more  see more... ) , Steve Pemberton , Terry Mortimer , Tom Georgeson , Tony Haygarth

Adapted from Thomas Hardy's novel, this charming tale follows schoolteacher Fancy Day (Keeley Hawes), who returns to the bucolic English hamlet of Melstock to look after her ailing father. To no one's...( read more  read more... ) surprise, three disparate suitors -- blue-collar bloke Dick Dewy (James Murray), crass but wealthy landowner Mr. Shiner (Steve Pemberton) and the ambitious Parson Maybold (Ben Miles) -- are soon courting the young beauty. Which man will she choose?

Flixster Users

85% liked it

414 ratings

PG

Directed by: Nicholas Laughland

Release Date: April 23, 2006

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: April 25, 2006

Stats: 69 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating

Flixster Reviews (69)


  • October 31, 2009
    this movie is adapted from Thomas Hardy's novel under the same title (i watched it after i saw Tess of the D'Urbervilles 2008 mini-series which is also based on one of his novels which was great but so sad and depressing so i came in this film expecting it to be sad too but it wa...( read more)s the opposite) so Under the Greenwood Tree is actually a nice and light story of a woman who's liked by three men but only one of them truly loves her... a regular movie with average acting but still it's a good movie to watch.
  • September 5, 2009
    A wonderful little story, with so many twists and turns that you don't even know who the heroine will marry in the end. As it turns out, she marries the man that we were hoping she'd marry all along. A somewhat different period film, but well worth the watch.
  • June 12, 2009
    Although adapted from a novel by Thomas Hardy, the rather dour, naturalistic and pessimistic author of "Tess of the d'Urbervilles", "Under the Greenwood Tree" begins like a Dickens Christmas story (complete with fake snow) and feels throughout like an episode of the British TV se...( read more)ries "Lark Rise to Candleford", even sharing one of its main actors, Ben Miles, as Parson Maybold.

    The story is what one might call a "love pentagon", in which a charming and educated young lady (Keeley Hawes of "Ashes to Ashes" fame) comes to the small town of Mellstock in the mid-Victorian era and is wooed by the three most eligible local bachelors: a fat and old but gentle and rich land-owner; a rather shy vicar who promises her the world (and especially Venice); and an attractive but uneducated young entrepreneur, who is himself more or less romantically involved with a farm girl.

    As in "Lark Rise to Candleford", the film has a pleasant rural atmosphere and deals with generally positive emotions, but it also seemed rather shallow, perhaps more so than the original novel, though Hardy is said to have written his prose for money, and may not have been the deepest of novelists. The undercurrent of anti-Christianity is also stronger than in "Lark Rise", with the choir drinking or dozing off in church, or showing up completely drunk and sleeping through the whole service. The Parson is also shown as a slightly unpleasant autocrat who refuses to take anybody's advice and tramples on people's feelings in the name of "progress." Hardy himself was a kind of Hegeliano-Darwinian agnostic with an interest in spiritism, who believed in "the ?unconscious will of the Universe? which progressively grows aware of itself", and whatever Christian influences he was subjected to were either of the Anglican or Baptist variety, so I can't say I felt particularly at home in his worldview.

    As British TV adaptations go, I thought this was rather below average, but since the average is so high, it remains quite good.
  • June 5, 2009
    Charming and more light-hearted then a usual Hardy story with appealing leads.
  • April 17, 2009
    there was so much snogging in this flick for a period drama i was shocked :)
  • April 13, 2009
    A true romantic period drama with two lovable lead characters. A joy to watch!
  • January 29, 2009
    Your average romantic period drama with the standard happy ending. Unfortunately, I wasn't that impressed.
  • September 1, 2008
    what a sweet film about a woman who has three men falling in love with her and she is confused with love or status, its a nice tale with some good actors. interesting and sweet, worth seeing.
  • March 15, 2008
    love it!!!! James Murray is soo gorgeous!!

Critic Reviews


No recent reviews.

Comments


This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Under the Greenwood Tree" !

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

More Like This


This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

Under the Greenwo... : Watch Free on TV


Movie Quizzes


No quizzes for Under the Greenwood Tree. Want to create one?

Video Clips


No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?