In early November, the film was offered to United States distributors at the annual American Film Market (512 November), with two showings announced, and in early February 2009, Miramax bought the United States rights. By creating an account, you agree to the You can buy "Dean Spanley" on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu as download or rent it on Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Apple iTunes, Vudu online. Lawrence of Arabia legend Peter O'Toole plays a stiff upper lip Englishman whose frosty relationship with his son warms after hearing an extraordinary tale of reincarnation from Reverend Dean Spanley (Sam Neill). As the story unfolds, Fisk Junior comes to understand his father's background better and the two draw closer. Very good. The scene is packed with incidental detail, one train of which leads to Henslowe becoming fascinated with Spanley whom he lures with bottles of a rare imperial Tokay (obtained from Wrather) to a series of dinners. One day the younger man encounters Dean Spanley (Neill), who after two glasses of his favorite Tokay sweet wine, relates his recollections of a past life as a dog named Wag. Synopsis [9][10] Dean Spanley (2008) Summary News Box Office International Video Sales Full Financials Cast & Crew Trailer Metrics Movie Details Quick Links DEG Watched at Home Top 20 Netflix Daily I've known of it for some time, watched the movie twice, and purchased a copy of the hardback a year prior to writing this. Let us know whats wrong with this preview of, Published They culminate in the revelation that, when plied with Tokay, Spanley is the reincarnation of a Victorian spaniel called Wag, and ultimately the O'Toole character re-examines his past, challenges his natural scepticism, and establishes a new relationship with his son. "Dean Spanley" is the kind of film that emerges when a government agency -- the New Zealand Film Commission in this case -- and other regional development funds put together a relatively low-budget project where no one has to worry about commercial appeal. This is an elegant fantasy about a man who was once a dog. Set in Edwardian England where upper lips are always stiff and men from the Colonies are not entirely to be trusted, Fisk Senior has little time or affection for his son, but when the pair visit an eccentric Indian, they start a strange journey //]]>, Be the first to ask a question about My Talks With Dean Spanley. PG (Some Thematic Material|Mild Language), Comedy, I highly recommend the movie, "Dean Spanley", but not the book. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Cinemark The ice breaking relationship of a father and son relating to reincarnation. The movie is much better. I watched a mesmerizing video a few nights ago, a 2008 movie titled "Dean Spanley," starring Jeremy Northam, Peter O'Toole, Sam Neill, and Bryan Brown. Strange, the Fisk familys faithful spaniel was named Wag. Dean Spanley was funded by the New Zealand Film Commission and has nothing particularly to do with us. Terms and Policies 1996-2022, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Dean, though, is no ordinary guest. Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! The United Kingdom general release was announced by Icon Distribution for 12 December, and a "U" classification issued by the British Board of Film Classification. 2. 2023 JustWatch - All external content remains the property of the rightful owner. TORONTO Where is Monty Pythons Flying Circus when you really need that comedy group? In what earthly way could this tale connect father and son? Post your comments below. All Rights Reserved. The novella was optioned from the Dunsany Will Trust through Curtis Brown of London by Alan Sharp. Believing in the adage "In vino veritas" he plies the Dean with wine. Offbeat, whimsical, period-set shaggy dog story with daffy performances from Sam Neill and Peter O'Toole. Based on one of the lesser known works by writer and dramatist Edward Plunkett (better known as fantasy pioneer Lord Dunsany), this delightful shaggy dog story deals with an eccentric cleric who believes he had a past life as a canine. This delightful and amusing and extremely well-written little novel is the tale of an earnest and somewhat odd fellow seeking to learn more about reincarnation. Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Jurassic Park Movies Ranked By Tomatometer, Golden Tomato Awards: Best Movies & TV of 2022, 10 WTF Horror Movies to Watch if You Loved M3GAN. It included the film screenplay, set photos, publicity stills and interviews and comments from the cast, director, producers and crew members. Synopsis. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. There they chat with a vicar and a soldier of fortune; dinner follows. You're almost there! Set in Edwardian England, the film is based on an Alan Sharp adaptation of Irish author Lord Dunsany's 1936 novella My Talks with Dean Spanley. The adapted screenplay was written by Alan Sharp, with clearance from the Dunsany Literary Estate. Edwardian era tale told in the third person. In 1930s London, gentleman Fisk (Northam) attends a lecture about reincarnation with his father. Birthday: Nov 13, 1952. Each features in a supporting role an outsize performance as a lovable eccentric by an actor who has been dubbed a national treasure - Peter O'Toole in Dean Spanley, Helen Mirren in Inkheart. The films narrator, Henslowe Fisk (Northam), and his aged father Horatio (OToole) lost Henslowes brother in the Boer War and then his mother to grief. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. I'm glad I finally read this novel by Dunsany. Summaries. A first person narrative of a man who meets Dean Spanley, an elder minister, at his club and discovers the Dean has a strong belief in Reincarnation. I wanted to read it because of the film, but the two are different works. And every man, it seems, should have a dog. [1] Peter O'Toole said that the film's use of comedy to explore the relationship between a father and son was part of the attraction for him: "All of us have had these difficult familial relationships and I think it's a film for all of us who understand the relationship between a father and son. A chance third meeting leads to an introduction. Highest Rated: 88% Dean Spanley (2008) Lowest Rated: Not Available. Working with his clever friend Wrather (Bryan Brown), an Australian "conveyancer", Fisk secures a batch of Tokay and the two entertain the Dean, who acts ever more strangely, starting to reveal memories of his previous life as a Welsh Spaniel. Over glasses of Hungarian Tokay, the vicar, Dean Spanley, tells a story of friendship, freedom, and reincarnation. [12][13] However, rather than opening in theatres in the U.S., it went straight to cable. PG. I highly recommend the movie, "D. The movie is much better. There is much, much more to the movie than this, and it is qui. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". [2] Support for the production came from both English (Screen East) and New Zealand (NZ Film Commission) government agencies, with financing completed by Aramid Entertainment, General Film Corporation and Lipsync Productions. Coming Soon. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. New Zealand playwright-turned-director Toa Fraser has made a fine fist of adapting the curious, titular 1930s book by idiosyncratic Anglo-Irish writer Third parties use cookies for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalised ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. This includes using first- and third-party cookies, which store or access standard device information such as a unique identifier. Background choir music was provided by the 30-voice New Zealand choir Musica Sacra.[8]. Offbeat, whimsical, period-set shaggy dog story with daffy performances from Sam Neill and Peter O'Toole. Coming Soon. Enduring his cantankerous father (Peter O'Toole), Fisk invites the Dean to dinner and listens to the strange stories of his past life as a dog. But it is the story itself that makes Spanley so marvellous. Fantasy, Comedy. Trevor Johnston has written, "If you read the original story before seeing the film , then see the film, whats striking is that Sharp has not so much effected an adaptation as a reinvention."[3]. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. But it is anintelligent, kind and gentle movie, with a lovely tale and a message about the glories of dogs and baying at the Moon. if(!d.getElementById(id)) {js=d.createElement(s); By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Privacy Policy Dean Spanley enjoys the aroma of the wine and wishes that at times like this, "one could possess the olfactory senses of the canine." Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. Hoping to find scientific proof of the transmigration of souls if he can get Dean Spanley to talk, the narrator invites him to dinner. After drinking Tokay, the dean becomes animated and chatty but the subject matter is confusing to Henslowe. A first person narrative of a man who meets Dean Spanley, an elder minister, at his club and discovers the Dean has a strong belief in Reincarnation. Later the same day Fisk Junior encounters the Dean at his father's club. Stay up-to-date on all the latest Rotten Tomatoes news! Summaries. There they meet Dean Spanley (Sam Neill), a dignified Trollopian cleric, and a crafty Australian businessman, Wrather (Bryan Brown). The scene is packed with incidental detail, one train of which leads to Henslowe becoming fascinated with Spanley whom he lures with bottles of a rare imperial Tokay (obtained from Wrather) to a series of dinners. The narrative is called "a surreal period comedic tale of canine reincarnation exploring the relationships between father and son and master and dog". This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie Preferences, as described in the Cookie Notice. , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. One of my favorite dog stories (one of my favorite stories, period). This Christmas we've been spared any film set in Santa Claus's Lapland toy factory starring Tim Allen as a jovial Santa and Will Ferrell as a resentful elf. It's the favourite tipple of one Dean Spanley (Sam Neill), an enigmatic clergyman who becomes a focus of interest to Henslowe Fisk (Jeremy Northam), the story's narrator. Just confirm how you got your ticket. Dean, though, is no ordinary guest. Dean Spanley will never be a box office sensation and it will not necessarily appeal to all. There is much, much more to the movie than this, and it is quite unforgettable. by Collins. Fisk Junior, initially intrigued by the Dean's oddly open-minded views on reincarnation, is prompted to look beyond the Dean's appearance (that of an affable, rather bland clergyman) by his weakness for certain peculiar sensations produced by Hungarian Imperial Tokay wine, which leads him into a dreamlike state. In Ireland it was certified "G" and was released on the same date. It continued at Holkham Hall in Norfolk[4] and Elveden Hall in Suffolk, once home to and remodelled for the last Maharajah of Punjab in the years just before the film's setting. His son Henslowe (Jeremy Northam), whom he calls young Fisk, always visits him on Thursdays; dinner is invariably hotpot and he refuses to allow his housekeeper, Mrs Brimley (Judy Parfitt), to vary the menu. Start by marking My Talks With Dean Spanley as Want to Read: Error rating book. A region-2 DVD was released in 2009. Dean Spanley is based on a short story by Lord Dunsany and as with most short stories, the plot turns on circumstances which create a single but profound change -in this case, in the inner life Only he ran off and never returned. It's been interesting watching how variou with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. But, since the dean is close-mouthed about this, how to get him to talk about it? PG. On an outing to pass an idle afternoon, they attend a lecture by an Indian swami on 'The Transmigration of Souls', where the question of dogs being reincarnated as humans arises. 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