The Wind in the Willows (2006) (TV)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Rachel Talalay

Writers:

Kenneth Grahame (book)
Lee Hall (adaptation)

Release Date:

18 December 2006 (Canada)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Matt Lucas	...	Toad
Mark Gatiss	...	Rat
Lee Ingleby	...	Mole
Bob Hoskins	...	Badger
Imelda Staunton	...	Barge Lady
Jim Carter	...	Engine Driver
Anna Maxwell Martin	...	Gaoler's Daughter
Mary Walsh	...	Washerwoman
Michael Murphy	...	Judge
Alex MacQueen	...	Clerk
Emil Hostina	...	Mr. Tweed
Alexandra Pirici	...	Mrs. Tweed
Radu Andrei Micu	...	Chief Weasel
Andrei Avrinte	...	Hedgehog
Christian Vlad	...	Hedgehog

Also Known As:

Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

UK:99 min

Country:

UK | Canada | Romania

Language:

English

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-7

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Box TV

Goofs:

Continuity: When Toad steals the horse from the Barge woman, the horse has no saddle. When Toad is thrown from the horse moments later, the horse has a saddle.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Headless Horseman (1934)

Utterly charming,

A friend of mine was kind enough to burn me a DVD from the BBC-TV presentation, and send it to me in America. I was delighted, as I had been looking forward to it for some time and took for granted it would not come to the US.

I was not disappointed. This film is completely wonderful, from the saturated colors of the landscapes to the marvelously witty and creative camera work, to the absolute perfection of the actors in their roles -- each one entirely believable as the creature he was meant to be. Mark Gatiss' Rat was a bit underplayed--it was only on second viewing that I became aware of the subtleties of his performance: the little ratlike twitches of the nose and the occasional baring of the teeth. Bob Hoskins gave a solid, workmanlike performance as Badger, and of course Matt Lucas' Toad fairly stole the show.

But the absolute revelation of the film was Lee Ingleby as Mole. Somehow in watching him I was able to see two presences on screen at the same time: the full-scale human and a tiny shadowy creature of delicacy, timidity and great vulnerability. The humble little Mole, so earnest and willing to please, is of course the center and the heart of the story, and Ingleby brought him to life with extraordinary grace, sensitivity and humor. His parting line, "Perhaps there's room in the world for all sorts of creatures" (paraphrased) is a lesson to be lived by even today.

This is not the "Wind in the Willows" you grew up with. This is live actors in limited make-up, breathing life into the characters through their own talent, rather than through special effects. (Though there are a few of those too, and quite clever ones at that.) As soon as a commercial release of the DVD became available (March 26), I bought it. My first copy was well-worn long before then.