1 funny, original and very entertaining
"Cold Comfort Farm" is one of those wonderful films directed by the late, great, John Schlesinger. I only wish that more Americans knew about it! This was actually first broadcast on the BBC and was then brought to movie houses (predominantly, arthouse and independent). It couldn't have been released at a more appropriate time. (I believe it was between 1995 or 1996 when Jane Austen was all the rage.) We had our pick of either the prim and well-polished "Pride and Prejudice," "Sense and Sensibility" or "Emma." Then, there was "Cold Comfort Farm." This film was set in an entirely more modern time period (1920s or 1930s, I believe).
The story revolves around Flora Poste, a young, fashionable orphan who comes to stay with the Starkadder family, and proceeds to turn the family's long-accepted, modest lifestyle on its head. Flora turns matchmaker, housekeeper and so much more in such a short time. Anything considered proper and well-accepted is questioned by the young Ms. Poste, and almost anything is possible when she decides it is!
The cast is great! The wonderful Eileen Atkins, as the matriarch, Judith, has a face only a mother could love, and makes great use of it to her advantage--playing it up to look particularly miserable and long-suffereing. The randy Seth Starkadder, is played by the greasy Rufus Sewell, who will go for a roll in the hay with just about any damsel at any time. Nauseatingly convincing....oy vey! And, let's not forget the appearance put in by the wonderful Sir Ian McKellan.
I believe this film has real cross-over appeal and is definitely not a chick flick. From what I recall, from the demographic of audience members in the theatre that day, both men and women shared some seriously hearty belly laughs over the rich and humorous material. I think it stands the test of time, nearly ten years later. Come on, people! See this film. Spread the word.......
2 "I Saw Something Nasty In The Woodshed!" The Starkadder Fam!
Originally broadcast in 1971, the telly production of Stella Gibbon's 1932 novel, "Cold Comfort Farm" helped to launch the first season of PBS's signature series, "Masterpiece Theatre".
This is a great remake and is director, John Schlessinger's acclaimed 1995 film adaptation starring a TERRIFIC Kate Beckinsale as the recently orphaned, Flora Poste.
Set in the 1930's, in England, Flora writes to all of her relation, hoping someone will take her in as she has no real drive or ambition, save for possibly becoming the next Jane Austen. Flora accepts an offer from The Starkadders Of Cold Comfort Farm in Howling, Sussex. She thinks that she just might like farm life and it might be good for her writing career. However, once she arrives she finds out that the farm has had a curse upon it along with all of the inhabitants, human and animal alike.
The Starkadder family is comprised of Amos & his forelorn wife, Judith, & their two virile & rakish sons, Seth and Reuben. As Flora says, "Highly sexed young men living on farms are always called Seth or Reuben."
Also living at Cold Comfort is a lovely waifish sprite of a cousin, Elfine, the hired help, Adam Lambsbreath, Urk, Rennet & Mrs. Beetle. Also locked in her chambers is an old crusty hermit of a grandmamma, Ada Doom (appropriately named). The Starkadders & the rest of the clan are pure country folk with pure country ways. Their lives being quite primitive in contrast with Flora's.
Flora sets out to change it all though and with some priceless and hilarious scenes ensuing. Flora tries to bring everyone around to a higher common sense and does it with great gusto.
With lines in the film like:
Amos Starkadder: Seth, drain the well. There's a neighbor missing.
Violet: She b'aint worf it Urk, she jus b'aint worf it!
and the two most repeated and beloved lines in the film:
Ada Doom: I saw something nasty in the woodshed! & "There has always been Starkadders on Cold Comfort Farm."
This film is a gem, a fabulous adaptation of the novel and a great and wonderful surprise for it's viewers. A great cast and performances with the great Ian McKellen,Kate Beckinsale, Joanna Lumley, Eileen Atkins and Rufus Sewell. I highly recommend "Cold Comfort Farm"!
Happy Watching!
3 Both amusing and diverting.
This is one of my very favorite little films. Friends come over and want to borrow a DVD and ask - "what's good?" I tell them "Cold Comfort Farm." They invariably return it with high praise and hearty thanks for having turned them on to it. This is a wonderful spoof of Jane Austin, full of indelible characters and performances. Joanna Lumley is divine as Mrs. Smiley. Eileen Atkins (every bit as good here as she was in "Gosford Park"), Ian McKellen and Stephen Fry are wonderfully broad and eccentric. John Schlesinger directed a number of fine films including "Billy Liar," "Darling," "Far From the Madding Crowd" (another favorite of mine), "Midnight Cowboy" (for which he won an Oscar), "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Day of the Locust" and the underrated "Madame Sousatzka." "Cold Comfort Farm" was his final 'great' film and deserves to be acknowledged as such. Don't miss this almost forgotten gem.
4 The questions are not important, the answers are wonderful
I was first attracted to this movie due to the presence of Kate (VAN HELSING, UNDERWORLD) Beckinsale who plays chic London socialite Flora Poste in this wonderful, funny and heart warming adaptation of the 1932 Stella Gibbons novel.
Flora, with dreams of becoming a novelist, moves to the rural countryside to live with her great Aunt and her family on Cold Comfort Farm, a down-on-its-luck farmstead deep in the English countryside. There she encounters a number of wonderful eccentric characters who seem to be living in the past - one of them uses a twig to clean the dishes. Flora sets about lifting the doom and gloom that surrounds the farm and bringing 'enlightenment' to the inhabitants by helping to make their suppressed dreams come true.
What makes this movie so much fun is the characters that Flora encounters, and as with such character-driven movies, the choice of actors is so important. Thankfully some strong caliber acting talent was brought in and they equip themselves wonderfully. From Ian McKellen of the LORD OF THE RING'S trilogy to Rufus (A KNIGHT'S TALE) Sewell the results are exemplary.
Raised for the first ten years of my life on my grandfathers farm on the English-Scottish border, I found the movie a particular delight. Though clearly over-the-top some of the observations of country living (from Gibbons) awakened a strange sense of nostalgia and wondering how life had been for my grandfather back in the 1930s and 1940s.
This is a gem of a movie and I encourage everyone to give this movie a chance.
5 Can't endure a mess
"Cold Comfort Farm," Stella Gibbons' hilarious literary satire, is brought to life in this polished TV adaptation. Faithful to its source but never stuffy, the adaptation is full of solid performances and entertaining subplots and romance, even if it is a bit slow at times.
Flora Poste (Kate Beckinsale) is suddenly orphaned with only 100 pounds a year -- a piddling amount of money in high-society London. She aspires to be the next Jane Austen, and has no skills besides writing. (And given the number of times we hear "golden orb," writing isn't too good either) So she agrees to go live at Cold Comfort Farm. The farm is well-named -- it's dirty, primitive, and broke.
The backwater inhabitants include sex-and-movies-obsessed Seth (Rufus Sewell), hellfire preacher Amos (Ian McKellen), his depressed wife Judith (Eileen Atkins), and the unhinged old Aunt Ada Doom (Sheila Burrell), who "saw something nasty in the woodshed." Not to mention Elfine (Maria Miles), a farm girl in love with a young blueblood. With practicality to spare, Flora sets up love matches, fixes up the family feuds, and tidies up the homestead.
Take some nineteenth century novel's most primitive farms, and plop a practical, thoroughly independent young woman in the middle of it. Add a few dark mysteries -- what are Flora's "rights?" What did Aunt Ada see? -- and you have "Cold Comfort Farm." Stella Gibbons had a subtle, wry sense of humor, and the movie adaptation keeps the spirit alive.
It's lots of fun to see Flora cleaning up house, both literally and figuratively. She keeps trying to arrange everyone's lives so, in the long run, they'll be happy -- while postponing what might make herself happy. The plot moves at a rather slow clip, sprinkled with fun scenes like Elfine's makeover, or Amos's frenetic sermon (complete with graphic descriptions of hell's torments). Not to mention the dozens of funny lines, like Amos's deadpan, "Seth, you drain the well -- there's a neighbor missing."
Kate Beckinsale does a wonderful job as the no-nonsence Flora Poste. She's backed up by good performances: Stephen Fry's obnoxiously overenthusiastic Mr. Mybug, an unwanted suitor of Flora's, and Joanna Lumley as Flora's best pal and bra collector. Ian McKellen is particularly good as a wild-haired hellfire preacher. And Eileen Atkins drifts around in a morbid, pop-eyed stupor as Judith Starkadder.
"Cold Comfort Farm" is jolly good fun, a warm-hearted satire with plenty of excellent acting. Good fun for anyone who likes to poke fun at costume dramas and gothic family secrets.
6 Farm house with a view....
Kate Beckensale might be best remembered for her role in PEARL HARBOR, but I first became aware of her in EMMA. I am very happy to see that CCF has finally been 'uncoupled' from the porm film one used to find for sale with it. I have been replacing my lazer disks one by one as films become available on DVD and had waited for a long while for this DVD.
The film is a gem. Joanna Lumley makes a rather brief appearance although she is pictured on the DVD cover. I suppose Universal Studios thought we Americans might recognize Lumley before Eileen Atkins, who also plays in this film although she was recently seen in COLD MOUNTAIN as the 'old goat woman' or Ian McKellen who played Gandalf in the Ring triogy, or Stephen Fry who played Jeeves in the JEEVES AND WOSTER series.
CCF is funny and sentimental in a British sort of manner. Who else but the British could envision the salvation of one of their own farm oafs as an offer from Hollywood to play in what undoubtedly will be romantic film productions. (Hey, we aren't all boobs who shoot from the lip!!). And, Joanna Lumley is superb as a slightly weird single girl who spends her down time fondling mannequins.
In spite of the tongue and cheek sexual innuendo, I think this film is suitable for family watching. The sly sexy humor is probably over the heads of most American kids. But what do I know, I don't watch American tv, I watch BBC America.
7 An affectionate, funny film
I saw this film soon after its 1995 release and thought it wonderful, all the more so because Kate Beckinsale's interpretation of Flora Poste reminded me very much of my oldest daughter. So I was pleased to see that it has finally come out on DVD; I bought a copy, watched it again, and still think it wonderful.
You should be warned that you may have a hard time understanding what some of the inhabitants of Cold Comfort Farm are saying. However, that's intentional and straight from the novel, where the accents and strange word usages often leave Flora puzzled. Here's an exchange (from the novel) that I believe is reproduced pretty much verbatim in the movie, when Reuben comes in after working out in the fields not long after Flora has started living at Cold Comfort Farm:
========
...After another minute Reuben brought forth the following sentence:
'I ha' scranleted two hundred furrows come five o'clock down i' the bute.'
It was a difficult remark, Flora felt, to which to reply. Was it a complaint? If so, one might say, 'My dear, how too sickening for you!' But then, it might be a boast, in which case the correct reply would be, 'Attaboy!' or more simply, 'Come, that's capital.' Weakly she fell back on the comparativel safe remark:
'Did you?' in a bright interested voice.
========
Speaking of which, the original novel (written in 1932 by Stella Gibbons) is just as wonderful, and the film is a remarkably faithful adaptation, if (understandably) a bit trimmed and modified. I read the book for the first time after watching the DVD release of the movie and was delighted to see that most of the dialog comes straight from the book, including my favorite line (the interchange between Neck, the movie producer, and Aunt Ada), if a bit punched up.
Finally, for the reviewers who are frustrated that we never find out what Ada saw in the woodshed, what wrongs were done to Robert Poste by Amos Starkadder, and what Flora Poste's rights were...well, the novel leaves us pretty much in the dark as well. In the book, Aunt Ada _does_ answer the second question for Flora--though we as readers don't get to hear the answer--and Ada is interrupted before she can answer Flora's intriguing follow up question, "And did the goat die?"
The movie and the book are both delightful; enjoy. ..bruce..
8 "While I'm here, might I make a few changes?"
Cold Comfort Farm is a jolly film that bounces along as merrily as its theme tune. It's a rollicking good comedy with a laugh-out-loud collection of Dickensian characters (the doom-stricken Starkadders, the rustic Adam Lambsbreath, and the upper crust Hawk-Monitors). Certainly the film is very over-the-top and silly, but it's light-hearted fun - a welcome alternative to the glut of psychological, heart-wrenching, blood-and-guts fare on the market.
The Starkadders live on the bleak acres of Cold Comfort Farm, where "the cows are barren and the sows are farren". Into this gloomy and eccentric setting comes young, 1930s-modern Flora Poste, who sets to winning the hearts and minds of Cold Comfort's inhabitants, and dragging the Starkadders into the twentieth century. Along the way she manages to rearrange and enliven her own life too.
Kate Beckinsale (prior to her arrival on the scene of big-budget American flicks) is a likeable and chirpy young lady with a talent for organisation. In the supporting roles, Joanna Lumley is delightfully sarcastic as Flora's incongruously named aunt, Mary Smiling, who has a rather unusual hobby. And Ian McKellen is a real scene-stealer as the fire-and-brimstone preacher of the Church of the Quivering Brethren.
The plot revolves around Great Aunt Ada Doom and the 'narsty' thing she saw in the woodshed nigh on 70 years ago. There is also the mysterious wrong perpetrated on Flora's father by the Starkadders sometime in the dim and misty past. So it is a tad frustrating that the audience is never let in on either of these secrets! But these are minor quibbles in what is otherwise an excellent comedic romp, with some interesting and atmospheric cinematography. A very good (and very British) laugh.
9 The woodshed is the happening place.. lol
It has been years since I saw the movie.. I love it. It is that type of movie that you can watch over and over. It can pick you up when you are down. Oh, I can give a review of how the story is effective to that of the novelist style, but why should I? It has its storyline stereo-types, but it's something that we can relate to and identify with with those around us. It's wonderfully funny. The woodshed adds the special little craziness to a group of people who are very escentric but very loveable. Each character is protrayed to fill in the need for Flora in her quest to bring them into the current century. We never do learn what was in the woodshed, but one can get an idea. lol. And what did the family do that they felt they needed to atone to for Flora's father? Who knows, but it was nice of them. To sum this up, watching Cold Comfort Farm gives one a good feeling and can make one laugh him- or herself.
10 Funny, engaging, witty and absolutely brilliant!
Any fan of Jane Austen's will appreciate this film's charm and sparkling wit. It is one of my favorite films ever! I saw this at an arthouse theater in Denver and everyone (including me) in the audience was roaring with laughter.
The story centers around the outspoken, feisty and newly-orphaned Flora Poste (aka Robert Poste's child), who moves from London to live with her rural, backwoods relatives in Cold Comfort Farm. Led by her mysterious great-aunt Ada Doom, her relatives prove to be absolutely eccentric and incredibly funny. Among her other quirky relatives are Amos Starkadder (Ian McKellen), his wife Judith (Eileen Atkins) and their children Seth (Ivan Kaye), Reuben (the hunky Rufus Sewell in one of his most memorable roles) and Elfine (Maria Miles). Then there is Flora's sophisticated London friend Mary Smiling (Joanna Lumley) who provides Flora with some much needed comfort, advice and fashionable magazines.
With a role that foreshadows her future role in Jane Austen's "Emma", Kate Beckinsale perfectly embodies a 1930s-like Emma Woodhouse role as she interferes in the lives of all of her relations and completely makes them all over. This doesn't bode well with her great-aunt Ada and cousin Judith, who abhor change of any sort.
It is a riotous film all the same and the brilliant performances from everyone involved make this DVD an absolute must have! If you enjoy British humor and satire, you'll love "Cold Comfort Farm!"
11 A Completely Charming British Hoot!
I'm all for the Brits and Cold Comfort Farm is hilarious!
It starts off with Flora Poste traveling to the raggedy farm of her distant relatives. When she gets to her destination she meets some strange people she wished she could forget. Similar to the film " Pollyanna " Flora breezes into people's lives, making them happier than they've ever been. Kate Beckensale is beautiful, charming and loveable in a film everyone will enjoy. This is a quirky little comedy of intelligence. The perfect film to accompany afternoon tea. A comedy must see!
12 Nobody does eccentric like the Brits!
The first time I watched Cold Comfort Farm, I thought it was OK, kind of like the reviewer who said "I guess this was meant to be funny". The characters Miss Flora Poste (aka Robert Poste's child) encounters at and around Cold Comfart Form(let's call it CCF) are flat out WEIRD. Being accustomed to period pieces like Merchant Ivory things, I missed much of the point. Now, I realized CCF should have been viewed with some of my P.G.Wodehouse-jaundiced(btw, Stephen Fry[Jeeves]is in this), "Merry Buds Of May"-loving eye. The whole cast is perfick! and Joanna Lumley(best known as Patsy in "Absolutely Fabulous!") seems to own the franchise for playing a semi-idle, terminally hip fashion slave. No matter if it's the 30's like CCF, or the 90's, Ms Lumley has it nailed. I had no idea who played Flora Poste, and was astonished to see it was Kate Beckinsale, who was dressed down for this role. I happened to be watching a bio of Sir Alec Guinness, and one of the interviewees was Eileen Atkins. I couldn't place her face, but suddenly I realized she was in CCF(as the terminally depressive Judith Starkadder). I clicked over to my movies listings, & was able to turn my Mother & sister on to CCF the next day. If you like British humour, check this out. If you've seen this & didn't care for it, do yourself a favor & give it another chance.
13 Wonderfully British Comedy
I love this movie and can see it over and over again. The humor is typically British and fantastically thought out. The locale is rich and the characters extremely well portrayed by their actors. The start is a bit slow, but builds. If you are a fan of old films and subtle satire, you'll love the last third of the film. This is one of my MUST-HAVES for my video library.
14 well, I suppose it was meant to be funny
Bad writing, bad acting, one cliche after another. It takes a very clever writer to satirize bad writing, and very good actors to satirize bad acting. These folks weren't able to carry it off. Too bad, I really like Joanna Lumley and she didn't have much scope in this program. Well, it wasn't all that bad, but I wouldn't recommend that anyone actually buy it.
15 Absolutely Delightful
This is a wonderful film that I watch over and over. The acting is just perfect with Kate Beckinsale leading the way supported by an incredible supporting cast. Joanna Lumley is delightful. Eileen Atkins is hilarious. Ian McKellen is great as usual. Throw in Stephen Fry playing a man who is hopelessly and head over heels in love (or lust) with Kate and most any other woman he meets and you will be laughing your head off.
16 Charming gem
Extremely funny and charming gem. Very well acted with a fine veteran cast. It erases any doubts about Beckinsale's (Flora Poste)charm, talent, and ability to be a strong leading lady. I hope to see this re-released on DVD sometime soon.
17 cold comfort farm
This is a great movie- WHERE IS THE DVD ????
18 I Saw Something Naaaaasty in the Woooodshed...
I will forever remember that line and laugh out loud at the very thought of it. This was quite an enjoyable albeit quirky kind of movie. KB was perfectly cast to go in a change everyone's life and provide us with another happy ending.
19 An engaging treatment of a quirky novel
"Cold Comfort Farm", the novel, was a parody of naturalism. The melodramatic and eccentrically rustic Starkadders- like Seth, a lusty young man who loves "the talkies," Amos, a fire and brimstone preacher, and Great Aunt Ada Doom, who saw something nasty in the woodshed- are interesting enough in their own right, but are really parodies of the way people were portrayed in the Faulkneresque novels of the time. The movie manages to capture some of the parody in the book, but not all of it. It did include many of my favorite bits from the novel, and some truly stellar performances. If you are an Ian McKellan fan, don't miss him as Amos. Eileen Atkins also does a grand job as the Emma-esque Flora. The film is well worth a watch, but one needs to read the novel first in order to best understand and appreciate it.
20 Quirkly and memorable.
A dazzling Kate Beckinsale leads the cast in this bizarre and quirkly comedy about the Starkladder family. This movie captures your attention from the start and Schlesinger keeps the film on track. The film is amusing, but the true genius in it is the comedic but honest study of the human condition. Beckinsale is the perfect good-natured luftmensch and meddler and I loved what should be a classic line of "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!". The matriarchal contraints on the family was a riot to behold. This film can also be a lesson on how to deal with subtle verbal threats to your psyche and how perfectly far dismissiveness can go. At any rate, it's a clever and feel-good piece of fun which is always a good reason to see a film, I'd say.
21 Quirky British humor, Emma meets hillbillies...
I watched this movie on the recommendation of a couple of frequent movie viewers. This film was fun to watch on a rainy Sunday morning. It was not profound, and while most of the characters have a happy resolution of their problems, the film will not appeal to all. If you are a Jane Austen fan and love Emma in particular, the film will appeal to you for three reasons - firstly, the heroine Flora Poste slings off Jane Austen quotes and references (beginning with her intention to write her "Persuasion" when she is 53); secondly, because Flora acts much like Emma in trying to improve and manage the lives of others (without being blind to her own true love); and lastly, because the heroine Flora is played by Kate Beckinsale (who will go to to play Emma in the Andrew Davis/A&E version, called Emma 3). There are also a number of other stellar actors, most notably Sir Ian McKellen (playing a hell-raising preacher) and Eileen Atkins (playing his sad-sack cousin/wife).
I have not read the book nor seen the 1971 version, and therefore can judge the film only by its own merits. While the film left me with a smile on my face, it also left me a little puzzled. What was Judith Starkadder's real problem, why does she feel the family owes something to Robert Poste's child, and what did Aunt Ada Doom see in the woodshed?
A brief plot summary: London society girl Flora Poste discovers that she has only 100 pounds a year, which will not keep her in stockings. She decides to write to her many relatives to see if one of them will take her in (this is the 1930s, I believe). Flora decides to go to the most interesting set of relatives - the Starkadder cousins on Cold Comfort Farm. The family are portrayed as hillbillies in the worst sense, completely wedded to tradition, dirty and ignorant, unwilling to reform (such as using a dishmop instead of twigs). [Warning: this depiction of British farmers of the 1930s may be offensive to some].
Flora arrives at Cold Comfort Farm to discover that the farm and the family are apparently cursed. The family seems to feel that it owes something to her as Robert Poste's child (this is never explained in the film) but her cousins deeply resent her. The cousins are Amos and Judith Starkadder (cousins who married), their sons Reuben and Seth (the latter a lusty young man who loves the talkies), and several others. Gradually, Flora changes the way in which her Starkadder cousins live (by cleaning up the house, beginning with her bedroom curtains), persuades nearly each member of the family to make some critical changes, and also brings about three marriages in the future. All this, while also dangling along a London-based "embryo parson" with his own airplane and a locally-based "writer" who fancies himself in love with her.
Quick summary: The film was entertaining as long as it is not taken seriously. There was an element of snobbery in the relations between the city people and the country people that I did not quite like (even if it is true of this period and of today). The depiction of the gulf between the "county" families and the farmers is hinted at, but made light of. However, there is enough interest sustained in the movie, aided with strong acting from Kate Beckinsale (Flora Poste), Sir Ian McKellan (Amos Starkadder), Eileen Atkins (Judith Starkadder), and Rufus Sewell (Seth Starkadder) that carries the viewer along. Recommended for lovers of Jane Austen, or for lovers of eccentric British films. Some crudity but not as much as in WITHNAIL AND I or the BLACKADDER series.
22 SOMETHING NASTY HAPPENED IN THE WOODSHED...
This is a marvelous and fairly faithful adaptation of Stella Gibbons' 1932 novel of the same name. The film brilliantly captures the quirkiness of the novel which is a hysterically funny, tongue in cheek parody of the heavy handed, gloomy novels of some early twentieth century English writers who had previously been so popular. The film is likewise hysterically funny and itself seems to parody British costume dramas.
The film starts out innocuosly enough, when well educated Flora Poste (Kate Beckinsale) finds herself orphaned as a young woman. Discovering that her father was not the wealthy man she believed him to be, she is resigned to the fate of having to live on a hundred pounds a year. After some discussion with her good friend, the wealthy Mrs. Smiley (Joanna Lumley), Flora opts to live with relatives, rather than earn her bread. She seeks out a most unlikely set of relations with whom to do so, the decidedly odd Starkadder family who live in rural Howling, Sussex.
Therein begins what is certainly one of the funniest movies to grace the silver screen. When Flora arrives in Howling, she meets her odd relatives, who live in neglected, ramshackle "Cold Comfort Farm", where they still wash the dishes with twigs, and have cows named Graceless, Pointless, Feckless, and Aimless. Headed by a matriarchal old crone, Flora's aunt, Ada Doom Starkadder (Sheila Burrell), who has not been right in the head since she "saw something nasty happen in the woodshed" nearly seventy years ago, they are a motley and strange crew indeed. Confronted with their dismal and gloomy existence, Flora sets about trying to put things to right.
Peppered with eccentric, memorable characters, this film will take the reader on a journey not easily forgotten. Kate Beckinsale is delightful as the practical, no nonsense Flora Poste. Joanna Lumley is delicious as the sophisticated and wordly Mrs. Smiley. Eileen Atkins is a standout as Flora's gloomy first cousin, Judith Starkadder, Ada's daughter. Rufus Sewell is well cast as Judith's son, Seth Starkadder, the oversexed ladies man. The role of the fire and brimstone preacher, Amos Starkadder, is played to perfection by Ian McKellen, while Shiela Burrell is nothing short of sensational as the imperious Ada Doom Starkadder. The rest of the supporting cast is likewise uniformly excellent.
All in all, this is a hilariously funny film and every bit as brilliant as the novel upon which it was based. It is certainly worth having in one's personal collection, as it is a keeper by any standard.
23 "Diverting and amusing."
An inspired lampooning of Jane Austin. John Schlesinger, director of numerous classics, has delivered another gem. Sir Ian McKellen and Eileen Atkins give award caliber performances. This is no ordinary costume drama, but a fresh, invigorating and literate film full of memorable characters and scenes. Not to be missed.
24 cold comfort farm
i absolutley love this movie. i didn't know anything about it when i saw it. it is sooooooo funny!
25 Delightfully Funny
Cold Comfort Farm is the story of Flora Poste, whose parents die when she is just 20 and she is left with only 100 pounds a year not enough to keep her in 'stockings and fans.' Flora ignores the advice of her friend Mrs Smiling (the brilliant Joanna Lumley) and goes to live with her relatives at Cold Comfort Farm. They turn out to be an uncivilised bunch and Flora sets out to tidy up at the Farm. The delightful Kate Beckinsale is fantastic as Flora Poste and really steals the show and the rest of the cast is also very good. Will keep you laughing and amused again and again. I highly reccommend it!
26 Just the best ever
If I had to select a list of top 10, this would be in the top five of all time...totally delicious cast of characters. I have watched it numerous times and see something new each time. Its such an adventure, full of love, humor and twists. Can't say I would want to take these characters home...can't wait to get it on DVD.
27 Hilarious
This sleeper is nothing short of hilarious. The heroine solves the psychological dilemmas of all her relatives in humorous yet entirely sensible ways. Particularly for mental health professionals or anyone who's had therapy, this movie is great.
28 Now THIS is Kate Beckinsale's best film to date!!
When I saw "Cold Comfort Farm" a long time ago on TV, maybe Cinemax, I found out that this was a very well-made film right from the get-go. This is one of Kate Beckinsale's earlier films before she went to "Pearl Harbor" with Ben Affleck. And I only have one thing to say about her and this movie...MARVELOUS! "Cold Comfort Farm" was sheer brilliance! The other actors, such as Ian McKellen and Rufus Sewell, gave exceptional performances as well. But to me, this is really Kate Beckinsale's movie and Kate stands out above the crowd as Flora, a high-society woman who is being sent to a farm to live with a few relatives. While living on the farm, Flora changes the lives of everyone around her. Kate Beckinsale is really sweet in this movie and that is what I expected from her from this or any other film that she makes. But "Cold Comfort Farm" is one of Kate's better films that she made. It is so delightful, so entertaining, so hilarious that you'll just want to watch it again and again and again. And also, I will add it to my video/DVD collection just as soon as I go out and buy it. And well, what can I say? I love Kate Beckinsale!!!
29 deliciously bad
i am amazed at how seriously people seem to be taking this movie. this is not great literature and it's not going to win any awards. what it is is a funny little bit of camp with some great catchphrases.
the first time i saw this movie i thought "my god that was stupid and pointless. and what the hell was in the woodshed?" i thought of it only as a means to see rufus sewell smoulder at the camera. but the more i thought about it, the more i wanted to see it again. my friend and i still quote the movie fairly often and i've even put it on my wish list. this movie is like a cult classic; not necessarily good but definately memorable.
to sum up: yes, it's a good movie if you don't expect too much.
30 Delightful!
A wonderful movie! This is, in many ways, not only a gentle spoof but also a comedy of manners. The cast and acting is absolutely superb, although to the American ear the accents can be hard to place. The characters are delightfully eccentric, and the fallen down cursed farm of Cold Comfort is not only aptly named but also aptly photographed. Flora Poste is a strong, humorous heroine who never lets the initial hostility of the farm's residents turn her from her appointed role - to manage!!! And manage she does, delightfully and with wonderful results. If you like your movies with an offbeat sense of humor and a wonderful send up of Gothic, this is the movie for you.
31 I enjoyed this movie immensely
Not everyone would like this movie--I recommended it to my aunt, who likes many of the books and movies I like (classics like Jane Eyre and Rebecca, Room With a View), and she hated it! (She thought it was crude--and upon watching it again, I can see why, although that wasn't my reaction to it.) But I found it entertaining and refreshing and uplifting. It's an odd movie--I've never seen any other like it--quirky. If you like non-mainstream movies, period pieces, foreign films--the unusual--you might like it, as I did. The heroine turned out to be especially appealing--even inspiring--more and more so throughout the movie, rather unexpectedly so. The mood of the movie goes in unexpected directions, too, and that's the surprise of it. (I'd like to say more about that, but don't want to spoil it for you!)
32 a sheer delight!
Cold Comfort Farm is a sheer delight! It's based on the book by Stella Gibbons, written as a down-and-dirty farce in the 1930s. This version is instead a light-hearted fairytale. It's terribly funny and the characters are farcical but not too over the top.
33 Easier to follow than the previous version.
This is the one-part version of this funny story of an odd family, and it's got a much better flow and is less confusing than the three-part BBC version from 1968. But that one is fun to watch, too. This one is a good, solid production that features Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley in marvelous performances. The plot in this one is clearer and there's no filler, as there is in the other version. I liked them both.
34 A wonderful book brought to life masterfully...
Stella Gibbon's comic novel, Cold Comfort Farm, written in the 1930's, is brought to perfect fruition with this 1995 adaptation. It's the story of a young woman (Flora) who's parents die leaving her with only 100 pounds a year--not nearly enough to keep her living in the high-society style to which she's becomed accustomed. So she writes to her relatives and picks one to go live with--the Doom family of Cold Comfort Farm. Flora plans to tidy up their lives, and collect material for the book she plans to write when she's 53--after she's lived life.
Cold Comfort Farm is filled with a fabulous collection of characters who Flora systematically converts to a Higher Sensibility. The film is well acted, cinematically superior, and perfectly captures the spirit of the book--a wonderful read that I highly recommend as well!
I love this film, and have found it the perfect addition to my rainy day/sick bed viewing library. If you like british eccentrism, you'll love this movie!
35 Wonderful adaptation from novel to script
Although the book was far more detailed(books have that luxury), the adaptation from book to movie script was right on the money. Set in the 1930's, Flora Poste is a twenty-something girl whose parents die within weeks of each other due to the Influenza. This isn't traumatic for Flora, since her parents were fond of travelling and only saw her a few months out of the year. Since Flora has never been educated to make a living for herself, she decides to write her relations and ask to live with them. The relatives she chooses are unbelievably eccentric and rustic; they have a dingy farmhouse in Sussex. Each relation has some wild oddity about them and are extremely behind the times. But Flora chooses them because she feels she can satisfy her need to organize things, and also feels they'll provide the perfect colorful characters she'll need when she finally writes her first novel. Flora changes everyones lives for the better, and you will laugh heartily throughout. "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!" will be a phrase you hear in your head for weeks after watching this film. Stars Kate Beckinsale as Flora, Joanna Lumley ("Absolutely Fabulous"'s Patsy Stone) as Mary, Oscar nominated Sir Ian McKellan as Flora's over-zealous preacher cousin, and Rufus Sewell (most recently in "Bless the Child") as Flora's over-sexed 2nd cousin Seth who dreams of Hollywood stardom. One to have in your personal movie collection. Read the book as well.
36 Cute, but I don't really see why it's funny...
I watched Cold Comfort Farms because I love funny movies and am a huge fan of Joanna Lumley, however, I just did not understand why it was funny at all. It really isn't a bad movie, it just wasn't...funny! It's sweet, cute, and touching how Flora helps her, well, eccentric, relatives and it's fun to watch the Pigmalian transformation of Elfin. While the movie was entertaining, it was not very funny (in my opinion), so if you're looking to laugh I would not reccomend this movie.
37 Cold Comfort Farm: 1968 vs. 1996
After back-to-back viewings of the two versions, I was left with some distinct impressions of each. Clearly the 1996 Schlesinger version had the advantage of a much bigger budget, and was photographed with eventual large screen presentation in mind. The wedding scene alone had to have cost as much as did the entire original production. The original also left the automobiles to the imagination, and the buggy ride to town was so clearly a rear-projection shot that they shouldn't even have bothered. (Indeed, in the 1996 version, they didn't bother, choosing to walk, instead.) I could have done without the early special effects, the alpha and omega of which boiled down to "look, the BBC gave us a zoom lens!"
On a more elemental level, the 1996 version struck me as being considerably sanitized for a different generation of viewers. The sets and, especially, the people, seemed to be so much more neat and clean. This, in turn, made Flora's self-imposed mandate -- to "tidy up" -- less urgent.
In Schlesinger's reading, the Starkadder clan's violent, primal tendencies were glossed over, as was the overt sexuality: we can't have Rennet going into an insane heat in the mid-nineties, can we? And Brian Blessed's Reuben imparted a sense of danger that Ivan Kaye's good-natured oaf didn't even hint at. Indeed, all of the characters seemed to be painted with less vivid colors, their eccentricities (even grotesqueries) toned down for a more sensitive audience.
I don't know whether it was by intent, but Sara Badell's Flora was a much more rounded and interesting character than the smug, one-dimensional powerhouse portrayed by Kate Beckinsale. Badell's Flora had real doubts and fears.
It could be a question of timing. When the original production was filmed, the generation that grew up with the sort of book Cold Comfort Farm (the novel) parodied still made up a good chunk of the populace. Those viewers could be counted upon to know that the Starkadder family wasn't intended to be "real" but rather a caricature. By 1996, someone must have said "this could be taken at face value, so we'd better tone it down."
Still, the Schlesinger version told the story very effectively, and I'm glad to have it on tape. But the original is chock full of atmosphere, and on balance I'd say it was worth the long wait.
38 A Must See
This film is not just a "chick flick". You are drawn in by the bizarre characters and can't help but laugh at the absurd idiosyncrocies of "Cold Comfort Farm". You will find yourself gaffawing at some of the one line zingers that catch you unaware!
39 The British Hillbillys
Growing up with an Irish Matriarch transplanted to Kentucky, (her name was Flora too!) I was reviewing my younger days. I finally know where Hillbillys originated. The only thing the movie lacked was an uncle Billy Bob buring down the farm making moonshine.
The actors were wonderful in their depiction of poor folk trying to understand the visiting "rich" cousin with her proper and prim ways. Change is good when it includes cleaning the sheets and birth control (after the fourth child to an unwed mother).
One must own this movie to review the one-liners over and over. Everytime I watch it I find something new and whimsical. The accents are also sometimes hard for us Americans to understand until we hear it a few times.
40 Wonderfully entertaining, but not the BBC 1971
Great fun, I can watch it over and over. Wish you guys had the 1971 version from BBC with Alistaire Sims
41 The only movie I can watch over and over again
I highly recommend this movie to everyone. I have lent it to everone I know, everyone who has seen it agrees it is the best. Each character is incredible. I have never seen a movie where each character was so strong. I absolutely fell in love with each character. Rated the best movie I have ever seen. Forget Hollywood movies!
42 Very funny and sweet!
I loved this movie! It is charming and funny and very English. I can't wait until it comes out on DVD!
43 A very good movie, if you "get" British humor
So many people told me that this was a terrible movie that I didn't expect much. I have enjoyed Kate Beckinsale's acting in recent BBC productions, so I decided to give the movie a try. I thought it was wonderful! Having never read the book, I had no idea what to expect. This is a wierd,very funny story with some great lines and a great cast. I bought the tape soon after renting it - it's definitely a keeper.
44 Many memorable one-liners.
This is an hilarious movie. The casting is excellent with the exception of Joanna Lumley and Kate Beckinsale (Mary Smiling and Flora Poste, respectively)-- They are not the right "types" if you are a fan of the book-- But they both do an excellent job, none the less. Ian McKellan is fantastic as Amos (but when is he not fantastic?) The ending of the film does not have the pizzazz of the book, but it is still gratifying. This reads like a four star review, but a movie like this is such a RARE treat, and I love it so much that I have to give it five stars. If you like Merchant Ivory, but need a break, watch this movie.
45 1971 version far superior
I was very excited at the prospect of seeing CCC on screen as it is one of my favorite books. I was extremely disappointed. All the comedic terror and true nasty wit was gone. The 1971 version, in black and white from the BBC with Alistair Sim was perfect.Anyone know how to get ahold of it???
46 read the book
This movie was fantastic and well worth seeing. It was witty and humorous, but the book is so much better. Stella Gibbons' prose is a delight to read. Read the book. I guarantee you'll love it if you enjoyed the film.
47 Kate Beckinsale shines in this delightful comedy
Cold Comfort Farm is a wonderful mixture of offbeat characters and strange situations that make for some of the grandest comedy on screen in some time. If you think you won't like it because it's an English period comedy abandon that notion and dive in. This movie is one you will enjoy. The actors are perfect for bringing this off and it is a pleasure just to watch them tangle with this material. Ian McKellen and Rufus Sewell are particularly quirky as is Maria Miles as Elphine, but Sheila Burrel as Aunt Ada gets the best line: "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!" But the key character is Flora, played to perfection by the delectable Kate Beckinsale. It is Flora's good sense and practicality that master the situation and win the day. She sets the world right with her refusal to allow it to be otherwise. This mix of wacky characters needs the grounding of Flora to allow us a point of view and Kate Beckinsale establishes that perfectly. Ms. Beckinsale has done the kind of exceptional work here that we've come to expect from her. Get this video and get ready to laugh long and hard.
48 Like good cheese - better with age
Great British comedy. Like so many really good movies, must be seen at least three times to catch the nuances. Some lines become classics that repeat themselves in your head - "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!" and "Welcome, Robert Post's child." and "They shall all burn, but we shall all qui-i-i-i-ver!"
49 Good but not great.
This film is good entertainment. A classic story, well executed and good fun to see. However, the BBC version produced on Masterpiece Theatre some years ago was far superior. That film was great fun to see.
50 Good but older version better
This film is very good but an older version was done (by the BBC?) with Alastaire Sim and was much better. I hope to see it released also. -I'd buy it in a 'New York Minute'!
51 A bizzare movie, that makes sense!
This movie has such unusual characters, that oddly enough, everyone will relate to. The movie is funny in an unreal, oh my god, that's my grandmother - uncle - cousin, way. One of my favorite scenes is when Flora and her uncle go to church, and her uncle begins to describe hell. He begins by saying,"You know when burn yourself when your takin' a cake out the oven, or when your lightin' one of those godless cigarettes. so you get a bit o butter to cool it off. WELL THERE'LL BE NO BUTTER IN HELL!" Well, I guess you've got to see the movie to appreciate it. It will be one of your favorites!
52 Invincible "Polly Anna"overcomes all odds in a comedic gem.
My wife and I saw this at the theater when it came out, and at first didn't realize it was a COMEDY. We kept expecting something terrible would befall the heroine. Finally we realized it was a comedy and that this "Polly Anna" could and would prevail against the devil himself. From then on we just sat back and enjoyed it.
