Abigail's Party
1977 Directed by Mike Leigh
Synopsis
Beverly Moss invites her new neighbours, Angela and Tony, over for drinks. She has also asked her divorced neighbour Susan, whose fifteen-year-old daughter Abigail is holding a party back in their house. Beverly's husband Laurence comes home late from work, just before the guests arrive. The gathering starts off in a stiff, insensitive, British-middle-class way as the virtual strangers tentatively gather, until Beverly and Laurence start sniping at each other. As Beverly serves more drinks and the alcohol takes effect, Beverly flirts more and more overtly with Tony, as Laurence sits impotently by.
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Beverly invites her new neighbours Angela and Tony around for a drink to meet her husband Laurence and another neighbour Sue, whose teenage daughter Abigail is holding the title's party. Awkwardness abounds with two unhappy couples and an out of place divorcee; awkwardness, embarrassment, social incompetence and a lack of thought by most of them for the feelings of others.
It's a horror story pretending to be a drama and will make most people feel very uncomfortable as the small talk progresses. All horribly believable! -
Showing on BBC4 now. No matter how many times I watch this, I have a big grin on my face throughout :D
Sorry I can't add much more, just this is a work beyond analysis, I like how it flows and how it makes me feel and that's enough for me. I feel like that about a lot of Mike Leigh's work.
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Directed by - Mike Leigh
Written by - Mike Leigh
Starring - Alison Steadman, Tim Stern, Janine Duvitski, John Salthouse and Harriet ReynoldsI’ve always believed that the best comedies are the ones that make you feel just a little bit uncomfortable. The best comedies are raw and unadulterated, and whilst they might make you laugh their greater purpose is to shine a critical light on your life and make you question things in a way that straight drama never can. Perhaps that is why I love Abigail’s Party so much.
Abigail’s Party reminds me in many ways of a more sophisticated and subtler version of The Royle Family. All of the action takes place indoors, on the ground floor…
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Another drink, Sue? Loved it! Camp as tits with some great performances.
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Awkward (as I believe the kids are saying these days). I think I was too tired to really appreciate this.
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Directed by - Mike Leigh
Written by - Mike Leigh
Starring - Alison Steadman, Tim Stern, Janine Duvitski, John Salthouse and Harriet ReynoldsI’ve always believed that the best comedies are the ones that make you feel just a little bit uncomfortable. The best comedies are raw and unadulterated, and whilst they might make you laugh their greater purpose is to shine a critical light on your life and make you question things in a way that straight drama never can. Perhaps that is why I love Abigail’s Party so much.
Abigail’s Party reminds me in many ways of a more sophisticated and subtler version of The Royle Family. All of the action takes place indoors, on the ground floor…
-
Beverly invites her new neighbours Angela and Tony around for a drink to meet her husband Laurence and another neighbour Sue, whose teenage daughter Abigail is holding the title's party. Awkwardness abounds with two unhappy couples and an out of place divorcee; awkwardness, embarrassment, social incompetence and a lack of thought by most of them for the feelings of others.
It's a horror story pretending to be a drama and will make most people feel very uncomfortable as the small talk progresses. All horribly believable! -
Showing on BBC4 now. No matter how many times I watch this, I have a big grin on my face throughout :D
Sorry I can't add much more, just this is a work beyond analysis, I like how it flows and how it makes me feel and that's enough for me. I feel like that about a lot of Mike Leigh's work.
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Another drink, Sue? Loved it! Camp as tits with some great performances.
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Miraculously engaging, brilliant in many ways, but is basically a filmed play. But man is it a great play.