Miranda Richardson is brilliant here, delivering a flawless performance that should have made her world-famous.

At 32:20, what is it that Joyce says on the tape? I can't make out her exact words...

Because coke ain't cheap.

This film affected me like no other. I found that three quarters of the way through I was moved almost to tears and the feeling just grew. When the end credits appeared I didn't just cry, I burst into applause as well, alone in my dark front room. This was the best catharsis. Pride, strength, triumph, and most of all, of course, love. All that from a boy learning to read. That small huge thing. A family home in a cramped country suddenly the infinite universe.