1990 Directed by Beeban Kidron
Plain Jane Hartman hates her life. She's goofy, boring and only has sex if she reads Iris Murdoch novels out loud to her loopy boyfriend. Her oldest friend Antonia McGill knows about everything. She orders the right food; she can complain and get results. She's beautiful and has a brilliant career. Is it any wonder that they hate each other's guts?
Imelda Staunton Saskia Reeves Bill Nighy Brenda Bruce Richard Hope Lila Kaye Alfred Marks Joe Absolom Allan Corduner Ian Redford John Bennett Maria Charles Patricia Leventon Alfred Hoffman Iain Cuthbertson Sheila Allen Trevor Peacock Peter Wingfield Bonnie Parker Tania Rodrigues Claire Rayner Michael Ignatieff
Like Truly Madly Deeply, Antonia and Jane was an early '90s BBC TV play that got itself an international cinema release. Written by Marcy Kahan and directed by Beeban Kidron it is the story of two mismatched woman friends who have had a love–hate relationship with each other since childhood and yet still meet annually for dinner.
With campy and absurd, witty (distinctly Jewish) humour, it tells a universal truth of how some friends - perhaps specifically female ones - project upon one another the qualities they personally feel they lack. Jane (Imelda Staunton) believes herself to be a 'Plain Jane' in comparison to her glamourous and attractive friend Antonia. Meanwhile, Antonia (Saskia Reeves), feels intimidated by how independent and…
Why do you go on seeing her?
So-so comedy, but I'm a big fan of Imelda Staunton's performance here and Brenda Bruce's amazing era makeup.
