Shadowlands

Shadowlands - 1993 | 131mins | Drama, Romance | Colour

The Production Team

Director: Richard Attenborough.
Producer: Richard Attenborough and Brian Eastman.
Executive Producer: Terence A. Clegg.
Co-Producer: Diana Hawkins.
Associate Producer: Alison Webb.
Script: William Nicholson.
Cinematography: Roger Pratt.
Special Effects: Chris Corbould and Brian Warner.
Editing: Lesley Walker.
Art Direction: Michael Lamont.
Production Design: Stuart Craig.
Costume Design: Penny Rose.
Make-up Department: Betty Glasow and Norma Webb.
Sound Department: Jonathan Bates, Dean Humphreys, Garry Humphreys and Simon Kaye.
Original Music: George Fenton.

The Cast

Anthony Hopkins - C.S. "Jack" Lewis
Debra Winger - Joy Gresham
Roddy Maude-Roxby - Arnold Dopliss
Edward Hardwicke - Warnie Lewis
Joseph Mazzello - Douglas
Andrew Seear - Bob Chafer
John Wood - Christopher Riley
Tim McMullan - Nick Farrell
Michael Denison - "Harry" Harrington
Peter Firth - Dr. Craig

Plot Synopsis

Shadowlands is director Richard Attenborough's biography of English author C.S. Lewis (Anthony Hopkins), Hopkins does another of his pent-up middle-class Englishman acts in the role of Lewis. The film is a beautifully acted romance, done with very British understatement.

C.S. "Jack" Lewis is living a monk-like existence at Oxford University, circa 1952, along with his fellow bachelor brother Warnie (Edward Hardwicke). Into Jack’s quiet life breezes the passionate flurry of American poet Joy Gresham (Debra Winger), with whom he has been corresponding for several years, and the two become friends. Joy brings her young son Douglas (Joseph Mazzello) to meet the Lewis brothers, and admits that she has arrived in Britain to escape her abusive husband. Unexpectedly, Jack agrees to marry Joy so she can attain British citizenship. At first, it is simply an arranged marriage, but as the film progresses, the two gradually fall in love. When Joy is suddenly struck with cancer, Jack breaks through his composure and they decide to marry formally. During a period of remission they spend a happy honeymoon together, but just as their romance flourishes - disease tears them apart when Joy dies.