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| Masterpiece Theatre: My Family and Other Animals | 
| Director: Sheree Folkson
Actor: Eugene Simon; Imelda Staunton; Tamzin Merchant; Russell Tovey; Matthew Goode; Kostas Tziotakis; Michael Yannatos; Omid Djalili; Olga Tournaki; Dimitris Kaberidis; David Armand; Antonis Antoniou; Chris Langham; George Couyas; Efi Papatheodorou; Yorgos Kotanidis; Jason Watkins; Mark Caven; Miranda Hart; Meredith Macneill
Studio: WGBH BOSTON
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $10.66
You Save: $9.29 (47%)
New (31) from $10.66
Avg. Customer Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 19151
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Running Time: 90 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: WG40949
UPC: 783421409491
EAN: 0783421409491
ASIN: B000EMG97W
Theatrical Release Date: 2005
Release Date: June 27, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED
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Product Description
A tale of the childhood experiences of naturalist Gerald Durrell from 1935 when his family moved from England to the Greek island of Corfu. Excited by the exotic insect life Gerry embarks on an adventure into the marvelous mysterious world of insects animals and other intriguing creatures who live in this island paradise.System Requirements:Running Time 90 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 783421409491 Manufacturer No: WG40949
Amazon.com
"Why do we put up with this bloody climate?" moans Larry Durrell during the rainy prelude to this Masterpiece Theater presentation. It's 1935 and 12-year-old Gerald (Eugene Simon, Casanova) is living with his family in Bournemouth. His father passed away years ago. Much like Judi Dench in Mrs. Henderson Presents, his mother (Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake) sees widowhood as a chance to make a fresh start. On Larry's advice, she decides to relocate the brood to sunny Corfu (now Kerkira), so off to Greece they go: Mother, nature-obsessed Gerry, boy-crazy Margot (Tamzin Merchant), gun-happy Leslie (Russell Tovey), and literature-loving Larry (Matthew Goode, Match Point). Minutes after their arrival, a burly fellow named Spiro (Iranian comedian Omid Djalili, Gladiator) takes the quintet under his wing and finds them a roomy villa. Soon Gerald is collecting every manner of animal: turtles, rose beetles, rabbits. The other Durrells embark on adventures of their own, brassy jazz-pop punctuating their every move. Previously produced as a 1987 miniseries by the BBC, this fanciful film boils Durrell's enduring memoir down to a brisk 90 minutes. The structure may be episodic, but the attention to detail--the exotic fauna, the evocative costumes--is praiseworthy. As Gerry notes about his creatures, "They're just like us, aren't they--families. I want to know how they all work. Imagine if they weren't there?" While Gerald would go on to become a naturalist, brother Lawrence would find also fame with The Alexandria Quartet. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Pretty, and August 12, 2008
...the characters look like I had pictured them in my mind, BUT, this movie sure does not do justice to the book!
Please, if you haven't already done so, go out and read it for yourself. This movie is a poor, weak copy of an absolutely smashingly wonderful hilarious book!
 Delightful Eccentricities June 6, 2008
In the late 1930s life for the Durrell family in England has just about become unbearable. At the behest of the oldest son Lawrence, a budding novelist whose writing ability is only exceeded by his arrogance and his charm, the family moves to the island of Corfu. There Lawrence gets down to writing, while younger brother Leslie fires off guns at odd moments, sister Margo attracts numerous male admirers, and Mrs. Durrell vaguely and haphazardly tries to maintain some sense of law and order. The youngest brother, Gerald, is the star of the show. He is fascinated by animals, birds, and insects, and fills the Durrell home up with pets and carcasses in various states of decomposition and disrepair while he learns to be a writer himself. Along the way the Durrells meet numerous Greeks and Turks and have various odd guests, chiefly imported by Lawrence. The whole film is one escapade and bizarre moment after another right down to the very end, helped along by a magnificent cast led by Imelda Staunton and Matthew Goode and by the beautiful island of Corfu itself. A great way to spend 90 minutes.
Masterpiece Theatre Stories May 22, 2008
I've always found the Masterpiece Theatre presentations to be outstanding.
"My Family and Other Animals" is typical of the above average acting and above average production of most of the other stories in this series (usually found on PBS broadcasts). The material is presented in an intelligent manner that does not "talk down to" the viewer. Even when the story-line is light-hearted and humuorous, it maintains integrity of story-telling that does not insult. The story line does not move quickly (as in the 1 or 2 second bites of a typical Hollywood movie)so be prepared to give attention as the story un-folds.
 Just about ok March 29, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I am afraid I cannot recommend this adaptation. The crucial difficulty is a lack of appreciation of the characters in the three books Gerald Durrell wrote about his family. Instead the family and those around it emerge as caricatures at most, with sketchy reminders to those of us who grew up on these marvellous books. Especially disappointing is the lack of character development of Theo and Gerry. Especially unforgivable is the musical score which is obtrusive and mostly annoying-- at times it actually gets in the way of appreciating the dialog and acting. Watch this from a library, it is not worth owning.
Delightful and Fun December 2, 2007
I have not read the book but will be remedying that as soon as I can make it to the library. So, as I write this I have no idea how faithful this movie adaptation is. But,... the movie was an absolute delight. Witty, sophisticated without being snobbish, intelligent, and entertaining. Understated British humor at its best. This was a fun movie to watch.
Casting was well done, the acting was skillful, and even the supporting cast was incredibly strong. I am hard pressed to find a flaw in this delightful movie.
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