Two proper Englishwomen, determined to get away from their drab lives and inattentive husbands, find paradise among the serene countryside of the Italian Riviera in this enchanting adventure starring Josie Lawrence and Miranda Richardson (Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire). When the pair rents a magnificent villa for a month, they share expenses with two unlikely companions an austere widow and a bored socialite. At first, personalities clash, but the hideaway holds a special magic that soon sparks friendships and reminds the women of ways to live and love that have long eluded them. Stellar performances and breathtaking scenery make the Academy Award nominated Enchanted April (1992: Best Supporting Actress, Joan Plowright; Best Costume Design; Best Adapted Screenplay) a captivating delight for everyone who s ever dreamed of taking the perfect holiday.
This lovely, 1991 adaptation of Elizabeth Von Arnim’s novel has a superb cast and a tone so mellow you can feel your pulse get slower. Josie Lawrence and Miranda Richardson play a pair of unhappily married women who rent an Italian villa for a month, sharing the rent with a crusty Englishwoman (Joan Plowright) and a lonely aristocrat (Polly Walker). Sun, rest, sinking into the green grass for long naps–they all have a soulful effect on the quartet, and then on the men in their lives who make a surprise visit. Mike Newell (Into the West) directs with seeming effortlessness, and it is impossible not to be swayed by the promise of restoration for these burdened characters–or for anyone alive. Wonderful performances all around, including a particularly sensitive one by Alfred Molina and a very funny one by Jim Broadbent. –Tom Keogh
Starring Josie Lawrence, Miranda Richardson, Alfred Molina, Neville Phillips, Jim Broadbent.
Note: Enchanted April was previously adapted for the screen from the novel by “Elisabeth” and play by Kane Campbell. [Enchanted April (1935)](http://amzn.to/1RUzKS4) stars Reginald Owen, Ann Harding, Frank Morgan, Katharine Alexander, Jane Baxter.