Product Details

• Actors: Judi Dench, Ronald Pickup, Frances Barber, Gwen Watford, Francesca Folan
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Miniseries, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Acorn Media
• DVD Release Date: May 24, 2005
• Run Time: 203 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00080ZG4C
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,435 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Behaving Badly" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

BEHAVING BADLY - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Gentle British Comedy-Drama about a Woman's Journey of Self-Discovery, July 24, 2005

By 

Tiggah "the Anglophile" (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behaving Badly (DVD)

Behaving Badly is a 1988 four-part British comedy-drama (with 50-minute episodes) starring Judi Dench (As Time Goes By, A Fine Romance), who puts in a wonderful performance as a dowdy, middle-aged woman named Bridget. Like so many women, Bridget has spent her life sacrificing her own interests and desires in order to please others (in her case, her husband Mark). And what does she have to show for a life as a self-sacrificing door-mat? A husband who, after 20 years of marriage, has divorced her and married a much younger woman. The irony is that Mark's new wife Rebecca (Frances Barber) is a spontaneous, vibrant woman who is full of life and who has no intention of leading her life according to the dictates of others. In short, she is everything that Bridget is not--or to be more accurate, she is everything Bridget, years ago, had chosen not to be.

The series opens five years after their separation, and Bridget has basically been putting in time--taking pottery lessons, attending church, and generally doing the things lonely, middle-aged women seem to be expected to do to fill in their days. Bridget, however, realises she's in a rut and leading a humdrum, unsatisfying life, and she decides, for the first time in her life, to put herself first, to buck the tide of expectation, and to search for a way to move forward out of the bleak, monotonous existence her life has become. That decision results in her making some very dramatic moves which are disruptive both to Mark and Rebecca and to her daughter, Phyllida. It also results in the title of the series, for almost everyone thinks that Bridget is behaving badly by doing what feels right to her regardless of the impact on those around her; what's worse, she simply couldn't care less what others think or say about her.

There is a selfishness in Bridget's actions, but after twenty years of self-sacrifice and unwavering devotion to Mark--only to end up on the scrap heap--one can't help feeling that she's earned the right to think of herself for once. For Bridget it's a journey of self-discovery, and as she comes closer to realising who she is and what she wants, she blossoms and becomes a much more interesting, exciting, and beautiful woman--an individual instead of just one of many nameless, faceless conformists who, sheeplike, accept their lot in life with good grace. Most importantly, she gains respect and admiration where once there was resentment and ridicule.

One other character worth mentioning is Frieda, Bridget's Jewish mother-in-law (Mark's mother). She's a real character, what with her attempts at emotional blackmail--and worse! She'll stop at nothing to get rid of the interloper, Rebecca, and her attempts and complaints provide the bulk of the humour in the show.

All in all, I enjoyed this series which, being about relationships and personal growth, is more of a woman's show. I also found the ending to be very satisfying. This is a show about the difficult journey toward self-empowerment--about a woman who gains control over her life and gains the confidence to make her own often difficult decisions despite life's uncertainties. It is a show which leaves the viewer feeling good--perhaps even a little inspired.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Just So, So., October 17, 2005

By 

bunnielover "trevillian2" (United States, Wyoming) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Behaving Badly (DVD)

First off,I love Judi Dench... But I did not like this flick very much. I found that I didn't like most of the characters, and did not care what became of them. The husband is a dog! and my thought was why pine over this sorry example of a man? Judi's character is at the beginning such a mouse,that you can see why no one including her daughter wanted to hang around her. and why no one buddied up with her even after the divorce, and even after she decides she is going to do what she wants, she goes back to the old man, and plagues him and the new wife rather that get on with a worthwile existence. Her mother in law is horrid, and it shows just what a wimp the son is, that he continues to live with her and allows her to insult and try to humiliate the new wife. (who was stupid enough to allow herself to get stuck in such a verbally abusive situation.) The daughter is lame, and her roomies are lame, and the one sniveling girl who has a breakdown is so annoying, that i will never watch this again, because i would have to listen to her sniffling and whining again. The one character i liked, they killed off, and that was the roommates granddad. He was way smarter, and more observant that anyone else in the whole movie. He was also the most sincere protrayal in my mind of what all to often happens with the elderly, getting shunted here and there, because no one wants to care for them. I agree with the one reviewer too about story lines that don't seem to add to the original plot. like the Minister of the Black Church, and the daughter trying to seduce him. What was that in here for? Go figure,I guess just give this a view, and enjoy Judi's great acting talents, and don't try to get to involved. It will make you crazy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Dench's Best Effort, September 15, 2008

By 

K. Anderson "andersox" (Aliso Viejo, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Behaving Badly (DVD)

I loved Judi Dench in "A Fine Romance" and "As Time Goes By." Unfortunately, "Behaving Badly" is just bad.

While A Fine Romance and As Time Goes By are classic character-driven comedies, "Behaving Badly" doesn't succeed at drama or comedy. It's too short to grow truly fond of the characters and what's meant as humor just isn't funny.

I slugged through all the episodes, hoping for something better. No such luck. Spend your time and your money on one of Dench's other splendid movies or series.