Customer Reviews

Nancherrow [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
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Being a great fan of the novel and movie of "Coming Home," I was eager to see what happened next to favorite characters like Judith, Loveday, and Gus. Although Rosamunde Pilcher did not write this sequel herself, for the most part the characters remained true to form. Only Judith Dunbar, the admirable heroine of "Coming Home," seems to have had a personality downgrade. As well, a different actress played the part in this sequel and the whole essence of Judith seemed to change from bright girl marvel to whiney, jealous woman.

"Nancherrow" begins in February, 1947, with the funeral of Colonel Edgar Carey-Lewis, the patriarch of Nancherrow. The estate is left to his stubborn and somewhat spoiled daughter Loveday. She has married beneath her class and cannot convince husband Walter to move to the manor, thus causing endless bickering and sending Walter into the arms of another woman.

One day Loveday sees a magazine ad promoting an art show by her former love Gus Callender. Never having gotten over Gus, Loveday travels to London and once again takes up with Gus. Thus the stage is set for Loveday's return to Nancherrow with Gus, not Walter. But it is the overwhelming taxes and cost of keeping up the formerly lavish estate that will threaten her relationship with Gus. Nancherrow will always be the great love of Loveday's life, and whether there is room in her heart for a man remains in doubt.

Diana remains the beautiful and supportive mother, risking bankruptcy herself to keep Nancherrow for Loveday. We also see a new dimension to Diana as attractive widow, industrious worker, and clever manipulator.

Will Gus and Diana be able to convince Loveday to sell Nancherrow? Will Loveday be able to love a person as much as she loves her father's legacy? Will her son Nat be torn between his well-bred mother and his father, a commoner? Will Judith be able to accept the unplanned turn Jess' life takes? How will Jess deal with an overwhelming tragedy? All storylines are nicely tied up and the viewer can sleep well knowing that, as always in the world of Rosamunde Pilcher, the great majority lives happily ever after.

Rosamunde Pilcher's book comes alive in this beautiful story of post-World War II England on a Cornwall estate. You will see how this very wealthy family must come to terms with a new changed world, all while trying to maintain the old.

I highly recommend it!

Very good followup to Coming Home. Characters maintained their integrity from the first book.

I love the book "Coming Home: by Rosamunde Pilcher. This continuation of the story is marvelous.

I love Rosamunde Pilcher's Coming Home and only recently discovered that the sequel was out on DVD. I managed to get this DVD as an inter-library loan, and watched it tonight. Luckily for this production, most of the original cast members are back - the delightful Joanna Lumley reprises her role as Diana Carey-Lewis, Katie Ryder Richardson returns as headstrong Loveday Carey-Lewis, George Asprey as Dr. Jeremy Wells (Judith's husband), Susan Hampshire as St. Ursula's principal, Miss Catto, and Patrick Ryecart as the faithful Tommy Mortimer.

The glaring changes in casting are in the roles of Judith Dunbar, the main protagonist in Coming Home. Originally played by Emily Mortimer, the role is now played by Lara Joy-Korner. In addition, the role of Gus Callender, the love of Loveday's life, is now played by Phillip Moog. I was very disappointed with the changes and the new Judith is wooden and unconvincing in her portrayal, a letdown considering Emily Mortimer's luminescent portrayal of Judith in Coming Home. Luckily, Judith's role is not as prominent in this sequel, and it is Loveday who plays the main character here. Though I missed the actor playing the original Gus, I have to give credit to Phillip Moog for admirably acquitting himself in his role as successful artist Gus.

The story in this sequel centers on events after the patriarch of the Carey-Lewis clan dies (portrayed in Coming Home by Peter O'Toole). Loveday inherits the estate, and the burden of running the formidable mansion falls on her and her mother, Diana. Loveday's marriage to low-born Walter (Tristan Gemmill) is on the rocks, and though Loveday tries to hang on for the sake of their son Nat, the relationship flounders. When Loveday seeks out her old flame Gus in London, the pair rekindle their relationship. Soon, Loveday finds herself living with Gus at Nancherrow though their path to domestic bliss is fraught by arguments over the heavy cost of Nancherrow's upkeep.

Judith's character was a letdown for me, not only because of the casting change but also because of the way her character was written in the story. The strong-willed, independent Judith is replaced by a woman who feels lost for most of the story - Judith grieves at her inability to carry a baby to term, feels neglected by her successful and busy doctor husband, and feels inept and unable to tackle the challenges of raising her sister Jess, who had suffered major trauma as a result of her wartime experiences.

All the characters go through trial and tribulations, and in a way, grow up, and this is most evident in the portrayal of Loveday's character. Katie Ryder Richardson does an amazing job portraying the conflicted Loveday who refuses to let go of Nancherrow, even if it means she may lose everything else that is dear to her. The other stand-out performance here was that of Diana as played by Joanna Lumley. This veteran actress shines on screen and portrays the regal Diana with perfect composure. The score remains as haunting as ever, and the cinematography captures the ethereal beauty of Nancherrow and its surroundings, and for a brief moment, gives us all a glimpse into a time and lifestyle that is long gone.

The person who wrote the screenplay for "Nancherrow" obviously must be a huge Pilcher fan and have read "Coming Home" more than once memorizing so many events from the novel.
Love to detail and very good character development as well as a compelling plot make this a worthy sequel to "Coming Home".
Enjoy!

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