Customer Reviews

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit [VHS]

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I first saw this movie years ago in the early 90s when I happened to be up late one night channel-surfing. PBS aired the film from 12-3am, undoubtedly due to its homosexual content. Little did I know I was about to view one of the best gay-themed films I have seen to date. Although I am neither a lesbian (although I am gay), nor a product of a fundamentalist Pentecostal upbringing (I was brought up Catholic, "they're the worst" according to Jess' mother!), I strongly believe that any viewer, male or female, gay or straight, religious or secular, can identify with the plight of Jess, the obstinately stubborn and yet valiantly lovable protagonist who finds the self-determination to be true to herself and her God in the midst of the worst sort of persecution and ostracization one can endure- that which comes from those closest to you, your family and community.

Jess, the protagonist, is everyone's hero. She is in fact an ur-hero. She speaks not only to lesbians and gay men who have faced rejection, but to ALL people who have had to find the courage to be who they are and do what they want to do despite the immediate people and circumstances that prevent, forbid, oppress or threaten them from doing so.

The cast displays stellar performances: Geraldine McEwan is unmatched in her portrayal of the zealous Bible-thunping mother. She stabs naked fear and loathing into your heart from the very first scene in which she towers over the 5-year-old Jess and grills her with biblical questions, followed by a smack on the head. Yet somehow you come to respect and admire the fervent tenacity to which she clings to her system of beliefs. Melanie, Jess' first love, is the type of girl you would expect to find in a fairy tale: dripping with innocence and sweet as honey, the perfect poison apple to set up a broken heart. The preacher who leads this flock to which Jess and her mom belong is incredible as a despicable British version of Jimmy Swaggart.

The most striking aspect of the film for me is how the director has woven such teasing, subtle and yet insanely hilarious (British!) humor into a movie that has scenes so painful that it hurts to watch them. Every time I see this movie, I get a little more humor out of it than the previous time, and it makes me love the film all the more, even though it's intent as a whole is certainly not to amuse- that is purely incidental. Yet on second thought, maybe it isn't. Maybe the humor makes us appreciate the somber theme of the movie all the more each time we see it. And we admire Jess all the more, and the ending all the more because of it. It just gets better and better!

This video is a collection of the three programmes screened by the BBC which take the larger than life characters form the book and make them flesh. A commanding performance by Charlotte Coleman (Four Weddings and A Funeral) as the teenage Jess, set against a worhty interpretation of her mother by Geraldine McEwan (Robin Hood, Pince of Thieves) make this an essential accompaniment to any fans of the book. Set in a mill town in the North West of England, the young Jess is "begotten" into an Evangelical church family where she is drafted in to join her mother's tag match with the sinners of the world. Her mother's religious fanaticism is unquestioned at first, until Jess hits puberty and falls in love. The discovery of her illicit affair will ring true to anybody who has been involved in a closed community, with a convincing if not sinister portrayal of her church pastor played by Kenneth Cranham (Shine on Harvey Moon). There is a great deal of authentic North West England dialogue which may be difficult for American viewers to understand, the humour is dry and dark and the supporting characters are suitably authentic, including Celia Imrie as Miss Dewsbury. For me the video and the book are less about a young girl falling in love with the wrong sort of person, more about a journey of self discovery and having the courage to change your own destiny. The filming locations and the fashions of the 60's and 70's in England are also wonderfully portrayed, this BBC production won three BAFTA awards for best actress and best serial, and a jammed switchboard when it was screened. "Innovative in style, its humour by turns punchy and tender, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit is a fews days ride into the bizarre outposts of religious excess and human obsession. It's a love story too." END

This video is a true classic representation about not only life in Northern England but about discovering yourself! It will truly lighten the spirits of anyone who is a nonconformist. The story is beautiful, heartwarming and full of life! The acting is brilliant and the cinematography captures scenes from the North of England that one rarely sees without living there! This is a timeless classic and indeed true to the book of the same tittle!

Oranges is a powerful film, showing the opression of Jess, a young girl uncertain of her own identity. Dealing with sexuality and religious extremists I found at times I was unsettled by the portrayal of the violence aimed at the young girl. Never the less Oranges is a brilliant film and must be watched in its entiretry to be fully appreciated.

This is certainly an overlooked film if there ever was one. It can be very funny and moving, but yes, I can see that it might offend some sensibilities. Well, lot's of things offend my sensibilities -- and I simply don't buy them . . . I have no doubt that a DVD version would easily pay for the costs of making it. . . Incidentally, I just got my copy of Time Out 2003 (11th ed.) today and while browsing in the obits noticed that the young co-star, Charlotte Coleman (3 Apr 68 - 14 Nov 01) passed away a year ago. Google said it was a bad case of asthma. What a pity! She is much better known for her role in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1993). Time Out doesn't even mention Oranges, which seems to have originated as a TV movie (a long one). Does anyone know any of the reviewers over there?

July 11, 2006 P.S to my original review of November 4, 2002:

Great! the dvd is finally here. But be careful about the coding. The description lists the format as PAL, which can be a problem for those of us whose TVs generally expect NTSC. But PAL will probably play on your computer. Maybe.

This is an absolutely wonderful film on many levels.

First, the protagonist hero is a young woman, who has been brought up in an extremely strict Christian sect. They expect her to become a missionary and she tries to stay true to her faith. But when she no longer can, by no choice of her own, they attempt to suppress her very nature. It is sad, brutal, and hypocritical, to say the least. (This interests me personally, as I have a history of fundamentalism in my own family - rejecting it is the central fact of my father's life.)

Second, she realizes that she is gay, and simply accepts it in spite of the determined opposition of her family and entire milieu. The abuse she submits to is enormous and cruel. Her struggle gave me great empathy for the search for love in whatever form.

Third, you see her grow out of her upbringing. She is an exceptional person with great talent, as a student but also as a worker. Her determination is a beautiful and universal condition, very movingly portrayed. You ache with hope for her and feel her joy. The acting is astonishing.

Fourth, the portrayal of a particular British milieu and mentality is vivid and often hilarious. The film perfectly catches the sullenness at the heart of British insularity, but also the small kindnesses that people offer eachother beyond their natural rigidity. As I know the country very well because my wife is a Brit, I loved this portrait.

Warmly recommended.

If you liked the book, this is a good follow up. One of the best books and a really good film.