Customer Reviews

Sorrell and Son

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This is a great 6-part mini series. It made a powerful impact on me when I first watched it on TV in the 80-s. It's very refreshing to see a father who decides that his great investment in life is his son. Sorrell Sr. had a normal family when he went to war (WW1) yet upon his return, problems started to appear, some due to him being wounded. His wife left him and their son, and the father had to take any job so he can care for the well-being of his son. The movie begins with Sorrell finding out that a person who was supposed to offer him a job just died. It continues with his struggles and sometimes inhumane treatment by others that would make any viewer more thankful for what they have and what they don't have to go through. The son grows up and becomes a successful doctor.
The DVD quality is not exactly the greatest - it looks more like a VHS. Full screen - since this is a made-for-TV series.

Koch Vision and BBC presents "SORRELL AND SON" (13 December 1987) (314 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- Splendidly acted ... a refreshing reminder of kindness, compassion and self sacrifice ... A a decorated war hero Stephen Sorell (Richard Pasco), raises his son Kit (Peter Chelsom) alone after Kit's mother (Gwen Ratford) deserts husband and child in the boy's infancy (Paul Critchley as Young Kit Sorrell) --- Sorrell loses a promising job offer and is forced to take work as a menial porter position --- Both his dignity and his health are damaged as he suffers under the exhausting labor and harsh treatment he receives from head porter Buck (Edward Peel) as a hotel porter --- But Sorrell thrives and gets his second wind in the knowledge that his son will benefit from his labors --- Elder Sorrell has allowed the boy to believe his mother dead, but when the mother shows up, wanting to re-enter the young man's life, Sorrell must make hard decisions

Under the production staff of:
Derek Bennett - Director & Producer
Warwick Deeping - Story & Novel
Jeremy Paul - Adaptation
David Cunliffe - Executive Producer
Patrick Gowers - Music

Must point out this is a wonderful story of an ideal father and his son together versus the world --- The mother leaves when the son is about 12 years old --- Father and son make some promises to each other about how they are to cope with life henceforth: first and foremost, "no secrets:" their lives will be open books to each other, this will be difficult from time to time --- The elder Sorrell devotes his life to enabling the boy to become all he can be --- He works from day into night to send his son to a good school --- The Son studies hard, flourishes, and in due course embarks upon a hard-earned career as a sensitive and compassionate physician --- Not melodramatically yet very poignantly is a credit to the author Warwick Deeping, BBC and Koch Vision release.

the cast includes:
Richard Pasco ... Stephen Sorrell
Peter Chelsom ... Kit Sorrell
Paul Critchley ... Young Kit Sorrell
John Shrapnel ... Thomas Roland
Sarah Neville ... Molly Pentreath
Stephanie Beacham ... Florence Palfrey
Michael Troughton ... Maurice
Eve Pearce ... Mrs. Marks
Malcolm Terris
Prunella Ransome ... Fanny Garland
Simon Shepherd
Andrew Bicknell
Edward Peel ... Buck
Mark Eden ... Oscar Wilde
Miranda Richardson ... Lola
Christopher Bramwell ... Phelps
Francesca Brill ... Gwen
Kate Dorning ... Fluffy
Jayne Dowell ... Millie
John Horsley ... Portenous
Sue Race ... Susan
Jon Rumney ... Simon Orange
Mary Tempest ... Perdita
Debbie Wheeler ... Mary Jewett
Elizabeth Sinclair
Stephanie Tague ... Kate
Gwen Watford ... Dora Sorrell

SPECIAL FEATURES
BIOS:
1. Richard Pasco
Date of Birth: 18 July 1926 - London, England, UK
Date of Death: Still Living

2. Peter Chelsom
Date of Birth: 20 April 1956 - Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK
Date of Death: Still Living

Great job by Koch Vision --- looking forward to more high quality titles from the BBC Collection film market --- order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector.

Total Time: 314 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV-6486 ~ (3/04/2008)

The story is one of the most moving portraits of a father's absolute love for his son that I have ever seen. With all odds against them unemployment, poverty ,and the mother's desertion, they pull through together toward a brighter future.

This movie could have been so good. The storyline was great and the relationship between Mr. Sorrell & his son is wonderful. However, there were lots of bedroom scenes. Leading character was very immoral and there was language. In the end, the son winds up euthanizing his father after the encouragement of his wife. Very dissapointed