Product Details

• Actors: Colin Firth, Zoe Wanamaker, Stephen Dillane, Brenda Bruce
• Directors: Katie Mitchell
• Format: Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Worldwide
• DVD Release Date: August 19, 2008
• Run Time: 87 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0019MFY2C
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,319 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

DH LAWRENCE:RAINBOW/WIDOWING OF MRS H - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 111 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Widowing and The Rainbow..., January 11, 2009

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Cat "hopeless-anglophile" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd (DVD)

D.H. Lawrence's play by the same name was not widely received nor did he even see it when it was first dramatised, and this is unfortunate because he seems to have understood the suffering of women in the confines of marriage-a theme in much of his work. Set in a mining town, Zoe Wanamaker plays the lonely and miserable wife of a violent, alcoholic brute played by Colin Firth. Unfortunately, this films' title is absolute poison--it basically ends the story before it begins. The audience has to at least believe that this unhappy woman might have a chance to begin life with a man who will love and respect her-a man, played by Stephen Dillane, who gives her this opportunity. This drama, though well-acted, did not transfer well to this production and needed a lot more character intimacy to keep it from playing all one note. On the other hand, another D.H. Lawrence story "The Rainbow," is an incredible, three-part "bonus feature" included on side two of this disc. Why "The Rainbow" is not sold on it's own is unusual because this is the more developed production. It was initially banned by the government because of it's sexual themes, but is more about the spiritual frustration of Ursula, played by Imogen Stubbs. She's a very brave actress considering some of the content in this film but she captures the characters' eccentricity who feels imprisoned by an unemotional and heartless society. She wants complete freedom but also to be loved-two ideals that cannot exist together. All things considered I was disapppointed with "The Widowing" but "The Rainbow" was an unexpected pleasure.

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars She Wanted Him Dead, October 12, 2009

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R. Crane (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd (DVD)

Have you ever been so angry with someone that you wished them dead? Well, Mrs. Holroyd did. She was furious with her husband for many things: his unceasing womanizing (even bringing prostitutes to their home); his abusive and foul treatment of her and the children; his selfishness and coarseness. She thought she could no longer face a bleak future of more of the same.

Now Mrs. Holroyd had an admirer, a young electrician who appeared to be besotted with her and willing to do almost anything to woo her. He offered her an alternative: take the children and flee with him to Europe by boat and start a new and happier life.

In the wake of her husband's drunken behavior and passing out, the offer became more and more appealing. With the electrician whispering in her ear while she tried to tend to her unconscious husband, she finds herself wondering about how much better her life would be without him and the idea of plotting his murder with the electrician becomes more and more plausible and the answer to her prayers.

And then her husband is found dead. Mrs. Holroyd is plagued with guilt and has a sort of nervous breakdown while preparing his body for the funeral. She believes her wishing him dead led to his death.

This is a BBC production, and though the acting is good, this is not up to the usual BBC standards. The action never leaves the main room of Mrs. Holroyd's seedy house. You have to imagine the scenes at the pub or mine. Zoe Wanamaker and the others are good actors, but this movie moves so slowly you could fall asleep from boredom. It is a very unimaginative production. There was a reason that this D.H. Lawrence play was not received well: it did not deserve critical acclaim. Neither does this production. Not recommended.

49 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd and the talent of Zoe Wanamaker, August 22, 2008

By 

Zoe/Judi Fan-addict "KQ" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd (DVD)

A wonderfully portrayed D.H.Lawrence play with some biographical overtones. This play reflects on Lawrence's early insites living in a mining family with a boorish father drinking, fighting and being an overall sad brute making his way through life with an overworked, strong and underloved woman at her witt's end in the relationship. If you've never seen Ms. Zoe Wanamaker perform(Madam Hooch in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), you're in for a treat. She works this character's nuances so precisely and sensually, you'll want to know more. The talented Colin Firth---recently in Mamma Mia--- plays her husband. The actor playing Mr. Blackmore is a wonderful addition to this triad of lives interwoven in this drama. The Rainbow, with Imogen Stubbs, is not my "cup of tea" as stories go but a story of a young woman's sexual realizations. For a truly wonderful Shakesperean performance by Ms Zoe Wanamaker and Ms Stubbs view Othello the BBC production with Zoe as Iago's wife Emma and Imogen as Desdemona. Zoe's performance is fabulous!!!!