The Cherry Orchard

Anyone who wants to willingly sit through The Cherry Orchard had better know what they're getting into. Every version I've seen is slightly different, and this version seems to do a very good job of giving everyone in the cast equal screen time. Yes, the story is about Madame Ranevsky, so we're all on alert whenever Judi Dench is on the screen, but everyone else gets his or her day in the sun, too.

Bill Paterson gets to be dismissed and disrespected until finally, he seeks his comeuppance. Anton Lesser is the blast from the past, who reminds Judi Dench of their sorrowful years in the past. It isn't bad enough she has to sell her property and see her beloved cherry trees chopped down - he has to constantly remind her about her dead son and make her cry! But she looks very lovely in this movie, so adding dewy eyes to quaffed hair, ornate gowns, and pretty eye makeup really isn't so bad. Anton has another reason for visiting, harboring a crush on Judi's daughter, Suzanne Burden. There's another romance added to the mix: Timothy Spall (looking very young in 1981!) is in love with Frances Low, but she thinks he's too low-brow and shy and prefers the more confident David Rintoul.

I would have loved to see Judi Dench playing the daughter in 1962, but YouTube only had the first fifteen minutes. It was a fun beginning, but I made sure to watch this one all the way through. I was able to understand most of it, so that's quite a compliment. If you have your CliffsNotes handy, you'll probably like this one.