Churchill's Secret

TV Movie
2016
TV-PG
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Michael Gambon in Churchill's Secret (2016)

British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill (Sir Michael Gambon) suffers from a stroke in the summer of 1953, which is consequently kept a secret from the rest of the world.British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill (Sir Michael Gambon) suffers from a stroke in the summer of 1953, which is consequently kept a secret from the rest of the world.British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill (Sir Michael Gambon) suffers from a stroke in the summer of 1953, which is consequently kept a secret from the rest of the world.

Director
- Charles Sturridge
Writers
- Jonathan Smith
- Stewart Harcourt
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

1.6K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Charles Sturridge
Writers
- Jonathan Smith
- Stewart Harcourt
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 6 nominations

Trivia
In the title of Jonathan Smith's book "The Churchill Secret - KBO" on which this movie was based, "KBO" is an abbreviation for a phrase commonly used by Churchill; "Keep Buggering On" (in other words, don't give up).

Goofs
Nurse Appleyard has a sailing ticket for the "Rangitoto", a liner of the New Zealand Shipping Company which sailed from London to New Zealand via Panama. The company's ships did not serve Australia and so would hardly be a choice for somebody who was emigrating there.

Quotes
[Clemmie wants Winston to retire from being PM, and to spend his time at Chartwell. He is determined to continue, despite his stroke. His immediate aim is to attend the Conservative Party conference in Margate. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden has just visited, expecting Winston to announce his resignation]
Clemmie Churchill: I thought Anthony was looking well... if a bit thin.
Winston Churchill: Clemmie, if I'm wrong and I can't get through Margate, then I'm all yours. That's my promise. If I fall, there's nowhere I want to fall except in your arms.
Clemmie Churchill: You've made promises to me before, darling.
Winston Churchill: I know.
Clemmie Churchill: And broken them.
Winston Churchill: But not any more.
Clemmie Churchill: [with resignation] Margate, then.

Connections
Featured in Too Much TV: Episode #1.1 (2016)

Soundtracks
I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
(uncredited)
Written by James Kendis, James Brockman and Nat Vincent
Performed by Michael Gambon

User reviews22

Review

Featured review

6/10

Watchable but fails to score many points

I scarcely ever like biopics, and as it turned out I wasn't going to start with "Churchill's Secret". The main reason is that they nearly always take a lend of a famous personality to provide audience motivation and engagement, rather than relying on the merits of the story and the screenplay. The Churchill legend is tapped here and it turns out to be a weak basis for a rather dull and slow movie. In some ways I didn't mind spending a couple of hours in this world, mainly because of the Chartwell setting which brought recollections of a past visit. The character actors do well with what material they have, and are well-costumed and coiffed. I think it's a weakness that the film focuses on family drama rather than evoking national and global tensions, which are referred to, but not effectively exploited. Lindsay Duncan is beautiful to look at as Clemmie, but she is rather unlikeable, which is a pity. Michael Gambon ticks a familiar box as a senior British male actor in portraying Churchill, but his depiction didn't especially evoke Churchill for me. It's a tough call, but it's one of the weaknesses making this film an "also ran".