The Bretts (1987)
Review by HTQ4
Film:
DVD:

Written by Harry Duffin
Directed by Baz Taylor
Starring Barbara Murray, Norman Rodway, David Yelland, Belinda Lang, Lysette Anthony

Features:

• Cast Profiles
  

Released by: BFS Video
Region: 1
Rating: NR (some sexual content)
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format

My Advice: If you are at all involved in the theatre, you must own it; otherwise it's a rental

George and Martha Brett (Murray and Rodway, respectively) are the Lunts of the London Theatre world. Both are well known stage actors, and their family has stayed in the business. They have a son, Edwin (Yelland), who has followed in his father's footsteps and become an actor, but he is the first in the family to break into the fledgling film industry, something which has caused more than a few heated discussions in the Brett household. Their daughter Martha (Lang), is also a stage actress, but in the world of the 1920s she has gotten a kind of reputation as a woman who has been around town, which also caused more than a few heated discussions. Their son Thomas (Winter) is a young playwright who has written one hit play and is hoping that his next play will have the same reaction. That, too, has caused quite a bit of heated discussion in the Brett household. Are you getting the feeling that this theatre family has more than its share of drama in its household?

This has to be one of the best television mini-series that I've seen in a long time. All of the characters are amazingly well rounded. These actors not only dove into their characters, they also soaked themselves in the time period. There is no weakness in the cast whatsoever. The attention that is paid to period detail is amazing and second to none. Not only that, but it is so easy to get drawn into the world of these characters. I could not wait to get the next disc in the machine to continue the story. There is one episode in particular where they are producing a show and one of their cast members die, so they end the episode with a beautiful tribute showing a curtain call with an empty spotlight--an effect that will leave you in tears.

The problem with the DVD is that there is just not enough bonus material for a show of this caliber. I would have killed to have some interviews with the cast and crew on this one. Hearing their insight into the creation of their characters would have been so wonderful. All we are left with on this DVD is a dossier of each actor and the works that they have done, and even though these are impressive, they are just not enough to make this an amazing DVD.

If you are involved in the theatre at all, you absolutely must have this DVD. This series is worth every penny.