The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady (1984)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Elaine Feinstein and Dirk Campbell, based upon the work of Edith Blackwell Holden
Directed by Dirk Campbell
Nature Photography by Ted Channell and Terry Channell
Starring Pippa Guard, Isabelle Amyes, Jill Benedict, Elizabeth Choice, James Coombes, Anthony Daniels, Brian Rawlinson

Released by: BFS
Rating: NR, safe for all ages
Region: 1
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format

My Advice: At least rent it--buy it if you’re an artist or a nature-lover

Country Diary is based upon the journal and biography of Edith Blackwell Holden, but takes its name from a facsimile of Holden’s own nature journal, which appears frequently throughout the film. Each part of this twelve-part series is devoted to a month in the life of Holden, though each month may contain snippets from more than one year as Holden remembers the past and ages into the future.

The novel is in the form of a diary, as if it were taken from that nature journal, and tells the story of Edith from her childhood to her death, centered on the events of the year 1906. Such important events as her marriage and death are covered through flashbacks, but the film also gives viewers a marvelous look at daily life, those non-special days that make up our existence. In this respect, the film is fascinating and a wonderful addition to the libraries of anyone interested in Edwardian and British history.

The acting is good enough to make what could be dry and pedantic into something much more lively and interesting. Coombes as the young suitor Ernest Smith is probably the weakest link in this production, but even he is good enough. Pippa Guard as the lead is wonderful--pensive and happy by turns, given to a bit of melancholy and over-seriousness that somehow manages not to be irritating or snotty. The various cast members who compose Holden’s family are all wonderful, particularly Amyes as Holden’s sister Winnie. Also keep an eye out for the non-C3PO talents of Anthony Daniels.

The audio and video quality of the disc are both solid enough, approximately comparable to a television show. The film stock dates from the mid 1980s, and as such, the colors are a bit faded; the shots of Holden’s paintings, however, are still lovely and moving. The nature photography throughout the film is still a wonderful counterpoint to the action and is a nice accent to the narration from Holden’s diary.

It is unfortunate that there are no extras on this release. It would have been marvelous to have been given a gallery of some of Holden’s work; perhaps, since the book facsimile is recently back in print, it proved too difficult or expensive to get the rights. A print biography of Holden would have been nice, or even just a timeline, since the film does skip around a bit and can be confusing.

Nature lovers and artists will be particularly charmed by this release, as will anyone interested in late Victorian or Edwardian life. Because of the beautiful panorama shots, landscape lovers and viewers fond of the Scottish and English countryside will want to have this one. It’s also a just plain good story, covering the awakening of Holden to the possibilities of her life and her growth as an artist. Historians will enjoy seeing the detail of the programs and all the various aspects of life at the birth of the Modern period. As we slip comfortably into the new millennium, it is interesting and good to look back one hundred years to the start of the last one.