The Inheritance
 
 

This film is based on Louisa May Alcott's first novel, The Inheritance, written in 1849 when the author was but 18, yet undiscovered until 1996, when it was found in Harvard's Houghton Library by two professors. They'd initially spotted the novel in the late 1980s or 1990 but due to other obligations had no time to examine it until 1996.

It's a lovely story, although, not having read the novel, I cannot swear how accurately this film follows the plot line in Alcott's debut.

And as far as the story, characters, costumes and settings go, this is altogether, a treat.

What bothers me about this film is its feeling of a British setting and class mindset, in which all the actors speak with an American accent. And indeed, the story is set, mostly, at a 19th century English country mansion, the home of Lord and Lady Henry Hamilton, named Evanswood in the British fashion.

So the American accents are very odd, and throw the story's center off kilter.

It's especially odd since Tom Conti, who plays Lord Hamilton, benefactor of the orphaned Italian girl Edith Adelon, is by birth a Scott and a popular West End actor with a sturdy British accent, although he does "American" quite well. Presumably all the other actors could have done British equally well. Too bad.

Conti first came to broad American notice in the mid 1970s, after he starred in Galileo, a 1975 American Film Theater adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's play on 17th century scientist Galileo Galilei, and the 1977 TV production of Alan Ayckbourn's brilliant comedic trilogy, The Norman Conquests.

As I watched this delightful story unfold, I wondered why ever a British story line was played with American accents, and it grated on me throughout.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Disk has been professionally refurbished and test played before shipping and will play  well in most machines.





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