Downton Abbey
Short description
Set in 1927, Downton Abbey follows the Crawley family and their household as they prepare to host King George V and Queen Mary at their country estate. The royal visit brings elaborate arrangements, including a lunch, a parade and a dinner, and requires the family and staff to work together under considerable strain. Tensions arise between the visiting royal household and the resident servants, and Lady Mary questions whether keeping such a large estate is still practical in a changing world. The film continues the story of the television series created by Julian Fellowes, who also wrote the screenplay, and it is directed by Michael Engler.
Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle and Michelle Dockery lead a credited cast of 54, with 65 crew members. Engler's only other credited feature as director is Mastergate from 1992. The film was made for 20 million USD and took 195 million USD worldwide, a strong return relative to its cost. It holds a 7.4/10 rating on IMDb from around 71,000 votes and a 7.2/10 on TMDB from 1,294 votes, while the film critics' rating stands at 6.9/10 from 262 reviews. Audience and critic scores sit fairly close together, indicating broadly similar levels of approval.
What's left behind the scenes
- Bertie, the Marquess of Hexham, is offered the position of assistant to the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII, 1894-1972) during a trip to Africa in 1928. He declines the offer. In reality, this position was held by Alan Frederick ‘Tommy’ Lascelles (1887-1981), whose cousin Henry (1882-1947), the sixth Earl of Harewood, was married to Princess Mary (1897-1965), daughter of George V.
- The depiction of George V's (1865-1936) visit to Downton Abbey is based on his visit to Wentworth Woodhouse, a mansion in Yorkshire where the ball scenes of the series were filmed.
- The scene in the gay club was filmed in a packhouse. In 1920s Britain, such establishments were prohibited, but existed in all major cities. The club that Thomas visits is fictional.
- Mrs. Bates tells a servant caught stealing how terrible it would be if the disappearance of items during her and Mary of Teck's (1867-1953, Queen of the United Kingdom and Ireland) visits led to suspicion falling on the Queen. This remark alludes to the fact that the Queen had a habit of stealing antiques, which was well known to everyone. If the item was small, she would hide it in her handbag; if it was too large for the handbag, she would begin to praise it repeatedly until the owner offered it to her.
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