Esio Trot (film)
{{Short description|2015 television film by Dearbhla Walsh}}
{{For|the novel the film is based on|Esio Trot}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Roald Dahl's Esio Trot poster.png
| image_size = 222
| image_alt =
| caption = DVD cover
| genre =
| creator =
| based_on = {{Based on|Esio Trot|Roald Dahl}}
| writer = {{plainlist|
}}
| screenplay =
| story =
| director = Dearbhla Walsh
| starring = {{Plainlist |
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_episodes =
| executive_producer = {{plainlist|
- Richard Curtis
- Bob Weinstein
- Harvey Weinstein
- Matthew Read
}}
| producer = Hilary Bevan Jones
| editor = Tim Murrell
| cinematography = Ben Smithard
| runtime = 90 minutes
| company = Endor Productions
| budget =
| network = BBC One
| released = {{Start date|2015|01|01|df=y}}
| composer = Tim Phillips
}}
Roald Dahl's Esio Trot, or simply Esio Trot, is a British comedy drama television film directed by Dearbhla Walsh and written by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, based on the 1990 novel, Esio Trot, by Roald Dahl. In the film, a retired bachelor (Dustin Hoffman) falls in love with his neighbour, a widow (Judi Dench) who keeps a tortoise as a companion after the death of her husband.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/aug/22/dustin-hoffman-judi-dench-esio-trot | title=Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench to star in Roald Dahl adaptation for BBC | work=The Guardian | date=22 August 2013 | access-date=23 December 2013 | author=Sweney, Mark}}
Roald Dahl's Esio Trot debuted in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2015, on BBC One.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04w5btr|title=BBC One - Roald Dahl's Esio Trot|website=BBC|access-date=21 June 2019}} It was seen by 7.86 million viewers, making it the ninth-most watched programme on BBC One and across all United Kingdom TV channels for the week ending 4 January 2015.[http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-30? Broadcasters' Audience Research Board, barb.co.uk, shows Roald Dahl's Esio Trot in place 9 of most watched for week ending 4 January 2015.] Accessed 23 December 2017
Cast
- Judi Dench as Mrs. Lavinia Silver
- Dustin Hoffman as Mr. Henry Hoppy
- James Corden as The Narrator
- Richard Cordery as Mr. Pringle
- Pixie Davies as Roberta
- Geoffrey McGivern as the Pet Shop Owner
- Jimmy Akingbola as the keen Pet Shop Owner
- Lisa Hammond as Mrs. Desmond
- Anna Cannings as Mrs. Court
- Joseph West as Philip
- Katie Lyons as Philip's Mother
- Polly Kemp as the woman on Bus
- Pik-Sen Lim as Mrs. Wu
- Salo Gardner as Mr. Mavrokoukoudopolous
- Emily Ralph as the Little Girl
Music
The musical score is by composer Tim Phillips. All the commercial music used in the show is that of New Orleans jazz singer and trumpeter Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars, which includes Edmond Hall, Trummy Young, Billy Kyle, Arvell Shaw and Barrett Deems.
Differences from Dahl's novel
- Mr. Pringle (Hoppy's rival for the affections of Mrs Silver) does not appear in the novel.
- In the novel, Mr. Hoppy's ruse of switching tortoises to fool Mrs. Silver into thinking that hers is growing is successful, and she never discovers the truth. In the movie, she discovers Mr. Hoppy's plan, but eventually marries him anyway.
Production
Charlotte Moore announced the television film at the Edinburgh International Television Festival on 22 August 2013.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/esio-trot.html | title=Dame Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman to star in Roald Dahl's Esio Trot for BBC One | work=BBC | date=22 August 2013 | access-date=24 October 2013 | author=Maguire, Una}}{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ariel/23801070 | title=BBC reveals new commissions at the Edinburgh Festival | work=BBC | date=23 August 2013 | access-date=24 October 2013}} It was produced by Hilary Bevan Jones and directed by Dearbhla Walsh. Bevan Jones said, "To bring together two of the world's favourite actors in Dame Judi and Dustin is a dream come true. Richard and Paul have captured the magic of Roald Dahl’s wonderful tale and I am thrilled that Dearbhla is to direct it."{{cite news | url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a509236/judi-dench-dustin-hoffman-for-roald-dahls-esio-trot-on-bbc-one.html | title=Judi Dench, Dustin Hoffman for Roald Dahl's 'Esio Trot' on BBC One | work=Digital Spy | date=22 August 2013 | access-date=24 October 2013 | author=Eames, Tom}} It was adapted by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, and filming took place in May 2014 in London.{{cite news | url=http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2013/08/dame-judi-dench-and-dustin-hoffman-to-star-in-roald-dahls-esio-trot-for-bbc/ | title=Dame Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman to Star in Roald Dahl's 'Esio Trot' for BBC | work=BBC America | date=23 August 2013 | access-date=24 October 2013 | author=Patrick, Seb}} The apartment block featured in the film is Adelaide Wharf in Haggerston.
Reviews
The adaptation received praise, with Lucy Mangan in The Guardian writing, "An utterly, completely, inescapably beguiling adaptation of Roald Dahl's book by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, directed by Dearbhla Walsh, narrated by James Corden and starring Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench. You could argue that with a pedigree like that nothing could have gone wrong, but it doesn’t work like that. Although you can maximise your chances of being able to conjure it, charm is ineffable, alchemical. You can't measure it out by the yard and cut it off when you've got enough. You can't splash it on to a scene and then stopper it to make sure you've got enough for the next take. It just … appears, if you're careful and if you're lucky. And then it ripples through your film, or your play or your book, animating all and subtly transforming everything from a prosaic good – or even great – into a thing of wonder."{{cite news |title=Esio Trot review – Dench sparkles, Hoffman is perfect; World's Strongest Man |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/02/esio-trot-roald-dahl-judi-dench-dustin-hoffman-james-corden-tv-review |access-date=31 August 2019 |newspaper=The Guardian}}
Awards
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Award ! Category ! Nominated ! Result | ||||
| rowspan=2|2016 | rowspan=2| 44th International Emmy Awards | Best Performance by an Actor{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/09/judi-dench-dustin-hoffman-shonda-rimes-international-emmy-nominations-1201826138/|title=Brazil, UK Lead Pack For International Emmy Nominations|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=26 September 2016 |access-date=25 November 2016}} | Dustin Hoffman | {{Won}} |
| Best Performance by an Actress | Judi Dench | {{Nom}} |
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{BBC programme|b04w5btr}}
- {{IMDb title|tt3205394}}
{{Roald Dahl}}
{{Richard Curtis}}
Category:British television films
Category:Films based on British novels
Category:Films based on children's books
Category:Films based on works by Roald Dahl
Category:Films shot in England
Category:British English-language television shows
Category:Films with screenplays by Richard Curtis