The Buccaneers
Filmed at Newport, R.I., and in Yorkshire, Stamford, Lincolnshire and the Cotswolds, England, by WGBH Boston and BBC. Executive producers, Phillippa Giles , Rebecca Eaton; producer-director, Philip Saville; co-producer, Rosalind Wolfes; writer, Maggie Wadey; based on the uncompleted novel by Edith Wharton; Host: Russell Baker.
Filmed at Newport, R.I., and in Yorkshire, Stamford, Lincolnshire and the Cotswolds, England, by WGBH Boston and BBC. Executive producers, Phillippa Giles , Rebecca Eaton; producer-director, Philip Saville; co-producer, Rosalind Wolfes; writer, Maggie Wadey; based on the uncompleted novel by Edith Wharton; Host: Russell Baker.
Scenarist Maggie Wadey has supplied her own windup of Edith Wharton’s unfinished turn-of-the-century novel about a quartet of young American women whose nouveau riche families want them to marry well and boost their social status. With “Masterpiece Theatre” kicking off its 25th anniversary, fans hungering for a touch of Wharton may be dismayed with Wadey’s filmic excesses; others may revel in pic’s bonbon texture.
Related Stories
VIP+Disney’s Theme Parks Problem Is a Monster of Its Own Making
The Scott Peterson Docuseries Is Finally Here: How to Stream the New Series Online
At first a trifle arch, five-part series (airing on three nights) eventually shifts into high meller. All the pretty girls are gathered with their mamans at Newport. Nan St. George (Carla Gugino), 18; her older sister, Virginia (Allison Elliott); Brazilian Conchita Closson (Mira Sorvino) and Lizzy Elmsworth (Rya Kihlstedt) may not be bluebloods, but they’re vivacious and interested in romance.
Popular on Variety
Nan’s English governess, Laura Testvalley (Cherie Lunghi), charming and not averse to making money, suggests the girls travel to London for the social season, since they can’t make a dent in New York’s exclusivity. She has an American friend, Jacky March (Connie Booth), who, jilted 30 years ago in England , now is known in all the right London circles, and arranges things. She dubs the invading foursome “buccaneers.”
The young women find what they think they want in the way of husbands, and if the fates seem to be playing it pat, it’s variously amusing. Just about everyone smokes lavishly and lives exuberantly. Rosalind Ebbutt’s lush costumes are eye-filling, and director Philip Saville wastes no time dishing out the vigorous takeoff on a Victorian tale.
Conchita finds Lord Richard (Ronan Vibert) in Newport, where he’s a dissolute remission man; reserved Virginia discovers Richard’s older brother, Lord Seadown (MarkTandy), in England, where he lingers with his older mistress, Idina (the commanding Jenny Agutter); Lizzy discovers the agreeable, industrious Hector (Richard Huw).
Nan, the central figure, youngest and on the plump side, encounters a reclusive duke, Julius (James Frain), who’s enchanted by Nan. Anything can happen in the teleplay as it sometimes veers from Wharton into hijinx more at home in Harlequin romances. Homosexuality and a near-rape scene stray far from Wharton’s intent; their visual whizbang presumably makes up for it.
Wharton’s unfinished novel was completed according to her synopsis by Marion Mainwaring, but scriptwriter Wadey uses her own cinematic concept. Wadey’s work served as basis for still another book version, this one written by British author Angela Markworth-Young.
The “Masterpiece Theatre” version blunts Wharton’s delicacy, downplays the humor, loses much of the Wharton charm. No Henry James or Galsworthy lurks here. But there’s an outdoor poker scene that’s a dramatic plum, gorgeous views of Cornwall in the second hour, and Tony Burrough’s impressive production design.
The cast is tops, with Gugino’s Nan an engrossing heroine, Frain’s oddly behaving Julius a standout, Lunghi’s Testvalley a particular delight. Greg Wise plays the intriguing Guy Thwaite with leading-man command, and Michael Kitchen is admirable as his father. Elizabeth Ashley appears too briefly as Conchita’s flamboyant mother, and Sheila Hancock is admirable as Julius’ strong mother.
Much of Saville’s production was filmed in Yorkshire at Castle Howard, prominent in “Brideshead Revisited.” Remi Adefarasin’s camerawork is strong, Greg Miller’s editing OK, Colin Towns’ score useful. Program marks the 25th year Mobil’s financed “Masterpiece Theatre”; at least the first entry’s aimed in the right direction.
Jump to CommentsThe Buccaneers
More from Variety
‘Stream’ Director Michael Leavy on Why Fandom Helps Indie Filmmaking and Assembling ‘the Avengers of Horror’ for His Hyper Gory Slasher
Why Studios Still Haven’t Licensed Movies and TV Shows to Train AI
Tim Curry Returns to the Big Screen in Horror Movie ‘Stream’ (EXCLUSIVE)
High-Resolution 8K Has Its Places, but TV Might Not Be One of Them
Most Popular
‘Inside Out 2’ Becomes First Animated Film to Hit $1 Billion at International Box Office
Box Office: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Returns to No. 1 in Fifth Weekend as ‘The Crow’ Bombs and ‘Blink Twice…
Channing Tatum Says Gambit Accent Was Supposed to Be ‘Unintelligible’ at Times and He Was ‘Too Scared to Ask’ Marvel for the Costume to Bring…
Ryan Reynolds Was ‘Mortified’ to Cut Rob McElhenney’s ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Cameo but the ‘Sequence Wasn’t Working’: ‘I Had to Kill a Darling…
Oasis’ Liam and Noel Gallagher Drop Biggest Hint Yet That Group Is Reuniting
China Box Office: 'Alien: Romulus' Becomes Hollywood's Second Biggest Film of 2024
‘Ted Lasso’ Eyes Season 4 Greenlight With Main Cast Members Returning
Chris Hemsworth Plays Drums in Surprise Appearance at Ed Sheeran’s Romania Concert
Elvis Costello Turns 70: His 70 Best Songs, Ranked
Tim Burton Isn't Interested in Directing Another Superhero Movie: When I Made 'Batman,' 'The Word Franchise Didn't Exist'
Must Read
- Film
‘Megalopolis’ Trailer’s Fake Critic Quotes Were AI-Generated, Lionsgate Drops Marketing Consultant Responsible For Snafu
- Music
Sabrina Carpenter Teases and Torments on the Masterful — and Devilishly NSFW — 'Short n' Sweet': Album Review
- Film
Tim Burton on Why the 'Batman' Films Have Changed and How 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Saved Him From Retirement
- Film
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Are the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton of the 2020s
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9mhnqBjp%2BgpaVfp7K3tcSwqmismJp6o8HCnJinnZWnwG5%2BjGppaWhkaYB2hI9o