Just Because Wednesday, Movies at Home: ‘The Remains of the Day’

Happy Birthday, Emma Thompson!  Yes, Emma turns 61 on April 15, and to celebrate her day, let’s look back at our favorite Ms. Thompson role in one of our favorite movies…”The Remains of the Day” (1993).  Now, Thompson won a screenplay Oscar for “Sense and Sensibility” (1995) and garnered the Best Actress top prize for “Howard’s End” (1992), but she perfectly plays the sensible but curious and kind housekeeper Miss Kenton in director James Ivory’s masterful work.

During the 1930s, Miss Kenton and head butler Mr. Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) run England’s Darlington Hall for Lord Darlington (James Fox).  Now, while scandal was brewing with Miss Kenton’s and Mr. Stevens’ employer, romance may bloom between the two loyal subjects.  That is, if the ever-reserved Mr. Stevens opens his heart.

For some, “The Remains of the Day” can be slow-moving affair, but Thompson and Hopkins are at the peak of their powers, and each on-screen moment with these two deserves our devoted attention.  Ivory’s film earned eight Academy Award nominations but was sadly shut out from Oscar gold.  Well, it’s hard to argue with “Schindler’s List” (1993) earning Best Picture and Holly Hunter winning Best Actress for “The Piano” (1993), but Thompson’s performance should not be forgotten or missed.

(Available for streaming on Amazon Prime)

⭐⭐⭐⭐  out of  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Image credits: Columbia Pictures; Trailer credits: Movieclips

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