The Enchanted April
is a 1922 novel by Elizabeth von Arnim. An Academy Award-nominated film based on the novel, directed by Mike Newell, was released in 1992. A Tony Award-nominated stage play by Matthew Barber, adapted from the same novel, was presented on Broadway in 2003.
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Plot
Elizabeth von Arnim's novel tells the story of four dissimilar women in 1920s England who leave their damp and rainy environs to go on a holiday to a secluded coastal castle in Italy. Mrs Arbuthnot and Mrs Wilkins, who belong to the same ladies' club but have never spoken, become acquainted after reading an advertisement for villas for rent in a newspaper. They find some common ground in that both are struggling to make the best of unhappy marriages. Having decided to seek other ladies to help share expenses, they reluctantly take on the waspish, elderly Mrs Fisher and the stunning, but aloof, Lady Caroline Dester. The four women come together at the castle and find rejuvenation in the tranquil beauty of their surroundings, rediscovering hope and love.
Film
The film was shot on location at
Castello Brown in
Portofino Italy. This same castle was where the author of the book stayed in the 1920s.
Cast
- Josie Lawrence - Lottie Wilkins
- Miranda Richardson - Rose Arbuthnot
- Polly Walker - Caroline Dester
- Joan Plowright - Mrs. Fisher
- Alfred Molina - Mellersh Wilkins
- Michael Kitchen - George Briggs
- Jim Broadbent - Frederick Arbuthnot
Awards
Wins
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Miranda Richardson)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture (Joan Plowright)
Nominations
- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
- Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay (Peter Barnes)
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Joan Plowright)
- Academy Award for Costume Design (Sheena Napier)
Theater
Broadway cast
- Jayne Atkinson - Lotty Wilton
- Molly Ringwald - Rose Arnott
- Dagmara Dominczyk - Lady Caroline Bramble
- Elizabeth Ashley - Mrs. Graves
- Michael Cumpsty - Mellersh Wilton
- Daniel Gerroll - Frederick Arnott
- Michael Hayden - Antony Wilding
- Patricia Conolly - Costanza
Awards
Wins
- Outstanding New American Play - Outer Critics Circle
Nominations
- Tony Award for Best Play
- Tony Award for Best Actress - Jayne Atkinson
- Best Play - Drama League