IMDb > Secrets & Lies (1996)
Secrets & Lies
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Secrets & Lies (1996) More at IMDbPro »

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Secrets & Lies (1996) -- Successful black woman traces her birth mother to a lower-class white woman, who denies it; emotions run high as everyone's secrets are exposed.

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   13,520 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mike Leigh
Writer:
Mike Leigh (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Secrets & Lies on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 October 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama more
Tagline:
Roxanne drives her mother crazy. Maurice never speaks to his niece. Cynthia has a shock for her family. Monica can't talk to her husband. Hortense has never met her mother.
Plot:
Successful black woman traces her birth mother to a lower-class white woman, who denies it; emotions run high as everyone's secrets are exposed. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 29 wins & 20 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Producer Channing-Williams Dead
 (From WENN. 14 April 2009, 5:05 AM, PDT)

British Filmmakers Rebuff Hollywood
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 13 January 1998)

User Comments:
Honesty & Integrity more (109 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Timothy Spall ... Maurice Purley
Phyllis Logan ... Monica Purley

Brenda Blethyn ... Cynthia Rose Purley

Claire Rushbrook ... Roxanne Purley
Marianne Jean-Baptiste ... Hortense Cumberbatch
Elizabeth Berrington ... Jane
Michele Austin ... Dionne
Lee Ross ... Paul

Lesley Manville ... Social Worker
Ron Cook ... Stuart
Emma Amos ... Girl with Scar
Brian Bovell ... Hortense's Brother
Trevor Laird ... Hortense's Brother
Claire Perkins ... Hortense's Sister-in-Law (as Clare Perkins)
Elias Perkins McCook ... Hortense's Nephew
Jane Mitchell ... Senior Optometrist (as June Mitchell)
Janice Acquah ... Junior Optician
Keeley Flanders ... Girl in Optician's

Hannah Davis ... First Bride
Terence Harvey ... First Bride's Father
Kate O'Malley ... Second Bride
Joe Tucker ... Groom
Richard Syms ... Vicar

Grant Masters ... Best Man
Annie Hayes ... Mother in Family Group
Jean Ainslie ... Grandmother
Daniel Smith ... Teenage Son
Lucy Sheen ... Nurse
Frances Ruffelle ... Young Mother
Felix Manley ... Baby
Nitin Ganatra ... Potential Husband
Metin Marlow ... Conjuror
Amanda Crossley ... Raunchy Woman
Su Elliot ... Raunchy Woman
Di Sherlock ... Raunchy Woman
Alex Squires ... Triplet #1
Lauren Squires ... Triplet #2
Sade Squires ... Triplet #3
Dominic Curran ... Little Boy
Stephen Churchett ... Man in Suit
David Neilson ... Man in Suit
Peter Stockbridge ... Man in Suit
Peter Waddington ... Man in Suit
Rachel Lewis ... Graduate

Paul Trussell ... Grinning Husband
Denise Orita ... Uneasy Woman
Margery Withers ... Elderly Lady
Theresa Watson ... Daughter
Gordon Winter ... Laughing Man

Jonathan Coyne ... Fiancé
Peter Wight ... Father in Family Group

Gary McDonald ... Boxer
Alison Steadman ... Dog Owner
Liz Smith ... Cat owner
Sheila Kelley ... Fertile Mother
Angela Curran ... Little Boy's Mother
Linda Beckett ... Pin-Up Housewife
Philip Davis ... Man in Suit
Wendy Nottingham ... Glum Wife
Anthony O'Donnell ... Uneasy Man
Ruth Sheen ... Laughing Woman
Mia Soteriou ... Fiancée
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anna Pernicci ... Waitress (uncredited)
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Directed by
Mike Leigh 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Mike Leigh  writer

Produced by
Simon Channing Williams .... producer
 
Original Music by
Andrew Dickson 
 
Cinematography by
Dick Pope 
 
Film Editing by
Jon Gregory 
 
Casting by
Susie Parriss  (as Parriss)
Paddy Stern  (as Stern)
 
Production Design by
Alison Chitty 
 
Art Direction by
Eve Stewart 
 
Set Decoration by
Liz Griffiths (uncredited)
 
Costume Design by
Maria Price 
 
Makeup Department
Christine Blundell .... makeup artist
Kirstin Chalmers .... assistant hair stylist (as Kirstin Weguelin)
Kirstin Chalmers .... assistant makeup artist (as Kirstin Weguelin)
 
Production Management
Georgina Lowe .... production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Zerlina Hughes .... third assistant director
Jennie Osborn .... first assistant director
Josh Robertson .... second assistant director
Chris Rose .... first assistant director
Paula Spinks .... fourth assistant director
 
Art Department
Hilly Benjamin .... assistant art director
Jim Booth .... art department assistant
Paul Cutler .... chargehand props
Martin Fitzpatrick .... property pick-up
Liz Griffiths .... production buyer
Guy Hunt .... stand-by carpenter
Peter Looby .... stand-by props
Nic Orlande .... construction manager
Tom Read .... dressing props
Nick Rose .... property master
Guy Rutter .... stand-by painter
Pete Lennox .... carpenter (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Sue Baker .... dubbing editor
Orin Beaton .... boom operator
Mick Boggis .... sound re-recording mixer
Diane Greaves .... foley walker
Michelle Greaves .... foley walker
Loveday Harding .... boom operator
Derek Holding .... adr editor
Derek Lomas .... dialogue editor
Peter Maxwell .... sound re-recording mixer
George Richards .... sound recordist
Ted Swanscott .... adr mixer
Ted Swanscott .... foley mixer
William Trent .... foley editor (as Bill Trent)
 
Visual Effects by
Dave Smith .... title opticals: Peerless
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Graham Baker .... rigger
Richard Blackmore .... generator operator
Lucy Bristow .... focus puller
Alan Coster .... electrician
Frank Cox .... best boy
Marco di Giulio .... electrician
Martin Duncan .... gaffer
Joe Dunton .... camera equipment
Joe Dunton .... camera rental
Simon Mein .... still photographer
Andy Ormesher .... rigger
Dan Shoring .... clapper loader
Colin Strachan .... camera grip
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Zoe Porter .... wardrobe trainee
Jackie Thomas .... wardrobe assistant
Allison Wyldeck .... costume supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Valentina Giambanco .... second assistant film editor
Kate Mackenzie .... first assistant film editor
Clive Noakes .... color timer
Ian Seymour .... first assistant film editor
Victoria Stevens .... trainee: FT2
 
Music Department
Chas Dickie .... musician: cello
Keith Grant .... music engineer
Michael Laird .... musician: flugelhorn
Step Parikian .... music supervisor
Helen Tunstall .... musician: harp
Ivo van der Worff .... musician: viola
Chris West .... musician: double bass
 
Transportation Department
Bill Nixon .... unit driver
Bianca Stone .... transportation
John Stone .... transportation
Bill Wright .... unit driver
 
Other crew
Chris Allies .... title designer
Mike Carter .... assistant location manager
Ian Differ .... trainee: FT2
Graham Easton .... completion bond: film finances services
Stephanie Fauger .... production coordinator (as Stephanie Faugier)
Phillip Kenny .... production executive
David Lewisohn .... solicitor: Theodore Goddard
Stephen Mercer .... trainee: FT2
Mark Mostyn .... location manager
Matthew Potts .... production runner
Deborah Reade .... assistant to producers
Roger Sampson .... insurance: Sampson and Allen
Heather Storr .... script supervisor
Iain Struthers .... trainee: FT2
Claire Thompson .... floor runner
Sarah Trowse .... assistant accountant
Will Tyler .... production accountant (as William Tyler)
Mark Westaway .... solicitor: Theodore Goddard
Karen Yeaman .... trainee: FT2
Raoul B. Reinert .... legal consultant (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Secrets et mensonges (France)
Segredos E Mentiras (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Тайны и ложь (Russia) [ru]
Hemligheter och lögner (Sweden) [sv]
Hemmeligheder og løgne (Denmark) [da]
Hemmeligheter og løgner (Norway) [no]
Lügen & Geheimnisse (Germany) [de]
Salaisuuksia ja valheita (Finland) [fi]
Secretos y mentiras (Argentina) [es]
Secretos y mentiras (Secrets and Lies) (Spain) [es]
Segreti e bugie (Italy) [it]
Sekrety i klamstwa (Poland) [pl]
Sirlar ve yalanlar (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Skrivnosti in lazi (Slovenia) [sl]
Tajnosti a lzi (Czech Republic) [cs]
Titkok és hazugságok (Hungary) [hu]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for language.
Runtime:
142 min | USA:136 min
Country:
France | UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby SR

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The restaurant where Cynthia and Hortense meet for lunch is "Pasta Plus Restaurant", a family-run Italian restaurant on 62 Eversholt Street, Camden, London. The restaurant is still open to the public (Monday to Saturday) and is very close to Euston station. more
Quotes:
Cynthia Purley: Where's this food, then? I'm ravishin'.
[Hortense laughs]
Cynthia Purley: What?
[Hortense chuckles]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "30 Rock: Secrets and Lies (#2.8)" (2007) more
Soundtrack:
Happy Birthday to You more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
37 out of 41 people found the following comment useful.
Honesty & Integrity, 3 June 2004
10/10
Author: wainot from United States

This is one of my very favorite movies of the last 10, even 20 years. For me, its greatness lies in the resonance of the story lines, the brilliant acting, (Brenda Blethyn, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Timothy Spall all turned in Oscar-worthy turns, and the rest of the ensemble were all with them), and Mike Leigh's direction.

This is a feast of tremendous acting, by a most talented ensemble who really become their characters. The scenes play out very naturally, and you really feel a part of the story, with special empathy towards - in no particular order - Cynthia, Maurice and Hortense. As the film builds towards a showdown/climax at the birthday party, you can even take a step back and at least sympathize with Roxanne and even, Monica.

This rates 10/10 by this reviewer, who wishes that more directors - if they truly have a good story to tell - will shoot and edit the film in a way that appreciates the audience's intelligence and capacity to feel without being manipulated by a director's avant-garde(??) bag of tricks ...for comparison, perhaps see my scathing review of 21 Grams! What a contrast of styles!!!

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