Firelight (1997)

Director:

William Nicholson

Writer (WGA):

William Nicholson (written by)

Release Date:

4 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Drama

Tagline:

Passion has no limits

Plot:

In 1838, lovely governess Elisabeth agrees to bear a child of anonymous English landowner, and he will in return pay her father's debt...

Plot Keywords:

Comatose | Love Affair | Surrogate Mother | Rescue From Drowning | Child In Peril

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Sophie Marceau	...	Elisabeth Laurier
Stephen Dillane	...	Charles Godwin
Dominique Belcourt	...	Louisa Godwin
Kevin Anderson	...	John Taylor
Lia Williams	...	Constance
Joss Ackland	...	Lord Clare
Sally Dexter	...	Molly Holland
Emma Amos	...	Ellen
Maggie McCarthy	...	Mrs. Jago
Wolf Kahler	...	Sussman
Annabel Giles	...	Amy Godwin
John Flanagan	...	Robert Ames
Valerie Minifie	...	Hannah
Diana Payan	...	Mrs. Maidment
John Hodgkinson	...	Carlo
Anthony Dutton	...	Dodds
Hugh Walters	...	Dr. Geddes
Peter Needham	...	Rector
Melissa Knatchbull	...	Mrs. Hurst
Frank Rozelaar-Green	...	Dancemaster
Trevor St. John Hacker	...	Fashionable Guest (as Trevor St. John-Hacker)
Katharine Levy	...	French Maid
Valerie Sarruf	...	French Patronne
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ian Crowe	...	Thomas
Harry Jones	...	William
Tom Fisher	...	Davey (uncredited)

Directed by
William Nicholson

Writing credits (WGA)
William Nicholson		(written by)

Produced by
Susan Cartsonis	....	co-executive producer
Brian Eastman	....	producer
Carmen Finestra	....	executive producer
Rick Leed	....	executive producer
David McFadzean	....	executive producer
Ted Morley	....	associate producer
Matt Williams	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Christopher Gunning

Cinematography by
Nic Morris		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Chris Wimble

Casting by
John Hubbard
Ros Hubbard

Production Design by
Rob Harris

Art Direction by
Peter Wenham

Set Decoration by
Caroline Smith

Costume Design by
Andrea Galer

Makeup Department
Suzan Broad	....	hair styles supervisor
Suzan Broad	....	makeup supervisor
Françoise Cresson	....	hair stylist (as Francoise Cresson)
Françoise Cresson	....	makeup artist (as Francoise Cresson)
Fernando Mendes	....	hairdresser: Miss Marceau
Lisa Pickering	....	hair stylist
Lisa Pickering	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jean-Philippe Blime	....	unit manager: France (as Jean-Phillippe Blime)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Connie Boylan	....	third assistant director
Edward Brett	....	first assistant director
Adam Goodman	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Charmian Adams	....	stand-by art director
Robert Allen	....	construction stand-by (as Rob Allen)
Barry Arnold	....	props
John Bohan	....	construction
Nicky Chandler	....	art department runner
Frank Cullen	....	props
Judy Ducker	....	buyer
Paul Duff	....	construction stand-by
Michael Finlay	....	construction stand-by
Larne Hampson	....	props
Peter Hawkins	....	construction
Mickey Lennon	....	property master (as Micky Lennon)
Brian Neighbour	....	construction
John O'Connell	....	props
Adrian Start	....	supervisor painter
Tom Still	....	draughtsman
Bob Thorne	....	props
Paul Turner	....	props
James Walker	....	props
Nick Walker	....	props
David Weller	....	construction stand-by (as Dave Weller)
David Wescott	....	construction
Helen Xenopoulos	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Paul Botham	....	boom operator
Tim Cavagin	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Peter Elliott	....	footsteps editor
Ian Fuller	....	supervising sound editor
Joe Gallagher	....	assistant sound editor
Dean Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nick Lowe	....	dialogue editor
Sandy MacRae	....	sound mixer (as Sandy Macrae)
Grahame Peters	....	sound effects editor
Chris Pickhaver	....	sound technician
Dan Edelstein	....	supervising sound editor: US release (uncredited)
Mike Wood	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
David Ford	....	effects technician
Terry Schubert	....	effects technician
Martin Gutteridge	....	special effects (uncredited)
Garth Inns	....	special effects (uncredited)
Jeremy Lovett	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Martin Neill	....	special effects (uncredited)
Dominic Tuohy	....	special effects (uncredited)
Steven Warner	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Cave	....	focus puller: second unit
Ian Coffey	....	clapper loader
Graham Cussell	....	electrician
Robert Gavigan	....	generator operator
Bob Gomme	....	generator operator
Graham Hall	....	focus puller
Keith Hamshere	....	still photographer
Paul Harris	....	practical electrician
Susan Jacobson	....	video assistant
Steve Kitchen	....	gaffer
Don Lord	....	camera operator: second unit
Tom Maslen	....	grip
Roger Pearce	....	camera operator
Bernie Pochetty	....	electrician
Paul Shirley	....	practical electrician
Tom Shirley	....	electrician
Mike Valentine	....	underwater camera operator
Nigel Woods	....	best boy

Casting Department
Nancy Klopper	....	casting: USA
Lisa-Anne Porter	....	assistant casting: UK

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Theresa Allflatt	....	assistant costumer
Amanda Derby	....	wardrobe assistant
Tim Guthrie	....	wardrobe assistant
Di Murphy	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Mike Fraser	....	negative cutter
Tony Tromp	....	assistant editor
Jeremy Wimble	....	second assistant editor
Daryl Jordan	....	first assistant editor: lightworks (uncredited)

Music Department
Mark Tucker	....	assistant scoring engineer

Transportation Department
Brian Baverstock	....	unit driver (as Bryan Baverstock)
Willie Fonfe	....	transportation coordinator
Frank Hogan	....	unit driver
Keith Horsley	....	unit driver

Other crew
Alex Boden	....	production runner
Marilyn Clarke	....	production coordinator
Piers Dunn	....	assistant locations
Sarah Garner	....	script supervisor
Jane Gibson	....	choreographer
Nigel Gostelow	....	location manager
Christopher Gunning	....	polka arranger
Nicki Gunning	....	assistant to producer
Joanna Hook	....	secretary to producer
Andrew Jack	....	dialogue coach
Kris Jaggs	....	floor runner
Patricia Johnson	....	unit publicist
Jack Murphy	....	assistant choreographer
David Oliver	....	stand-in
Cyril Prentout	....	location manager: France
Sya Russell	....	stand-in
Tony Smart	....	horse master
Bernard Spence	....	accountant
Yvonne Spence	....	assistant accountant
Pauline Hume	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Carnival Films (as A Wind Dancer/Carnival Films Production)
• Hollywood Pictures
• Wind Dancer Productions (as A Wind Dancer/Carnival Films Production)

Distributors

• Buena Vista International (Austria) GmbH
• Buena Vista International Spain (Spain)
• Buena Vista International (Germany)
• Eurozoom (France)
• Miramax Films (1998) (USA)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates (as Effects Associates)

Other Companies

• Pinewood Studios  movie studio
• Carnival Films  author: British law
• General Screen Enterprises  titles & opticals
• Kodak  originated on Eastman Colour film
• Michael Samuelson Lighting  lighting
• Sargent Disc  computer services
• Set Meals  location catering
• Silent Movies  studio catering
• Twickenham Film Studios  post-production facilities (as Twickenham Studios)

Also Known As:

A la luz del fuego (Spain) [es]
Firelight - Le lien secret (France) [fr]
Legatura secreta (Romania) [ro]
Lueur magique (Canada: French title) (TV title) [fr]
Vaiettu suhde (Finland) [fi]
Verborgenes Feuer (Germany) [de]

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and brief strong language.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:15 | South Korea:18 | Belgium:KT | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Singapore:R21 (re-rating) (uncut) | Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Calvados, France

Company:

Carnival Films

Quotes:

Elisabeth: Do you know about Firelight?
Louisa: What about it?
Elisabeth: It's a kind of magic. Firelight makes time stand still. When you put out the lamps and sit in the firelight's glow there aren't any rules any more.
[blows out lamp]
Elisabeth: You can do what you want, say what you want, be what you want, and when the lamps are lit again, time starts again, and everything you said or did is forgotten. More than forgotten it never happened.

Exquisite

Just by chance, I selected this film at a time of night when I'm ready for sleep. I watched it once.... then, again but fell asleep thru part of it. Two days later, I watched it again (wide awake this time) and that's when I fell in love with it. The first time.... I admit, it was the titillating story... the child was secondary. The second time.... I wanted to watch Sophie Marceau's delivery of her character. The third time.... I realized that Stephen Dillane's delivery of his character was so nuanced, I missed it the first 2 times. He is what makes this story so wonderful.

Because I am a big fan of British film, I wondered why I was not familiar with Stephen Dillane's name. After some research, I found that I have seen him in some character roles, but nowhere is he as handsome as in this film. Sophie Marceau is so accomplished that together, some of their scenes unfold as a dance.

This film is so delicate, with exquisite timing and phrases, that I can truly say it is as well-done as Campion's The Piano. Elisabeth's shout when she opens the doors to the lake. Godwin's face from recognition to omigod to sweet smile when he sees Elisabeth again. Godwin's explanation that a month with Elisabeth in the house would be an eternity. Their dance at the door when Louisa is screaming to be let out. And many more.

If you love stories of heart-felt deep love, this is it. Just be sure to watch it closely and more than once.