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Vera Drake
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Vera Drake (2004)

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User Rating: 7.8/10 (8,381 votes)
Photos (see all 15 | slideshow) Videos
IMDb Coverage of Comic-Con 2008

Overview

Director:
Mike Leigh
Writer:
Mike Leigh (written by)
Release Date:
22 October 2004 (Canada) more view trailer
Genre:
Crime | Drama more
Tagline:
Wife. Mother. Criminal.
Plot:
Abortionist Vera Drake finds her beliefs and practices clash with the mores of 1950s Britain--a conflict that leads to tragedy for her family. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 33 wins & 28 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(12 articles)
Leigh Broke Secrecy Rules For Vera Drake (From WENN. 4 April 2008, 12:43 AM, PDT)
Swank To Star Alongside Oscar Rival Staunton (From WENN. 16 November 2005)
User Comments:
a gem of a movie more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)

Imelda Staunton ... Vera
Richard Graham ... George

Eddie Marsan ... Reg
Anna Keaveney ... Nellie
Alex Kelly ... Ethel

Daniel Mays ... Sid
Philip Davis ... Stan (as Phil Davis)
Lesley Manville ... Mrs. Wells
Sally Hawkins ... Susan
Simon Chandler ... Mr. Wells
Sam Troughton ... David
Marion Bailey ... Mrs. Fowler
Sandra Voe ... Vera's Mother

Chris O'Dowd ... Sid's Customer
Adrian Scarborough ... Frank
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Untitled Mike Leigh Project (UK) (working title)
Vera Drake (France)
Secreto de Vera Drake, El (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Hemsire (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Segredo de Vera Drake, O (Brazil) [pt]
Segreto di Vera Drake, Il (Italy) [it]
Vera Drake (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Vera Drake (Poland) [pl]
Vera Drakes hemmelighed (Denmark) [da]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for depiction of strong thematic material.
Runtime:
125 min
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
Taiwan:PG-12 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Portugal:M/16 | UK:12 (video rating) (2005) | UK:12A (original rating) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Iceland:L | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Czech Republic:15 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:AL | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R | Germany:12
MOVIEmeter: ?
V 7% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The budget was so tight that a week of filming had to be cancelled. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When the young girl visits the psychiatrist, he asks her what her father does. She replies that "He works for the Ministry of Defence". However, the Ministry of Defence was not created until 1968 with the amalgamation of The War Office (Army), The Air Ministry (Royal Air Force) and The Admiralty (Royal Navy). more
Quotes:
Reg: It ain't fair. Me mum brought up six of us in two rooms. If you can't feed 'em, you can't love 'em, now can you? more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2005) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Salut D'Amour (Liebesgruss), Op.12 more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
85 out of 91 people found the following comment useful:-
a gem of a movie, 10 November 2004
8/10
Author: ikanboy from United States

Imelda Staunton is superb and is my bet for the Oscar unless some Hollywood Diva does another "out of character" performance. But she only shines because of the company she keeps.This is ensemble acting at it's finest. No melodramatics, no attempt to steal scenes,and the result is as honest as life itself. This is the way the British talked, almost always indirectly, hedging around issues rather than hitting them head on, and a slave to mannered behavior. Understate, understate, understate.

Having lived in England from 1952 to 1959, and having married someone who was British who grew up during the war and it's aftermath this movie was like "a bit of old home." My mother employed "char ladies" like Vera, although we were "upper middle class" rather than "upper." The class differences were quite distinct in those days, and often determined by accent. What this movie shows is not only the average life of a "lower class" family but the options forced on them that were different from those in the higher brackets of society.

As anyone should know by know the movie is about illegal abortion in a rigid

puritanical society. Illegal, that is, for those without means, but quite available to those who could grease the wheels of the medical establishment who had "legal" ways around the law. In other words if Roe v. Wade goes then Vera's will pop up again.

There is no attempt to make a statement for or against abortion. As Mike Leigh has said: abortion has been in every society for thousands of years. The Vera Drake's who have lived could populate a small city. What this movie does do is emphasize that the Vera's were/are common average people not quasi criminals lurking behind the curtains of some seedy back alley shack, and that legislating morality never addresses the often harsh reality of human society.

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Message Boards

Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for Vera Drake (2004)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Abortion: For or Against? BritBabeUK
Susan (the rich girl) looked like that guy from Foo Fighters romeovf
Typical sentence? amnesty24
The actual method used rjennings
Why did the girl get sick? (spoilers) romeovf
i hate hillary swank for beating... curlyman217
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