Vera Drake (2004)

Director:

Mike Leigh

Writer:

Mike Leigh (written by)

Release Date:

22 October 2004 (Canada)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

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.

Plot Keywords:

Abortion | 1950s | Abortionist | Attorney | England

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 33 wins & 28 nominations

Cast

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

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]

MPAA:

Rated R for depiction of strong thematic material.

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

UK | France | New Zealand

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

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

Filming Locations:

Cressy House, Hannibal Rd., Stepney Green, London, England, UK

Company:

Les Films Alain Sarde

Trivia:

The budget was so tight that a week of filming had to be cancelled.

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).

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?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Salut D'Amour (Liebesgruss), Op.12

a gem of a movie

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.