Imagine if you were invited to John Mills' house to watch some home movies on a rainy day. That's just what this is. Narrated by him - as well as his children and "Dickie" Attenborough, it's just like watching clips of the family, not a real documentary. There's plenty of snippets of his films and behind the scenes info, and fun times with other actors, like Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons on their yacht and poolside with David Niven and the Oliviers. Even if you're not a fan of Sir John, it's quite interesting to watch, just for a pleasant snapshot of England in the 50s.
2 Reviews
home movies - a truly lovely documentary
blanche-22 May 2008
I never knew that John Mills began his career as a song and dance man until I saw his documentary, "Sir John Mills' Moving Memories" done in 2000. Part biography, part filmography, part home movies, this is a delightful look at the actor, his family and his friends over the years. His children, Juliet, Hayley and Jonathan talk about growing up in different houses and being on various film sets and on vacation; Mills talks about his career, his life and his marriage, with much film taken behind the scenes of various films and of stars visiting his home - Stewart Granger, Jean Simmons, Tyrone Power, David Niven, Dirk Bogarde, Sir Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Joan Plowright, Ian McShane and many others. Most poignant is Mills singing a love song to his wife; at the time, unlike shots of her as a vibrant, happy redhead in many of his movies, she seems somewhat out of it but attentive - a sad and beautiful moment.
For those of us who are baby boomers and for whom John Mills was merely Hayley's father while we were growing up, this is a wonderful look at a distinguished family of actors and one of the finest British actors, John Mills, from the time he was a young man. It's always bittersweet to see the story of someone's life from youth to old age but in this case, it was a triumphant life and well worth experiencing.
For those of us who are baby boomers and for whom John Mills was merely Hayley's father while we were growing up, this is a wonderful look at a distinguished family of actors and one of the finest British actors, John Mills, from the time he was a young man. It's always bittersweet to see the story of someone's life from youth to old age but in this case, it was a triumphant life and well worth experiencing.
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