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The Family Way [1966]
from Optimum Home Entertainment
starring Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett, John Mills, Marjorie Rhodes, Avril Angers
directed by Roy Boulting

Features:

• PAL

Editorial Review:

The Family Way is a curiosity, a film that straddles two eras. Set in a tight-knit, Northern, working-class community, it harks back to 1950s' British cinema. There are characters here--for instance, John Mill's beer-quaffing patriarch or Wilfred Pickles' Uncle Fred--who wouldn't look out of place in an Ealing comedy. The screenplay by Bill Naughton (who also wrote Alfie) mines the same vein of whimsical, but well-observed character-based humour that you find in films such as Passport to Pimlico and Whisky Galore. Yet it deals with certain subjects that Ealing would never go near--namely the sex lives of its protagonists. The benighted hero is Arthur Fitton (Hywel Bennett), a shaggy-haired young local lad who has just wed the beautiful Jenny (Hayley Mills), but is having difficulty consummating the relationship. He's living at home, and is at odds with his father (John Mills), with whom, in the film's most memorable set-piece, he has an epic arm wrestling bout.

Director/producer team Roy and John Boulting never quite fulfilled their potential. In the 40s, they made such ground-breaking films as Graham Greene's Brighton Rock and Fame is the Spur, a story of a young politician who loses his idealism and reforming zeal the closer he moves to the heart of the establishment. In the 50s, they too seemed to lose their ambition, turning to light comedy. The Family Way, which boasts music by Paul McCartney, makes some witty points about the clash between youngsters growing up in the not-so-permissive 60s and their parents (who think they're spoiled rotten) but hardly ranks with their best work. --Geoffrey Macnab

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

• Fantastic look back at the not too distant past, and a great story
  Always liked this film - it was made when I was 6, although I didn't see it until my twenties! Excellent script, and acting at its most convincing. It also reminds us of a time not so long ago when life was more family oriented, and morals and respect were the norm rather than the exception. A genuine story, with plenty of twists and turns.
  The score by McCartney is subtle, reflective and very melodic, all the more amazing considering his age at the time. The film has plenty of location shots in and... more info

• One of the all time best of British films
  Firstly - this DVD is of the best quality - 1.66:1 widescreen in beautiful colour (don't let the B&W snaps on the cover fool you) and it's in crystal clear Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (not the annoying 1.0 that Warner Bros used to ruin the enjoyment of their mono DVD releases of Blow Up, Death In Venice etc).
  Secondly, The Family Way has so much heart, and is so perfectly acted as well as directed, that it seems to be effortless. The wonderful script allows John Mills to deliver a couple of lines which... more info

• I can't recommened it highly enough!
  I wasn't born when this film was made and was a teenager when I first saw it on tv in the 80's. I fell in love with it and for some reason the film stayed with me. Everytime it was shown on tv (albeit very rarely) I had to watch it!
  As soon as I saw it was being released I pre-ordered it. My dvd finally arrived last weekend and it was watched almost immediately. My love for it hasn't changed - it's FABULOUS!!
  The writing is so brilliant, the acting is spot-on and the atmosphere of the 60's is... more info

• "That's life; one day it'll make you cry."
  Jenny and Arthur (Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennet) are newlyweds, spending their honeymoon in his parents' home. With a nosey family and paper-thin walls, the couple has no privacy and cannot consummate their marriage. As time goes by, they discover, to their horror, that the whole town is gossiping about their delicate problem.
  This comedy/drama is gentle and sweet and has sympathetic performances by all. Mills leaves behind the perky child she played in her early films; here she's a sensible and mature... more info

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