Distant Voices, Still Lives

1988
15
1h 24m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

5.4K

YOUR RATING

Lorraine Ashbourne, Angela Walsh, and Dean Williams in Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988)

Play trailer1:34

1 Video

74 Photos

Drama Music

The lives of an English working-class family are told out of order in a free-associative manner. The first part, "Distant Voices", focuses on the father's role in the family. The second part... Read allThe lives of an English working-class family are told out of order in a free-associative manner. The first part, "Distant Voices", focuses on the father's role in the family. The second part, "Still Lives", focuses on his children.The lives of an English working-class family are told out of order in a free-associative manner. The first part, "Distant Voices", focuses on the father's role in the family. The second part, "Still Lives", focuses on his children.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

5.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 11 wins & 7 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 1:34

Trailer

Photos74

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The film was a 'labour of love' for director, cast and crew. Due to the very low budget, it had to be shot intermittently over a period of two years, often at weekends when equipment was cheaper to hire or free.

Goofs
The names of art-director Jocelyn James and first assistant director Andy Powell are listed twice at the end credits.

Quotes
Micky: When they're not using their big stick, they're farting. Aren't men horrible?

Connections
Featured in Century of Cinema: A Personal History of British Cinema by Stephen Frears (1995)

Soundtracks
There's a Man Goin' Round
(uncredited)
Traditional
Performed by Jessye Norman

User reviews38

Featured review

One of the best British films of the last twenty years

Terence Davis moving, harrowing and elegantly artistic masterpiece is one of the few Britsh films of recent years to embody a distinctly British identity. The plot involves a family wedding in working class Liverpool just after the second world war and the various episodes in the family's past dealing with their sometimes brutal and disturbed father. The beauty of the film lies in the deeply artistic composition of various shots, coupled with Davis' enduring compassion and understanding for the chararcters, especially the father played brilliantly by Pete Postlethwaite. It is an incredible evocation of family life and even though at times it makes for hard viewing, this is a film that must be seen.