Linda Bassett

The film begins with British writer Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) putting stones inside her pockets before drowning herself (in real life, she walked in to the River Ouse on 28th March 1941). Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) lives in 1951 in a wealthy Los Angeles suburb. Her husband, Dan Brown (John C. Reilly) is having a birthday. While he's at work, she makes a chocolate cake for him. Their son, Richie (Jack Rovello), asks if he can help her with it. As he sifts the flour, he wants to know why they are making the cake. "So Daddy will know we love him?" he asks. She answers yes and then he asks, "He won't know it, if we don't?" She answers him, "no". She is heavily pregnant with their second child. She is also reading a hardback copy of Mrs Dalloway, which is considered Virginia Woolf's best novel. Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep) lives in modern 2001 New York and is planning a party for her prize-winning poet and close friend, Richard Brown (Ed Harris). Rich has been suffering AIDS for many years. He's a celebrated poet, and Clarissa is his editor. Clarissa worries about Richard a lot, and takes care of him as if she were his mother. Back at home, when she is preparing the party almost on her own, she has trouble with her girlfriend Sally Lester (Allison Janney), who has been unfaithful to her for some time. Several people appear for the party: Clarissa's daughter Julia (Claire Danes) and the most cherished of Richard's ex-boyfriends, Louis (Jeff Daniels), who has another relationship with a younger man but who is still a bit sad and melancholic. Back to the UK, where Virginia has just started to write a novel. She and her husband Leonard Woolf (Stephen Dillane) have moved to a village outside London, because London's hectic and frenzy life has affected Virginia's psychological health. She had tried to commit suicide twice, and used to hear voices. Leonard is busy with his printing press business, but he watches over her tenderly. One sunny day they are visited by Vanessa (Miranda Richardson), Viriginia's sister, and her two sons Quentin and Julian (George Loftus and Charley Ramm) and daughter Angelica (Sophie Wyburd). They are talkative and full of life, but their visit causes some anxiety to Virginia. To have lunch and tea prepared as she wants, having to force the cook and main maid Nelly Boxall (Linda Bassett) to travel to London to buy some things and then travel back is an ordeal to the lady of the house. Virginia has problems to make herself obeyed by their servants, especially by pushy Nelly. In real life, many pages on Woolf's diary were about Nelly, a person she used to fear so much that she wouldn't even dare to give the sack. This time Virginia had to be obeyed. Angelica finds a dead bird recently deceased at the Woolfs' garden. They bury it with much pomp, and this puts a bigger strain on Virginia's damaged emotions. At the end of the day, the four visitors go back to London merrily and Virginia and Leonard stay at home. Back in LA, Laura's friend, Kitty (Toni Collette) stops by. Laura complains about the cake not turning out right for her husband's birthday. Kitty says she doesn't understand why and that baking is easy to do. Kitty then says that it's ok, that everyone has different things that they're good at. Kitty is dressed perfectly and seems to have the perfect life. Laura learns that Kitty is about to have surgery performed, as she is seriously ill, and that's why she couldn't have any children. Kitty starts to let her guard down and seems to get emotional over her problem. Laura and Kitty kiss each other. However, Kitty behaves and talks as though nothing had happened. After Kitty leaves, Laura throws the first cake away and then makes a perfect one. Meanwhile, Richie is sitting quietly while he watches his mother. She stops, looks at him and asks, "What?" while he looks on. She then takes him to a neighbor's (Margo Martindale) while she goes out, which Richie highly protests to. She proceeds to drive around. She sees the sign for a hotel and decides to book in. There, she takes out all the medicines that she took from the cabinet in the bathroom from her home and puts them on the bedside table next to her. She puts herself on top of the perfectly-made bed and reads Mrs Dalloway but falls asleep whilst reading her book. For her, death is like a flood, a river overgrown which will drown her from under the hotel bed. Suddenly she wakes up. She has just decided that she will wait for her second child to be born and then she will leave her family. When she comes back home as though nothing special had happened, Richie knows that she's lying. That night, Laura's husband dines with his family and eats the cake. He is a contented quiet men and says that the cake is delicious, and appreciates the fact that Laura has done it. He talks of how perfect his birthday was thanks to his family. In New York, Richard Brown (Laura's older son, now a grown-up man) wants to skip the party. He tells Clarissa that she has been the only reason he had to live, but that now, she has to let him go. Clarissa is a lesbian, but she wonders if she is still in love with Richard. However Clarissa cannot prevent Richard from jumping from the window. Instead of a party, she has to prepare Richard's funeral. Richard's mother, Laura Brown appears. She has become -according to Julia- a sweet old lady, not the monster as late Richard Brown used to describe her. Laura tells how she moved to Canada to lead an independent life as a librarian in Canada, but she won't apologize for the hurt she has caused to her family because her pain doesn't make any difference now to her late husband (who died of cancer) and children (her younger daughter had also died). In the UK, Virginia has changed her mind: her character Mrs Dalloway won't die, another character in her novel, a rambling poet married to his lonely Italian nurse, will do so. When Leonard asks her why somebody must die in her novels, she tells him "so that we all appreciate life." Anyway, Virginia tries to run away to London, but Leonard catches her while she is waiting at the train station. Virginia talks to him, and Leonard can't put up with her anymore: he promises they will be back to London soon. As the audience knows, Virginia will end up committing suicide there. And that's how the film ends: as it has begun, with Virginia Woolf committing suicide. In real life, she wrote some other novels after Mrs Dalloway and before committing suicide.

Jahangir "George" Khan (Om Puri) is a Pakistani Muslim who has lived in England since 1937. Although he loves his family, he cares more for his own image and dignity than their happiness. He has a wife in Pakistan. He and his second wife Ella (Linda Bassett), a British Roman Catholic woman of Irish descent (she finds herself unable to stand up to George until he pushes her too far by abusing their children), have been married for 25 years and have 7 children together: Nazir (Ian Aspinall), Abdul (Raji James), Tariq (Jimi Mistry), Maneer (Emil Marwa), Saleem (Chris Bisson), Meenah (Archie Panjabi), and Sajid (Jordan Routledge). George and Ella run a popular fish and chips shop in the neighborhood. While George is obsessed with the 1971 war between East and West Pakistan and arranging marriages for his children, the children themselves who were born and brought up in Britain, increasingly see themselves as British and reject Pakistani customs of dress, food, religion, and living. This leads to a rise in tensions and conflicts within the family unit. Auntie Annie (Lesley Nicol), Ella's best friend. She frequently helps George and Ella at the chip shop and has an amiable relationship with George, although she advises Ella not to be too soft with him. Nazir "Nigel" Khan is disowned by George after fleeing an arranged marriage for a homosexual relationship. Abdul "Arthur" Khan, the second son. He seems to dislike conflict and does not rebel against George's authority until he abuses Ella. Tariq "Tony" Khan, the third son. He is the most rebellious and even attempts to flee to Eccles when he learns of George's marriage plans for him. Stella Moorhouse (Emma Rydal), Tariq's secret girlfriend. Their relationship becomes somewhat strained once she finds out George has planned to marry Tariq off. Earnest "Pongo" Moorhouse (Gary Damer, Stella's younger brother. Like Stella, he is friends with the Khans, being Sajid's best friend and harboring an unrequited crush on Meenah. It is implied that he is somewhat weird and often abused by his grandfather. Mr. Moorhouse (John Bardon), Stella and Earnest's grandfather. He has old-fashioned ideas about race and ethnicity, supporting controversial political figures like Enoch Powell, and does not know of Stella's relationship with Tariq, although he is frequently irritated by Earnest's friendship with the Khans, who openly dislike him. Maneer "Gandhi" Khan, the fourth son. He is the only one who obeys George's rules, and ironically the only one who George beats. He is devout and spends much time reading quietly in his room. Saleem "Picasso" Khan, the fifth son. He seems indifferent to George's authority but stands by his mother and siblings when George goes too far. On a comical note, he is studying Foundation Art, while George believes he is training to become an engineer. Meenah Khan, the sixth child and the only daughter. She also has a rebellious streak and frequently teases Sajid. Sajid "Spaz" Khan, the sixth son and youngest child. The pain he undergoes following his late circumcision is what prompts Ella to rethink her attitude towards George. He wears a parka at all times of day and night. Peggy (Ruth Jones), Stella's best friend. She appears jealous of Stella's relationship with Tariq and tries desperately to find a boyfriend, but her overweight figure repels boys. In the end, she is implied to have a romantic fling with Saleem. Mr Shah (Madhav Sharma), a devout Muslim desperately seeking Pakistani bridegrooms for his two comically unattractive daughters. Though he appears amiable on the outside, he is actually mean-spirited and rude, scoffing at Earnest Moorhouse for no reason and branding Ella as a disgrace solely for speaking back to his snobbish wife even when she insulted Ella first. On a comical note, his constant sweating is a sign of poor hygiene. George forcibly circumcises Sajid, when he finds that he is not. Forbids the consumption of pork in the house, even though all his kids eat it behind his back. George goes beyond all reason by promising Mr Shah to marry 2 of his sons (1 of them being Tariq) to his 2 daughters (who are comically ugly). Ella protests vehemently that the boys should be told about their futures, lest history with Nazir should repeat itself. Tariq finds out about his engagement and is so angry that he destroys all the shopping that George has done secretly for the weddings. George thinks that Maneer made the mess & beats him. This time Ella intervenes & stands up to George. Tariq leaves home & Meenah, Saleem & Stella also go with him. They go to Nazir for help & find that he is now a gay stylist in a gay relationship. Nazir comes home to confront his father but leaves when Ella tells him that he would only make things worse. Tariq returns home & threatens George that if he goes ahead with the wedding, then he would also get a 2nd white wife, just like George. Finally, Mr Shah brings his wife & daughters to George's home. Mrs Shah insults Ella by saying that their house is too small & it would be best if Tariq & Abdul stayed with Shah's after the wedding. Ella puts her foot down & says that the girls are not good enough for her family & forces the Shah's to leave. George again wants to hit Ella, but this time the entire family intervene and forces George to back down.

A housemaid falls in love with Dr. Henry Jekyll and his darkly mysterious counterpart, Mr. Edward Hyde. Somewhere in England in the nineteenth century. A pretty housemaid works in a nice house, which is Dr. Henry Jekyll's (John Malkovich's) house. Mary Reilly (Julia Roberts) think she found her best job, because she is poor and the doctor is well-known and rich. This movie tells the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" story as a woman sees the two men, one of them is good and the other is evil. And she loves them. —Kornel Osvart <kornelo@alphanet.hu> In the nineteen century, in London, dedicated housemaid Mary Reilly (Julia Roberts) is part of the staff under the command of the butler Mr. Poole (George Cole), who works for Dr. Henry Jekyll (John Malkovich). Mary is a traumatized woman that was abused by her father when she was a child, and is very devoted to Dr. Jekyll. One day, he gathers Mr. Poole and the servants in a room and tells them that his assistant Mr. Edward Hyde will be working in his laboratory with free access to the house. Mary Reilly and her mates are unsuccessful to see the mysterious Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll trusts on Mary Reilly and she helps him, delivering letters to the notorious Mrs. Farraday (Glenn Close), who owns a brothel, to clean the mess that Mr. Hyde makes in the city. Mary Reilly is seduced by the educated Dr. Jekyll and by the reckless and violent Mr. Hyde. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Mary Reilly (Julia Roberts) is a lonely servant in the home of Dr. Henry Jekyll (John Malkovich), devoted to her position and her master. Slowly, a gradual friendship between Mary and the doctor begins, as well as a growing attraction. However, Mary's quiet presence is thrown upside down when she meets Henry Jekyll's assistant, the handsome but enigmatic Edward Hyde. Although initially repelled, Mary soon finds herself drawn towards his passionate nature. But Edward Hyde is not all he seems. —Psyche-8 <whistlingfish@hotmail.com>