Hobson's Choice

Despite mixed reviews at the time of its 1954 release, Hobson's Choice has subsequently seen its reputation rise as one of David Lean's best-loved films. Although Lean would later make the more lavish epics for which he's famed (including The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago), this beautifully filmed comedy shows the same perfectionist's attention to detail. Adapted by Wynyard Browne from the play by Harold Brighouse, Hobson's Choice finds Charles Laughton in peak form as Henry Hobson, longtime proprietor of a high-quality boot shop in northern England circa the 1890s. A domineering patriarch blowhard who lords it over his three daughters, Hobson is taken aback when his eldest, 30-year-old Maggie (Brenda De Banzie), rebels against her father by marrying the shop's meek but gifted bootsmith (John Mills), after which the pair set up a shop of their own. A battle of wills ensues between Maggie and her frequently besotted father, which Lean stages with a firm command of composition, mood, pacing, and direction of his actors. Presented by the Criterion Collection with yet another pristine, high-definition transfer, Hobson's Choice features a number of fine bonus features, including a keenly observant audio commentary by Alain Silver and James Ursini (co-authors of David Lean and His Films), an excellent 1978 BBC documentary on Laughton's life and career (from the series The Hollywood Greats), and a booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Armond White. Sure to be appreciated by fans of vintage British comedy, this is highly recommended. (J. Shannon)