The Winter Guest

Based on a play by Sharman Macdonald, this somber, character-driven drama unfolds over the course of one bleak day in the life of a Scottish seaside village. The casting coup is Emma Thompson and her real-life mother Phyllida Hall, who star as an estranged daughter and mother. Other residents who demand our attention are two elderly women who are funeral aficionados, a new girl in town who pursues Emma's son (a pitched snowball breaks the ice) and two schoolboys ditching school. This marks the directorial debut of Alan Rickman, who is perhaps best known as Hans the terrorist in the original Die Hard. Literate and thoughtful human dramas are always welcome, but at this length, it's more like the guest who wouldn't leave. Still, for much of the time, especially when Thompson and Law are onscreen, this film is intriguing company. Optional. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD Review—Oct. 4, 2005—Image, 110 min., R, $14.99—Making its first appearance on DVD, 1998's The Winter Guest sports a nice looking transfer with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include interviews with writer-director Alan Rickman (26 min.), and co-stars Emma Thompson (3 min.), and Phyllida Law (2 min.), as well as two minutes of behind-the-scenes footage, and trailers. Bottom line: a so-so extras package for a so-so film.]