Adapted by Frank Cottrell Boyce from his titular children's novel, this entry in PBS' Masterpiece Contemporary series is essentially a story of precocious kids helping stuffy adults shed their inhibitions and loosen up. The uptight figure at the center of the action is Quentin Lester (Trevor Eve), curator at London's National Gallery, who secretly moves the masterpieces under his care to an abandoned slate mine in Wales when his building's plumbing breaks down and threatens to damage the paintings. Quentin befriends a local boy named Dylan (Samuel Davies), who along with his two sisters helps their struggling mother keep the family garage operating after their father goes off in search of work elsewhere. Through Dylan, Lester also becomes acquainted with the local schoolteacher, Angharad (Eve Myles), a vivacious free spirit who encourages him to show the hidden works to the locals. The plot of Framed moves in various directions (involving a raft of eccentric characters and some schemes by the children to raise money), but the final outcome is suitably happy in this enjoyable family film. Recommended. (F. Swietek)
Framed
PBS, 90 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99 March 13, 2011
Framed
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