Warwick Deeping's bestselling 1925 novel had already been filmed three times—twice in the silent era alone—when it was adapted for this 1984 Masterpiece Theatre miniseries. Something of a reverse-gender Stella Dallas, Sorrell and Son tells the story of Stephen Sorrell (Richard Pasco), a World War I hero deserted by his wife shortly after returning from the front and forced to raise his infant son Kit alone. Stripped of his dignity, the self-sacrificing father is reduced to menial work as a hotel porter, but maintains a loving relationship with the boy (Peter Chelsom)—one that might be irrevocably altered by the sudden reappearance of Kit's mother. Director Derek Bennett not only does a marvelous job of recreating the post-WWI period in this tale spanning two decades, but also effectively captures the era's manners and mores without falling back on cheesy, tear-jerking, melodramatic tropes. Bolstered by a uniformly excellent cast (including a young Miranda Richardson in a minor role), Sorrell and Son—presented on an extra-less double-disc set—is recommended. (E. Hulse)
Sorrell and Son
Koch, 2 discs, 314 min., not rated, DVD: $29.98 Volume 23, Issue 3
Sorrell and Son
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