gosford park

Director: robert altman

Actor: maggie smith,ryan phillippe,michael gambon,kristin scott thomas

Data Published: Wed Dec 26 2001

Genres: Comedy,Drama,Mystery

Key Words: england,murder,servant,shooting party,country house

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280707/

WIKI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosford_Park

Description: Gosford Park is a movie starring Maggie Smith, Ryan Phillippe, and Michael Gambon. The lives of upstairs guests and downstairs servants at a party in 1932 in a country house in England as they investigate a murder involving one of...

Plot: In November 1932, the wealthy industrialist Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon), his wife, Lady Sylvia McCordle (Kristin Scott Thomas), and their daughter, Isobel (Camilla Rutherford), are to have a weekend shooting party at their country estate, Gosford Park. The guests are predominately their relations. When they arrive they enter through the front door and make small talk at tea, while their help are directed by the head housekeeper, Mrs Wilson (Helen Mirren), to their room assignments. Mrs Wilson notices the valet Robert Parks (Clive Owen), who was raised in an orphanage. Parks takes an interest in lady's maid Mary MacEachran (Kelly Macdonald). The head housemaid, Elsie (Emily Watson), guides Mary through the gathering. After supper, a silver carving knife is found to have gone missing. Lady Sylvia has an assignation with valet Henry Denton (Ryan Phillippe). The next morning, the men go on a pheasant shoot, and a stray shot hits Sir William's ear. The ladies join the men for a shooting lunch where Commander Anthony Meredith (Tom Hollander) pleads with Sir William not to back out of a business scheme. Before dinner, Constance, Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith), is told by Lady Sylvia, while dressing for dinner that Sir William may stop her allowance. At dinner, Lady Sylvia states that Sir William was a First World War profiteer. Elsie blurts out her support for Sir William, referring to him as 'Bill'; the room goes silent and Elsie rushes from the room. Sir William abruptly leaves the dining room for the library. Mrs Wilson brings him coffee; he wants whisky; he is irritated when he drinks the whisky. In the drawing room, actor Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam) plays the piano to lighten the atmosphere. Sir William sits in the library slumped in his chair and someone wearing the trousers of a valet or butler stabs him. Louisa, Lady Stockbridge (Geraldine Somerville) goes to the library; her screams alarm the house. Bumbling Inspector Thompson (Stephen Fry) and competent Constable Dexter (Ron Webster) arrive to investigate the murder. No-one is permitted to leave the house. Dexter calls attention to the lack of blood from the stab wound. Denton, the valet of American film producer Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban), confesses that he is in fact an actor researching a role for an upcoming film. Later, he again visits Lady Sylvia. The following morning, staff gossip that Sir William was not only stabbed but also poisoned. The head cook, Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins) shares with the kitchen staff that Sir William was known for seducing the female workers in his factories. If a woman became pregnant, Sir William offered two choices: keep the baby and lose your job, or give the baby up and keep your job. Those who gave up their babies were told that the adoptions were being arranged with good families. In reality, Sir William paid orphanages to take the babies. Later that night, Inspector Thompson releases the guests. He never interviews the staff. Parks tells Mary that Sir William was his father, that a son can hate his father, and that he did not poison Sir William. Mary tells Parks that then he did not kill Sir William because he was already dead and anyone should know if they stab a dead body. Parks says that he does not know and does not care if he killed Sir William. The following morning, Lady Trentham and Lady Sylvia, in the presence of Mary, are talking about the sisters Mrs Croft and Mrs Wilson. Lady Sylvia says that Mrs Wilson was earlier known by the name Parks, Parker or Parkinson. Mrs Wilson tells Mary that she will never tell Parks that they are related: the mark of a good servant is anticipation, that it is not a crime to stab a dead man, and the important thing is that authorities can never touch Parks. In private, Mrs Wilson grieves the loss of never knowing her son, and Mrs Croft acknowledges that what matters is that he is alive. The last guests, Lady Trentham and the Stockbridges, depart.