ON CHESIL BEACH Shows Life Regret

Jeri Jacquin

This Friday from the works of Ian McEwan, director Dominic Cooke and Bleeker Street is a story of young awkwardness ON CHESIL BEACH.

It is 1962 and Florence Ponting (Saoirse Ronan) is a young violinist in a string quartet and a strong will. Edward Mayhew (Billy Howle) is an awkward young man living in a home with understanding father Lionel (Adrian Scarborough), two sisters and mother Marjorie (Anne-Marie Duff) who has suffered from an accident.

Thrilled that he has received high marks in school but no one to tell about it, Edward wandered into town. There he meets Florence and is taken immediately with her and they quickly become a couple. Always together, talking and sharing both the families see where the relationship is heading.

On their honeymoon, there is still an awkwardness that Edward tries to help Florence through. When it all becomes too much for Florence, the couple end up on the beach and a secret is revealed that could change the course of their dreams forever.

Words can sometimes haunt us forever.

Ronan as Florence has once again given us a strong, memorable and stellar performance. I have longed believed there isn’t a role that this young actress couldn’t capture and ON CHESIL BEACH proves it. There is such a depth to this young character and levels of Florence trying to keep herself together and, at any moment, the wire could suddenly snap. It is Ronan that keeps control of that wire and does so brilliantly.

Howle as Edward is a young man who finds in Florence one thing in his life that makes sense. He is moved by her and, in a sense, believes she is everything he needs. Willing to work for her father to be a providing husband, even his own father Lionel believes Florence is good for him. Howle has an innocence about him and that wraps deeply into the heart of this character.

Scarborough as Lionel is a man who sees what the accident has done to his wife and is amazed when Florence brings such change in her. Duff as Marjorie is living the best life she can since the accident. Watson as Florence’s mother Violet constantly tests the young girl will as only this fine actress can do. 

Other cast include Samuel West as Geoffrey Ponting, Bebe Cave as Ruth Ponting, Bronte Carmichael as Chloe, and Jonjo O’Neill as Phil.

ON CHESIL BEACH is a stunning look at an innocent time where secrets have no way out and truths don’t fit it. Both of these young people have issues that are so deeply engrained in who they are, it was inevitable that something would come to the surface.

It is in their reactions that the stories are truly told, yet each does not see the answers in the other. Instead, anger and frustration take over and in flash one decision in life can be devastating. That is what is so heartbreaking about this story for me, that even when faced the choice once again, it is decision that can either right things or stay on the path of nothing.

Ronan and Howle are heartbreaking to watch and artfully beautiful at the same time. Experiencing their characters struggle to find a way out of their pain is worth every moment on screen. Well done, absolutely well done.

The novella On Chesil Beach by British writer Ian McEwan has been translated into several languages and was nominated in 2007 for the Booker Prize.

In the end – life can still change when you do nothing.

Time Life Brings Back a Favorite with ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD this September is one of the most ground breaking television shows that left an impact on my funny bone with Time Life’s ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN: The Complete First Season.

Comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin hit the American television airwaves in 1967 with a special called Laugh-In. Little could they have predicated that the show was so successful that they would come back to television the next year!

Bringing in a combination of hippiness and slap stick comedy, there were fast-paced one-liners and skits that were filled with sex and politics and all led by Rowan and Martin. The series also became home to regulars such as announcer Gary Owens who had one hand over his ear.

With a cute and very young Goldie Hawn to a “very interesting but stupid” Arte Johnson (by the way I think I said that almost every day growing up thanks to him), a high strung Jo Anne Worley, a very English Richard Dawson, and the meek Henry Gibson.

Two of my all-time favorite characters on Laugh-In were and are Ernestine the Telephone Operator and the young girl Edith Ann ‘who is only five years old’ sitting in her large rocker telling tales of family life finishing with ‘and that’s the truth’ followed by a raspberry.

That’s what made ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN absolutely amazing to watch. The witty repartee between Rowan and Martin had the audience convinced that the latter may not be the bright bulb of the duo. All of that followed by a door backdrop called the ‘joke wall’ where 60’s music way play and stopped by the opening of a door and the cast laughed at one another’s jokes.

It all ended when Rowan would turn to Martin with ‘say goodnight Dick’ and the reply ‘goodnight Dick’ ended the show.

Time Life is taking us there again with the first season which means I get to reminisce all over again. The four-disc set has fourteen completely re-mastered episodes which much of it never-before-seen. There are hours of bonus material including the original pilot which I was thrilled to see again and can’t believe I remembered it!

There is also interviews with creator George Schaltter and guests including Harry Belefonte, Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Cher, Tim Conway, Sammy Davis Jr., Sally Field and the beloved and iconic Jerry Lewis.

Time Life continues to bring never before released anywhere classic collections of television shows for fans to revisit and remember what has made television so special. Time Life has released Mama’s Family, CPO Sharkey and The Tonight Show and they now reminds of us of a time when sex and politics were up for grabs with ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN. For more of what Time Life has to offer fans of classic television visit www.timelife.com.

ROWAN & MARTIN’s LAUGH-IN also brought to the forefront those who would go on to do more amazing comedy such as the absolutely inspired Flip Wilson who gets to be Adam living outside the Garden of Eden. How about seeing Tim Conway and Cher as John Smith and Pocahontas? Yes, that is unexpected and fantastic comedy of this series.

Anyone want to tip-toe through the tulips once again with Tiny Tim and his ukulele or how about Ruth Buzzi’s spinster lady who just couldn’t seem to cut a break on the bench or in love! Judy Carne is introduced as the ‘sock it to me’ gal and Goldie Hawn shares with the world her memorable giggle.

The set features Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Pamela Austin, Ken Berry, Eileen Brennan, Ruth Buzzi, Judy Carne, Barbara Feldon, Henry Gibson, Goldie Hawn, Larry Hovis, Arte Johnson, Gary Owens, and Jo Anne Worley. Also included are the Classic Long-Running Features Sock It To Me, Cocktail Party and the Joke Wall, First Appearance of Tyrone F. Horneigh, and Sammy Davis Jr. Introduces ‘Here Comes the Judge’.

A stellar list of guest stars include Don Adams, Kaye Ballard, Harry Belafonte, Milton Berle, Joey Bishop, Sonny Bono, John Byner, Johnny Carson, Cher, Tim Conway, Sammy Davis, Jr., Sally Field, Peter Lawford, Jerry Lewis, Ed McMahon, Jill St. John, Dinah Shore, Tom Smothers Connie Stevens, Larry Storch, John Wayne and so many more.

The best part is the Bonus Features with the Laugh-In Pilot, 25^th Anniversary Cast Reunion Highlights, New Interviews with Creator and Executive Producer George Schaltter and my personal all time favorite of the DVD’s the Laugh-In Bloopers.

Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In was a television event that happened week after week. I’m not sure my parents were too thrilled in the beginning with my wanting to join in the comedy. Eventually it became their weekly guilty-pleasure until the show ended in 1973.

What this variety show did was open the door for so much talent to come through keeping comedy coming to our television screens. Time Life brings it all to a new generation who now can share in what made us laugh in the 60’s and 70’s because, quite honestly, it hasn’t changed much.

Pushing the boundaries of sex and politics mashed up with comedy is what we need again today and ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN does just that. This DVD couldn’t be released at a better time than now and I can’t wait for more seasons to follow!

In the end – just say goodnight Dick!