I don’t usually come across a film that involves gardening as a major plot device. (The only other one that comes to mind is The Secret Garden.) Can you think of one?
The husband & I stumbled on Greenfingers (2000) while surfing through the offerings on "on demand" by the evil Comcast. I give a big chunk of my earnings to Comcast because I like to have every channel available to me. A boy likes to have his options open. We decided to watch it primarily because Clive Owen is in it.
Gardening is a national passion in Britain. From the designers at the RHS Chelsea Show, to rural village, to urban guerilla gardeners, everywhere you look, you will find gardens in Britain... even in prisons. Clive Owen plays a murderer who is sent to a progressive prison where he discovers he has "greenfingers" (the British equivalent of our greenthumbs).
If you believe in the restorative power of gardening, then you will like Greenfingers. It hovers in the territory of heartwarming without quite being twee, thanks to a great cast. Helen Mirren is especially fun as Georgina Woodhouse, a Martha Stewart-type garden writer.
Greenfingers is a "heartwarming comedy" in the same vein as Saving Grace & Waking Ned Devine & those like-minded British comedies. The basic plot centers around a group of hardened prisoners who become gardeners as their rehabilitation work. They gradually really love learning about how to make plants & flowers grow. Once it's found out how talented they have become, they are allowed to enter their garden in a major British garden show.
The movie stars the very talented & especially yummy Clive Owen, who I first noticed in Croupier & Gosford Park, & the great Helen Mirren. The acting is very good by all the cast & the story is interesting & up-lifting. It has a funny script with a gentle humor. The soundtrack contains great songs by U2 & Bruce Springsteen.
What I really appreciated about this film is that it is heartwarming & touching without being treacly, sentimental or corny. It's not an emotional powerful movie or loaded with slapstick humor, but the story & the way it lets you get to know each character makes this a most entertaining film. Helen Mirren is especially good (when isn't she?) & did I mention CLIVE OWEN (shirtless at one point)!
The husband & I stumbled on Greenfingers (2000) while surfing through the offerings on "on demand" by the evil Comcast. I give a big chunk of my earnings to Comcast because I like to have every channel available to me. A boy likes to have his options open. We decided to watch it primarily because Clive Owen is in it.
Gardening is a national passion in Britain. From the designers at the RHS Chelsea Show, to rural village, to urban guerilla gardeners, everywhere you look, you will find gardens in Britain... even in prisons. Clive Owen plays a murderer who is sent to a progressive prison where he discovers he has "greenfingers" (the British equivalent of our greenthumbs).
If you believe in the restorative power of gardening, then you will like Greenfingers. It hovers in the territory of heartwarming without quite being twee, thanks to a great cast. Helen Mirren is especially fun as Georgina Woodhouse, a Martha Stewart-type garden writer.
Greenfingers is a "heartwarming comedy" in the same vein as Saving Grace & Waking Ned Devine & those like-minded British comedies. The basic plot centers around a group of hardened prisoners who become gardeners as their rehabilitation work. They gradually really love learning about how to make plants & flowers grow. Once it's found out how talented they have become, they are allowed to enter their garden in a major British garden show.
The movie stars the very talented & especially yummy Clive Owen, who I first noticed in Croupier & Gosford Park, & the great Helen Mirren. The acting is very good by all the cast & the story is interesting & up-lifting. It has a funny script with a gentle humor. The soundtrack contains great songs by U2 & Bruce Springsteen.
What I really appreciated about this film is that it is heartwarming & touching without being treacly, sentimental or corny. It's not an emotional powerful movie or loaded with slapstick humor, but the story & the way it lets you get to know each character makes this a most entertaining film. Helen Mirren is especially good (when isn't she?) & did I mention CLIVE OWEN (shirtless at one point)!
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