The Amazing Mrs Pritchard
by Catherine Morshead, Simon Curtis, Declan Lowney
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Jane Horrocks, Janet McTeer, Jodhi MayDirector: Catherine Morshead, Declan Lowney, Simon Curtis
Brand: Acorn
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 354 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-10-30
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media Pub Inc
Movie Reviews of The Amazing Mrs Pritchard
Movie Review: Metamorphosis of Ros Pritchard, Grocery Store Manager into Prime Minister
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I was hooked from the start of watching this miniseries written by Sally Wainright and starring Jane Horrocks in the lead role. It consists of 6 episodes on two DVDs, a total of approximately 354 minutes (nearly 6 hours) of viewing time. It is a satirical look at what happens when an ordinairy concerned citizen, who is fed up with "business as usual" of the political process, voices her opinions. A grass roots movement develops to elect her to office and before too long, she is interviewed on television programs. Kitty Porter, the wealthy owner of the grocery store chain for whom Mrs. Pritchard works as a manager, becomes one of her financial supporters. "Politics is not rocket science" becomes the slogan for her political party called the "Purple Alliance". Besides local support, Mrs. Pritchard attracts defectors from the Labour and Tory parties, such as secretaries, chancellors and ministers. She even manages to attract a famous television investigative reporter, Miranda Lennox, to become the spokes person for her political team. Something about the common sense approach that Ros takes resonates with the public, the citizens who are fed up and join her party in large numbers. One of the best scenes is when Ros Pritchard is set up to debate Catherine Walker, a famous Tory MP (Member of Parliament) on live television. Before the program, the two ladies accidentally meet in the ladies washroom, unknown to each other, and share some personal space. After looking in the mirror and realize with whom they were dealing, they exchange some well placed barbs before the actual debate. When Ros proves how well prepared she is with knowledge about Catherine's background, she adds "Perhaps you are in the wrong party". After which there is a pause and Catherine asks, "Are you offering me a job?" The rest is history ...
This set of two DVDs is broken down into three episodes per DVD. Each episode connects with the previous one and builds on the story line and plot in an amusing and serious fashion. Mrs. Pritchard is elected with an overwhelming majority. Ros learns how to function in her new role and is surrounded by experienced and knowledgeable staff. Yet Ros is still debating her abilities and qualifications when she is summoned to meet the Queen. The Queen reassures her that everything will not come to a grinding halt based on your decisions. She receives a congratulatory phone call from President Bush and makes a political faux pas. She wants to distance herself from the supportive position which Tony Blair took regarding the war in Iraq. However, she is faced with a conundrum, several French soldiers were shot down in Irag and President Chiraq of France is asking for British help. Ros provides Britain's ally with help, knowing it places embedded British soldiers at risk if they are captured. Ros had promised the British people two things, 1) she will never lie and 2) she will never mislead them. However, unknown to her, Kitty has paid off several people to keep silent about a secret matter which involved Ros' husband, which may later come to haunt Ros. Although, Ros knew nothing about it, if it were made public, by default she would have to resign as Prime Minister.
On the second DVD, Ros has now been in office as Prime Minister for one full year. She has grown into the job but continues to make occasional off the cuff remarks during interviews which drives her Chancellor of Financial Affairs absolutely crazy. Any such pronouncements are publicly viewed as offical policy which commits the government into tackling and funding particular projects with serious implications. One such project is "Green Wednesday" which supports Britain''s commitment to using less fossil fuel and decreasing energy consumption as signed in the Kyoto Agreements. There could be serious backlashes from this project which the Prime Minister did not consider. As it turned out, it became an overwhelming success and a great example for all of Europe. Along with huge successes, Ros also faces politically explosive crises. One is when an airplane crash thought to be caused by a terrorist attack turns out to be from air safety negligence. A British official failed to represent British interests during a European Union meeting and had signed a Directive which lowered the safety standards of airlines. Ros managed to skirt this near political disaster and remain unscathed and unmarred. However, there is a skeleton lurking in her closet which could cause her downfall. She is unaware of her husband's participation in a cover-up activity fifteen years ago at the firm where he worked and that it is about to be exposed. I love how the writers build suspense and drama into each episode as new problems arise for the inexperienced Prime Minister to work out. She faces near disasters with courage and integrity and in the end must deal with the most difficult one of all involving her husband. One must view the entire miniseries to fully appreciate how Ros Pritchard develops into the role of Prime Minister and how her basic instincts provide her with political savvy and survival skills. This whole miniseries is a thoroughly enjoyable and riveting viewing experience. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]
Summary of The Amazing Mrs Pritchard
A bold engaging miniseries from the BBC"She?s got people talking!" That's what everyone says about Ros Pritchard, the successful supermarket manager and mother who ignites a political firestorm when she stands for Parliament and ends up winning the general election. Running on little more than charm, honesty, and common sense, Ros knows next to nothing about politics. Will her passion and determination be enough to guide her as Prime Minister?
Jane Horrocks (Little Voice, Absolutely Fabulous) delivers a warm, winning performance as an ordinary woman who goes to extraordinary lengths to bring politics back to the people. She relocates Parliament to make it more accessible to the masses. She introduces "No Cars Wednesday" to tackle global warming. At the same time, she juggles the needs and demands of her increasingly frustrated family, which she fears is slipping away from her. With humor and charm, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard takes a bold unflinching look at the modern political process -- and the toll it takes on our leaders and their loved ones.
Contains coarse language
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