Daphne (2007)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daphne is a historical and biographical drama about the life and career of the famous British author Daphne du Maurier.

 

This drama premiered on British television (BBC) in 2007. The timing is significant. It premiered in 2007 in order to mark and remember the 100-year anniversary of the Daphne’s birth in 1907.

 

Here is some basic information about this drama:

 

** Director: Clare Beavan

** Writer: Amy Jenkins

** Based on a biography by Margaret Forster

** Run time: 90 minutes

 

The cast includes the following:

 

** Geraldine Somerville as Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989)

** Andrew Havill as Frederick Browning (aka “Boy” or “Tommy”) (1896-1965) – Daphne’s husband

** Christopher Malcolm as Nelson Doubleday (1889-1949) – Daphne’s publisher in the US

** Elizabeth McGovern as Ellen Doubleday (1899-1978) – Nelson’s wife

** Janet McTeer as Gertrude Lawrence (1898-1952) – an English actress

** Malcolm Sinclair as Noel Coward (1899-1973) – an English playwright

 

Margaret Forster (1938-2016) was a British author whose biography of Daphne du Maurier was published in 1993. The drama is based on this book.

 

While this drama is based on a true story, it is not a documentary film. It is a dramatized version of events. Not everything happened exactly as shown here. Some details may have been added, altered or excluded for dramatic reasons or practical purposes. But the basic story is true.

 

Since this drama is based on a true story, the basic facts are part of the public record. They are not a secret. This is why I feel free to mention some of them here.

 

This biopic of Daphne du Maurier does not cover her whole life from the beginning in 1907 to the end in 1989. It covers only a small part of her life: the time 1945-1952.

 

The first part of her life, 1907-1945, more than three decades, and the end of her life, 1952-1989, more than three decades, are not covered.

 

In other words: this drama covers less than ten years of a life which lasted for more than eight decades.

 

Perhaps this limited time frame was chosen, because it is a crucial part of her life: this is the time when she meets Ellen Doubleday and Gertrude Lawrence who became very close to her.

 

Daphne is a famous author who lives in Cornwall, England, but during the years 1945-1952 - the time covered in this drama - she travels a good deal.

 

She goes to the US and to Italy.

 

I do not wish to spoil the viewing for anyone. This is why I am not going to say much about what happens in this historical and biographical drama.

 

What do reviewers say about it?

 

Here are some results:

 

** 48 per cent = Rotten Tomatoes (the general audience)

** 65 per cent = IMDb

 

On Amazon there are at the moment more than 90 ratings of this product; more than 50 with reviews.

 

The average rating is 3.8 stars which corresponds to a rating of 76 percent.

 

Daphne du Maurier is a world-famous author. Some of her books are best-sellers which have been translated into several languages. Some of her books have been turned into movies. In some cases, more than once.

 

But this biopic of the famous author does not have high ratings. 

 

The rating on Rotten Tomatoes is below 50 percent, while the rating on IMDb is only a little bit better.

 

This is not very impressive!

 

In my opinion, the rating on Rotten Tomatoes is too low, while the rating on Amazon is too high. In my opinion, the rating on IMDb is quite appropriate.

 

Why do I say so?

 

This drama is neither great nor good; it is average.

 

What is wrong?

 

Let me explain:

 

After 10-20 minutes I was wondering: “What is going on here?” But I decided to hang on.

 

I watched it all the way to the end, hoping that it was going to get better after a while. But it never did.

 

The main character is not an interesting person. She could not capture my attention. In addition, the people around her are not convincing.

 

There is something wrong with the whole set-up, and this fact is reflected in the poor rating from the general audience (Rotten Tomatoes).

 

I like historical dramas, especially biographical dramas which are based on the life of a real historical person. But this drama is not successful. That is why I cannot offer more than three stars (60 percent).

 

PS # 1. The following list includes the major works by Daphne du Maurier:

 

** Jamaica Inn (1936) – a movie 1939

** Rebecca (1938) – a movie 1940, 1979, 1997, and 2020

** Frenchman’s Creek (1941) – a movie 1944 and 1998

** My Cousin Rachel (1951) – a movie 1952 and 2017

** The Birds (1952) – a movie 1963

** The Scapegoat (1957) – a movie 1959 and 2012

 

PS # 2. Daphne du Maurier was accused of plagiarism more than once. One such case is covered in this drama: it was tried in a US court of law in the 1940s.

 

An American citizen Edwina L. MacDonald claimed Rebecca was stolen from a work she had published in 1924 and another work she had published in 1927. 

 

Daphne du Maurier crossed the Atlantic Ocean to defend herself. She won. She was found not guilty when the case ended in 1948.

 

Some observers claim Rebecca is surprisingly similar to a novel published in Portuguese in Brazil in 1934:  

 

A Sucessora by Carolina Nabuco. 

 

The Brazilian author did not sue.

 

Frank Baker (1908-1982) – author of The Birds (1936) – claimed Daphne du Maurier stole his idea and his story when she wrote The Birds (1952).

 

He was advised not to sue and he followed this advice. Perhaps because litigation can be very expensive. This is why this case was never tried in a court of law.

 

Please google the names mentioned here to find more information about these cases. Once you have done this, you can make up your own mind about this issue.

 

PS # 3. Daphne du Maurier: In Rebecca's Footsteps is a documentary film which premiered in 2016.

 

*****

The famous British author

Daphne du Maurier

(1907-1989)

 

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Daphne du Maurier

A biography by Margaret Forster

(Hardcover 1993)

(Paperback 1994)

 

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