Roald Dahl's Esio Trot
Roald Dahl's Esio Trot, or simply Esio Trot, is a British comedy drama television film directed by Dearbhla Walsh and written by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, based on the 1990 novel Esio Trot by Roald Dahl. In the film, a retired bachelor (Dustin Hoffman) falls in love with his neighbour, a widow (Judi Dench), who keeps a tortoise as a companion after the death of her husband.[1][2]
| Roald Dahl's Esio Trot | |
|---|---|
DVD cover | |
| Based on | Esio Trot by Roald Dahl |
| Written by | |
| Directed by | Dearbhla Walsh |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Tim Phillips |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Hilary Bevan Jones |
| Cinematography | Ben Smithard |
| Editor | Tim Murrell |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Production company | Endor Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 1 January 2015 |
Roald Dahl's Esio Trot debuted in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2015, on BBC One.[3] It was seen by 7.86 million viewers, making it the ninth-most watched programme on BBC One and across all United Kingdom TV channels for the week ending 4 January 2015.[4]
Cast Edit
- Judi Dench as Mrs Lavinia Silver
- Dustin Hoffman as Mr Henry Hoppy
- James Corden as The Narrator
- Richard Cordery as Mr Pringle
- Pixie Davies as Roberta
- Geoffrey McGivern as the Pet Shop Owner
- Jimmy Akingbola as the keen Pet Shop Owner
- Lisa Hammond as Mrs Desmond
- Anna Cannings as Mrs Court
- Joseph West as Philip
- Katie Lyons as Philip's Mother
- Polly Kemp as the woman on Bus
- Pik-Sen Lim as Mrs Wu
- Salo Gardner as Mr Mavrokoukoudopolous
- Emily Ralph as the little Girl
Music Edit
The musical score is by composer Tim Phillips. All the commercial music used in the show is that of New Orleans jazz singer and trumpeter Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars; which include Edmond Hall, Trummy Young, Billy Kyle, Arvell Shaw & Barrett Deems.
Differences from Dahl's novel Edit
- Mr Pringle (Hoppy's rival for the affections of Mrs Silver) does not appear in the novel.
- In the novel, Mr Hoppy's ruse of switching tortoises to fool Mrs Silver into thinking that hers is growing is successful and she never discovers the truth. In the movie, she discovers Mr Hoppy's plan but eventually marries him anyway.
Production Edit
Charlotte Moore announced the television film at the Edinburgh International Television Festival on 22 August 2013.[1][5] It was produced by Hilary Bevan Jones and directed by Dearbhla Walsh.[1][5] Bevan Jones said: "To bring together two of the world’s favourite actors in Dame Judi and Dustin is a dream come true. Richard and Paul have captured the magic of Roald Dahl’s wonderful tale and I am thrilled that Dearbhla is to direct it."[1][6] It was adapted by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, and filming took place in May 2014 in London.[1][6][7] The apartment block featured in the film is Adelaide Wharf in Haggerston.
Reviews Edit
The adaptation received praise, with Lucy Mangan in The Guardian writing, “an utterly, completely, inescapably beguiling adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, directed by Dearbhla Walsh, narrated by James Corden and starring Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench. You could argue that with a pedigree like that nothing could have gone wrong, but it doesn’t work like that. Although you can maximise your chances of being able to conjure it, charm is ineffable, alchemical. You can’t measure it out by the yard and cut it off when you’ve got enough. You can’t splash it on to a scene and then stopper it to make sure you’ve got enough for the next take. It just … appears, if you’re careful and if you’re lucky. And then it ripples through your film, or your play or your book, animating all and subtly transforming everything from a prosaic good – or even great – into a thing of wonder.”[8]
Awards Edit
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 44th International Emmy Awards | Best Performance by an Actor[9] | Dustin Hoffman | Won |
| Best Performance by an Actress | Judi Dench | Nominated |
References Edit
- ^ a b c d e Maguire, Una (22 August 2013). "Dame Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman to star in Roald Dahl's Esio Trot for BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ Sweney, Mark (22 August 2013). "Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench to star in Roald Dahl adaptation for BBC". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
- ^ "BBC One - Roald Dahl's Esio Trot". BBC. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ Broadcasters' Audience Research Board, barb.co.uk, shows Roald Dahl's Esio Trot in place 9 of most watched for week ending 4 January 2015. Accessed 23 December 2017
- ^ a b "BBC reveals new commissions at the Edinburgh Festival". BBC. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ a b Eames, Tom (22 August 2013). "Judi Dench, Dustin Hoffman for Roald Dahl's 'Esio Trot' on BBC One". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ Patrick, Seb (23 August 2013). "Dame Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman to Star in Roald Dahl's 'Esio Trot' for BBC". BBC America. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ "Esio Trot review – Dench sparkles, Hoffman is perfect; World's Strongest Man". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ^ "Brazil, UK Lead Pack For International Emmy Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
External links Edit
- Roald Dahl's Esio Trot at BBC Online
- Roald Dahl's Esio Trot at IMDb