Directed by Lindsay Anderson and based on David Storey’s 1969 play, “In Celebration” boasts all of the original stage cast members.
A mining town in Derbyshire, England. The Shaw family, including their three sons, gathers to celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Shaw’s 40th wedding anniversary. Mr. Shaw has worked as a coal miner for nearly 50 years. Andrew (Alan Bates), the eldest son, once a solicitor, has abandoned the law to pursue painting. Colin (James Bolam), the middle son, was once a member of the Communist Party. Now, a successful but unfulfilled industrial relations manager, he’s gay but in the closet. Steven (Brian Cox), the youngest, is a schoolteacher with four children who has abandoned a book he had been writing. Over the course of the evening, a dark family history emerges.
Like “Butley,” this is another filmed stage play that makes no attempts to hide its origin. However, the performers are so engaging that you stay with them. All of the actors have their moments, with Alan Bates making the most significant impression. James Bolam’s Colin’s homosexuality is never discussed, paralleling other family secrets that lie buried from child neglect, to a suicide attempt, to a death in the family. However, there is enough queer-coding to convey the point. And it’s fascinating to see Brian Cox as a young actor. Cox is one of those lucky actors who reached a mass audience later in life. You never think of him as being young, but here he is!
The film was part of Ely Landau’s American Film Theatre series, which adapted stage plays for cinema with subscription screenings.
NOW STREAMING ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, APPLE TV+, AND YOUTUBE
75 Queer Films Made Under the Hays Code 1934-1967 – TheBrownees
75 Queer Films from the New Hollywood (1968-1980). – TheBrownees
