''My Family and Other Animals'' is a 2005 television film written by
Simon Nye
Simon Nye (born 29 July 1958) is an English screenwriter, best known for television comedy. He wrote the hit British sitcom, sitcom ''Men Behaving Badly'', and all of the four ITV Pantos. He co-wrote the 2006 film ''Flushed Away'', created an ad ...
and directed by
Sheree Folkson
Sheree Folkson is a British film and television director.
Some of her television credits are ''American Horror Story'', ''The Bill'', '' Band of Gold'', '' Doctor Who'', '' The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star'', ''Casanova'', '' H ...
. The film is based on the 1956 autobiographical
book of the same title written by
Gerald Durrell
Gerald Malcolm Durrell, (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island ...
, in which he describes a series of anecdotes relating to his family's stay on
Corfu
Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
from 1935–1939, when he was aged 10–14.
Plot
![Corfu citadel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Corfu_citadel.jpg)
''My Family and Other Animals'' tells the story of the Durrell family,
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell (; 27 February 1912 – 7 November 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. He was the eldest brother of naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell.
Born in India to British colonial pare ...
, Leslie Durrell,
Margaret Durrell
Margaret Isabel Mabel "Margo" Durrell (4 May 1919 — 16 January 2007) was the younger sister of novelist Lawrence Durrell and elder sister of naturalist, author, and TV presenter Gerald Durrell, who lampoons her character in his Corfu trilogy o ...
and
Gerald Durrell
Gerald Malcolm Durrell, (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island ...
, as well as their mother Louisa Durrell, as they spend five years (1935–1939) on the Greek island of
Corfu
Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
. The family reside in a series of villas, and spend their time indulging in their varying interests. Gerald develops his passion for wildlife, his mother spends her time cooking and worrying about everyone else; Larry writes and annoys the entire family with high-brow guests and unhelpful suggestions; Leslie develops his passion for ballistics and sailing, whilst Margo sunbathes and enchants the local young men.
Cast
*
Eugene Simon
Eugene Michael Simon (born 11 June 1992) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Jerome Clarke in the Nickelodeon mystery series ''House of Anubis'' (2011–2013) and Lancel Lannister in the HBO fantasy series '' Game of Thro ...
as
Gerald Durrell
Gerald Malcolm Durrell, (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island ...
*
Imelda Staunton
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre produ ...
as
Louisa Durrell
Louisa Florence Durrell (née Dixie; 16 January 1886 – 24 January 1964), was an Anglo-Irish woman born in India during the British Raj. She was the mother of Lawrence and Gerald Durrell. She was featured in Gerald Durrell's autobiographic ...
*
Chris Langham
Christopher Langham (born 14 April 1949) is an English writer, actor, and comedian. He is known for playing the cabinet minister Hugh Abbot in the BBC sitcom ''The Thick of It'', and as presenter Roy Mallard in '' People Like Us'', first on BBC ...
as
Theodore Stephanides
Theodore Philip Stephanides (Greek: Θεόδωρος Φίλιππος Στεφανίδης; 21 January 1896 – 13 April 1983) was a Greek-British doctor and polymath, best remembered as the friend and mentor of Gerald Durrell. He was also know ...
*
Omid Djalili
Omid Djalili ( fa, امید جلیلی; born 30 September 1965) is a British actor, comedian and writer.
Early life and education
Djalili was born on 30 September 1965 in Chelsea, London, to Iranian Baháʼí parents. He attended Holland Park ...
as Spiro
*
Matthew Goode
Matthew William Goode (born 3 April 1978) is a British actor. Goode made his screen debut in 2002 with American Broadcasting Company, ABC's TV film feature ''Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister#Adaptation, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister''. His ...
as
Larry Durrell
*
Russell Tovey
Russell George Tovey (born 14 November 1981) is an English actor. He is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural comedy-drama '' Being Human'', Rudge in both the stage and film versions of ''The Histo ...
as Leslie Durrell
*
Tamzin Merchant
Tamzin Merchant (born 4 March 1987) is an English actress and author, best known for her roles as Georgiana Darcy in the film ''Pride & Prejudice'' (2005), as Catherine Howard in the Showtime series ''The Tudors'' (2009–2010) and as Anne Hal ...
as
Margo Durrell
Margaret Isabel Mabel "Margo" Durrell (4 May 1919 — 16 January 2007) was the younger sister of novelist Lawrence Durrell and elder sister of naturalist, author, and TV presenter Gerald Durrell, who parody, lampoons her character in his Corfu t ...
*
Alexander Armstrong
Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong (born 2 March 1970) is an English actor, comedian, radio personality, television presenter and singer. He is the host of the BBC One game show ''Pointless'', as well as the morning show on Classic FM.
He is ...
as Narrator/Adult Gerry (voiceover)
See also
* Gerald Durrell's Corfu trilogy books:
**''
My Family and Other Animals
''My Family and Other Animals'' (1956) is an autobiographical book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. It tells in an exaggerated and sometimes fictionalised way of the years that he lived as a child with his siblings and widowed mother on t ...
'' (1956)
** ''
Birds, Beasts, and Relatives
''Birds, Beasts, and Relatives'' (1969) by British naturalist Gerald Durrell is the second volume of his autobiographical Corfu trilogy, published from 1954 to 1978. The trilogy are memoirs about his childhood with his family between 1935 and ...
'' (1969)
** ''
The Garden of the Gods
''The Garden of the Gods'' (American title: ''Fauna and Family'') (1978) by British naturalist and author Gerald Durrell (1925–1995) is the third book in his autobiographical Corfu trilogy, following ''My Family and Other Animals'' and ''Bir ...
'' (1978)
* ''
My Family and Other Animals
''My Family and Other Animals'' (1956) is an autobiographical book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. It tells in an exaggerated and sometimes fictionalised way of the years that he lived as a child with his siblings and widowed mother on t ...
'' (1987), a BBC 10-episode TV series based on Gerald Durrell's book by the same name
* ''
The Durrells
''The Durrells'' (known in North America as ''The Durrells in Corfu'') is a British comedy-drama television series loosely based on Gerald Durrell's three autobiographical books about his family's four years (1935–1939) on the Greek island of ...
'' (2016), an ITV drama television series loosely based on the Corfu trilogy
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, 0482552, My Family and Other Animals
PBS Masterpiece Theatre: ''My family and other animals'': Production Notes
2005 television films
2005 films
British television films
Films based on British novels
Films scored by Nicholas Hooper
Films shot in Corfu
Films directed by Sheree Folkson