''Walter'' is a British

television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms t ...

directed by

Stephen Frears Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is an English director and producer of film and television often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply drawn characters. He's received numerous accola ...

and starring

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

Barbara Jefford Mary Barbara Jefford, OBE (26 July 1930 – 12 September 2020) was a British actress, best known for her theatrical performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic and the National Theatre and her role as Molly Bloom in the 1967 ...

Tony Melody Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

David Ryall David John Ryall
Retrieved 28 December 2014 (5 January 1935 – 25 December 201 ...

, Keith Allen,

Paula Tilbrook Paula Tilbrook (16 January 1930 – 1 December 2019) was an English actress who played Betty Eagleton in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 1994 to 2015. Career Born in Salford, Tilbrook begun her career performing on stage across North East ...

, and

Jim Broadbent James Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is an English actor. He won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role as John Bayley in the feature film ''Iris'' (2001), as well as winning a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe for hi ...

. It was first broadcast on the launch night of

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

on 2 November 1982. Based on a 1978 novel of the same name by

David Cook David Cook may refer to: Entertainment * David Cook (game designer) (active since 1980s), American game designer for TSR * David Cook (singer) (born 1982), winner of the seventh season of ''American Idol'' * David Cook (writer) (1940–2015), Briti ...

, it was the first ever

Film on Four Film4 is a British free-to-air television network owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, devoted to broadcasting films. While its standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesat platforms, it ...

Plot

The film was directed by

and stars

as Walter, a man with a learning difficulties. The story focuses initially on his youth in which his parents attempt, with little success, to have him adapt into the conditions of a "normal" life. Walter's father dies, followed soon after by his mother. The social services bureaucracy then place him in a psychiatric institution. Walter is molested by another patient, witnesses the murder of a patient by another patient having a breakdown and remains in the institution for the rest of the film.

Cast

as Walter *

as Sarah, Walter's mother *

Arthur Whybrow Arthur Whybrow (1923 – 23 April 2009) was a British actor. Filmography References External links * 1923 births 2009 deaths British male actors {{UK-screen-actor-stub ...

as Walter's father *

as Mr Hingley *

David Ryall David John Ryall
Retrieved 28 December 2014 (5 January 1935 – 25 December 201 ...

as Mr Richards *

Linda Polan Linda may refer to: As a name * Linda (given name), a female given name (including a list of people and fictional characters so named) * Linda (singer) (born 1977), stage name of Svetlana Geiman, a Russian singer * Anita Linda (born Alice Lake ...

as Miss Rushden * Keith Allen as Mike (Stockroom) * Lesley Claire O'Neill as Jean (Stockroom) *

as Mrs. Ashby *

Marjorie Yeats Marjorie is a female given name derived from Margaret, which means pearl. It can also be spelled as Margery or Marjory. Marjorie is a medieval variant of Margery, influenced by the name of the herb marjoram. It came into English from the Old Fren ...

as Social Worker *

as Joseph (Orderly) *

Kenny Ireland George Ian Kenneth "Kenny" Ireland (7 August 1945 – 31 July 2014) was a Scottish actor and theatre director. Ireland was best known to television viewers for his role in '' Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV'' in the 1980s, and for playing Donald ...

as Angus (Orderly) * Donald McKillop as Mr Lipman *

Nabil Shaban Nabil Shaban (born 12 February 1953) is a Jordanian-British actor and writer. He co-founded Graeae—a theatre group which promotes disabled performers. He's best known as the recurring villain Sil in '' Doctor Who''. Early years and career ...

as Ben Gunn *

Bob Flag ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', also known as ''1984'', is a 1984 British dystopian dark drama film written and directed by Michael Radford, based upon George Orwell's 1949 novel of the same name. Starring John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamil ...

as Harold *

Lol Coxhill George Lowen Coxhill (19 September 1932 – 10 July 2012) known professionally as Lol Coxhill, was an English free improvising saxophonist. He played soprano and sopranino saxophone. Biography Coxhill was born to George Compton Coxhill ...

as Hospital Patient * Robert Walker as Staff Nurse *

John Surman John Douglas Surman (born 30 August 1944) is an English jazz saxophone, bass clarinet, and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music. He has composed and performed music for dance performanc ...

as Male Nurse *

Trevor Laird Trevor Laird is an English actor. Biography Born in Islington, London. Laird trained at the Anna Scher Theatre. Early roles included a 1976 role in a TV adaptation of the Peter Prince novel ''Playthings'', directed by Stephen Frears, and sev ...

as Errol (Nurse) *

Robin Hooper Sir Robin William John Hooper (26 July 1914 – 14 June 1989) was an English Royal Air Force pilot and diplomat. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and later became the British Ambassador to Greece. Hooper was educated at Que ...

as Orderly (Washroom) *

Stephen Petcher Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

as Dave (Stockroom) *

Garry Cooper Garry Cooper is an English actor. He was born in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, on 2 June 1955. Garry trained at Drama Centre, London and has worked extensively in film, television and theatre. Filmography ...

as Roger (Stockroom) * Frankie Connolly as Young Walter

Reception

Critical response

The ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'' reported at the time:

Channel 4 is taking the extraordinary step of launching itself with one of the most shocking films about mental illness ever shown on British TV. Walter, which occupies the key slot in next Tuesday's opening night schedule, features scenes of homosexual molestation in a mental hospital, patients covered in excrement, and a suicide in a barber's shop.

As part of his review of Channel 4's launch night, Chris Dunkley of the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

'' wrote that:

The temptation is to go overboard in praise of ''Walter'', first of the channel's 'Film On Four' productions, because its cause was so worthy and the central performance by Ian McKellen so overpoweringly moving.

Accolades

The film was nominated for two

BAFTA TV awards The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the BAFTA. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories. Until ...

for ''Best Make Up'' and ''Best Single Drama'' in 1983. McKellen won The

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

''Performer of the Year'' for his performance.

Sequels

A sequel, directed by Frears and starring McKellen, entitled ''Walter and June'' and set some 19 years later, was aired in May 1983. ''Walter and June'' was adapted from David Cook's novel ''Winter Doves''. Walter falls in love with an attractive fellow-patient (played by

Sarah Miles Sarah Miles (born 31 December 1941) is an English actress. She is known for her roles in films ''The Servant'' (1963), ''Blowup'' (1966), ''Ryan's Daughter'' (1970), ''The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing'' (1973), '' White Mischief'' (1987) and '' Ho ...

) and at her urging the two escape and attempt a life together in the outside world. At first matters go well, but ultimately Walter comes to the sad realisation that he cannot relate to others not like him and he returns alone to the sheltered refuge of the asylum. The two films are sometimes packaged together in an edited form under the title "Loving Walter" (when played together the original two films run to 2 hours 14 minutes, while "Loving Walter" is 2 hours 5 minutes long). McKellen reprised the role in

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

's ''Saturday Play'' "Walter Now", broadcast on 12 January 2009, in which his character is revisited 26 years later as an old man, when the institution in which he used to live is closed and he is moved into a smaller, group home. Among the issues explored are the subjects of

reproductive rights Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows: Reproductive rights rest on t ...

for people who have learning difficulties, and the right to

self-determination The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...

in areas such as choosing one's own home and housemates.

References

External links

Page about Walter on Sir Ian McKellen's site

Link to Channel 4's Walter movie overview

Link to Channel 4's Walter and June movie overview

Link to Radio 4's play overview
* * {{Stephen Frears 1982 television films 1982 films 1982 drama films BBC Radio 4 programmes British television films Channel 4 television dramas Channel 4 television films Films about intellectual disability Films directed by Stephen Frears Films scored by George Fenton 1980s English-language films