''Hollow Reed'' is a 1996

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

directed by Angela Pope. The plot follows a divorced gay man who begins to suspect that his son is being physically abused by his ex-wife's new boyfriend. The story takes place in Bath, Somerset.

Plot

Oliver Wyatt lives with his mother, Hannah Wyatt, and her live-in boyfriend, Frank Donally, and spends occasional afternoons with his father Martyn Wyatt. After Oliver suffers a series of mysterious physical injuries, which he vaguely blames on neighbourhood bullies, suspicions are raised by his father, a GP, against Hannah's boyfriend, Frank. While Martyn becomes firmly convinced Frank is abusing his son, Oliver keeps silent about the true source of his injuries, and Hannah refuses to believe Frank could be abusing her son. Martyn begins court proceedings to gain sole custody of Oliver, though his

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

relationship with Tom Dixon is brought as evidence by Hannah's lawyer of the unsuitability of Martyn's home. Only after she catches Frank abusing Oliver does Hannah accept that her boyfriend is the source of Oliver's injuries, though she is swayed by Frank's pleas and agrees to remain quiet about the issue and promises Oliver that the abuse will end. In the climactic scene, Oliver attacks Frank and is saved from a terrible beating by his father, Martyn, who instead receives Frank's wrath. As Frank's savagery is witnessed not only by Hannah, Oliver, and Tom, but also by Hannah's neighbours, who in turn call the police, the film ends with Hannah visiting Oliver, who now resides with his father, and asking him if he'd like to return to her home on occasion, now that Frank no longer lives with her. It is implied that Frank is now serving a prison sentence for abusing Oliver. Her request is met with stony silence from Oliver.

Cast

* Martin Donovan as Martin Wyatt *

Joely Richardson Joely Kim Richardson (born 9 January 1965) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Julia McNamara in the FX drama series ''Nip/Tuck'' (2003–10) and Katherine Parr in the Showtime series ''The Tudors'' (2010). She has also appea ...

as Hannah *Sam Bould as Oliver Wyatt *

Ian Hart Ian Davies (born 8 October 1964), better known by his stage name Ian Hart, is an English actor. His most notable roles are Rabbit in the Channel Four drama miniseries '' One Summer'' (1983), Joe O'Reilly in the biopic ''Michael Collins'' (1996 ...

as Tom Dixon *

Jason Flemyng Jason Iain Flemyng''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 25 September 1966) is an English actor. He is known for roles in British films such as ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' (1998) ...

as Frank Donnally *

Roger Lloyd-Pack Roger Anthony Lloyd-Pack (8 February 1944 – 16 January 2014) was an English actor. He is best known for playing Trigger in ''Only Fools and Horses'' from 1981 to 2003, and Owen Newitt in '' The Vicar of Dibley'' from 1994 to 2007. He later st ...

as Hannah's lawyer * David Calder as Martin's lawyer *

Edward Hardwicke Edward Cedric Hardwicke (7 August 1932 – 16 May 2011) was an English actor, who had a distinguished career on the stage and on-screen. He was best known for playing Captain Pat Grant in ''Colditz'' (1972-73), and Dr. Watson in Granada Te ...

as the judge

Reference list

External links

* 1996 drama films 1996 films British drama films British independent films English-language German films English-language Spanish films German drama films German independent films Spanish drama films Spanish independent films Films produced by Elizabeth Karlsen Films scored by Anne Dudley Films about domestic violence 1997 drama films 1997 films 1990s English-language films 1990s British films 1990s German films {{indie-drama-film-stub