"She's Been Away" is a 1989 British

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

written by

Stephen Poliakoff Stephen Poliakoff (born 1 December 1952) is a British playwright, Film director, director and screenwriter. In 2006 Gerard Gilbert of ''The Independent'' described him as the UK's "pre-eminent TV dramatist" and that he had "inherited Dennis Po ...

and directed by Sir Peter Hall. In her final appearance it starred Dame

Peggy Ashcroft Dame Edith Margaret Emily "Peggy" Ashcroft (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991) was an English actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was determined from an early age to become ...

, who won two awards at the

Venice International Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

for her performance, as did

Geraldine James Geraldine James (born 6 July 1950) is an English actress. She has worked extensively on television, on stage and in film. She is known for her role as Marilla Cuthbert in the Netflix series ''Anne with an E'' (2017–2019) and as Queen Mary in ...

. It was nominated for the

BAFTA TV Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in ...

for Best Single Drama.

Plot

The closure of a mental institution threatens to leave the elderly Lillian homeless. Her wealthy nephew Hugh takes her in, putting additional strain on his wife Harriet. Gradually, an awkward friendship develops between Harriet, on the verge of a nervous breakdown herself, and Lillian, who has spent fifty years as a mental patient.

Cast

as Lillian Huckle *

as Harriet Ambrose *

James Fox James William Fox (born William Fox; 19 May 1939) is an English actor known for his work in film and television. Fox's career began in the 1960s through roles in films such as '' The Servant'' and ''Performance''. He is also known for his role ...

as Hugh Ambrose *Jackson Kyle as Dominic Ambrose *

Rebecca Pidgeon Rebecca Pidgeon (born October 10, 1965) is an American-British actress who has appeared on stage and in feature films. She is also a singer, songwriter and recording artist. Early life Pidgeon was born to English parents in Cambridge, Massachus ...

as Young Lillian *

Rosalie Crutchley Rosalie Sylvia Crutchley (4 January 1920 – 28 July 1997) was a British actress. Trained at the Royal Academy of Music, she was perhaps best known for her television performances, but had a long and successful career in theatre and films, makin ...

as Gladys * Rachel Kempson as Matilda *Cryss Jean Healey as Young Margaret *Leslie Goodall as Old Edward *Edgar Goodall as Old Thomas * René Zagger as Young Thomas *Barnaby Holm as Young Edward * Donald Douglas as Lillian's father *

Hugh Lloyd Hugh Lewis Lloyd (22 April 1923 – 14 July 2008) was an English actor who made his name in film and television comedy from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was best known for appearances in '' Hancock's Half Hour'', '' Hugh and I'' and other ...

as George *

Brid Brennan Brigid or Brigit ( , ; meaning 'exalted one'),Campbell, MikBehind the Name.See also Xavier Delamarre, ''brigantion / brigant-'', in ''Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise'' (Éditions Errance, 2003) pp. 87–88: "Le nom de la sainte irlandaise ''B ...

as Lillian's nurse * David Hargreaves as Lillian's doctor * Hugh Ross as 1920s doctor *Carrie Thomas as 1920s nurse

References

External links

BBC site for programme
* 1989 television films British television films BBC television dramas {{BBC-drama-tv-prog-stub