|
Vera Drake
''Vera Drake'' is a 2004 British period drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh and starring Imelda Staunton, Phil Davis, Daniel Mays and Eddie Marsan. It tells the story of a working-class woman in London in 1950 who performs illegal abortions. The film was acclaimed, winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and three BAFTA Awards. At the Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Actress for Staunton, and Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Leigh. Plot Vera Drake is devoted to her family, looking after her husband and children, her elderly mother, and a sick neighbour. Her shy daughter, Ethel, works in a lightbulb factory, and her son, Sid, tailors men's suits. Her husband, Stanley, is a car mechanic. Although Vera and her family are poor, their strong family bonds hold them together. During her working day as a house cleaner, Vera performs constant small acts of kindness for the many people she encounters. She is a kindly person who is eag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English screenwriter, producer, director and former actor with a film, theatre, and television career spanning more than 60 years. His accolades include prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Venice International Film Festival, three BAFTA Awards, and nominations for seven Academy Awards. He also received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2014, and was appointed an Order of the British Empire, Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1993 Birthday Honours for services to the film industry. Leigh studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design and the London Film School, London School of Film Technique. His short-lived acting career included the role of a mute in the 1963 ''Maigret (1960 TV series), Maigret'' episode "The Flemish Shop". He began working as a theatre director and playwright in the mid-1960s, before tran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Academy Award For Best Director
The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as the Academy Award of Merit for Directing) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibited outstanding directing while working in the film industry. The 1st Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1929 with the award being split into "Dramatic" and "Comedy" categories; Frank Borzage and Lewis Milestone won for ''7th Heaven (1927 film), 7th Heaven'' and ''Two Arabian Knights'', respectively. However, these categories were merged for all subsequent ceremonies. Nominees are determined by single transferable vote within the directors branch of AMPAS; winners are selected by a plurality (voting), plurality vote from the entire eligible voting members of the academy. For the first eleven years of the Academy Awards, directors were allowed to be nominated for multiple films in the same year. However, after the nomination of Michael Cu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Martin Savage (actor)
Martin Savage is an English film, stage and television actor. He appeared in both series of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's television series '' Extras'' as camp scriptwriter Damon Beesley and in ''The Thick of It'' television series specials as Nick Hanway. Savage's film credits include a major role as the Victorian actor in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, George Grossmith, in the Mike Leigh film ''Topsy-Turvy'' (1999). He has also appeared in Leigh's films '' All or Nothing'' (2002), '' Another Year'' (2010), '' Mr. Turner'' (2014) and ''Peterloo'' (2018). Other major film appearances include ''V for Vendetta'' (2006), '' Rush'' (2013), and as Warden Hodges in ''Dad's Army'' (2016). He appeared in a small cameo as the performer Dan Leno in a BBC drama about music hall star Marie Lloyd and in the final Masterpiece Mystery ''Foyle's War''. In the United States, he appeared in three episodes of ''Family Guy'' between 2006 and 2009. His theatre credits include ''For King and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Peter Wight (actor)
Peter Wight (born 1950), sometimes credited as Peter Wright, is a British actor. He is best known for his role as Policeman Nige in '' Early Doors''. Early life Although born in Worthing, Wight grew up in the village of Duffield, Derbyshire, and went on to study at the University of Oxford. Acting career His television credits include: '' Our Zoo'', ''Z-Cars'', '' Meantime'', ''Anna Lee'', ''Life on Mars'', ''Holby City'', '' Where the Heart Is'', ''Jane Eyre'' (1997), '' Early Doors'', ''Midsomer Murders'', '' Monday Monday'', '' Party Animals'', '' Hit & Miss'', '' The Paradise'', ''The Crown'', '' Brief Encounters'' and ''This Time with Alan Partridge''. He also appeared in the 2011 miniseries series '' Case Sensitive'' and the 2012 series '' Public Enemies''. Film appearances include ''Naked'', '' Secrets & Lies'', '' FairyTale: A True Story'', ''Vera Drake'', '' Pride & Prejudice'', ''Babel'', '' All or Nothing'', '' A Bunch of Amateurs'', '' Another Year'', '' Mr. Turner ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Liz White (actress)
Elizabeth White (born 11 August 1979) is an English actress. She grew up in Plymouth and attended Plymstock School from 1989 until 1994. She is known for portraying roles of Annie Cartwright in the BBC One drama series ''Life on Mars (British TV series), Life on Mars'' (2006–2007), and Emma Keane (Ackley Bridge), Emma Keane in the Channel 4 school-based drama series ''Ackley Bridge'' (2017–2019). Television and theatre White's other prominent TV roles were in series 1 of the ITV (TV network), ITV drama ''The Fixer (2008 TV series), The Fixer'', playing Jess Mercer, the sister of John Mercer. She also played Shannon in ''The Emperor's New Clothes, The Empresses' New Clothes'', an episode of ''Fairy Tales (TV series), Fairy Tales'', which were the BBC's modern takes on classic children's stories. In April 2011, she appeared in the BBC adaptation ''The Crimson Petal and the White (TV serial), The Crimson Petal and the White''. She featured in the music video for Bush (British ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Lesley Sharp
Lesley Sharp (born 3 April 1960) is an English actress, She was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her part in the film ''The Full Monty'' (1997), and for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress in 2002 for her role in '' Bob & Rose'' (2001). Her credits include '' Rita, Sue and Bob Too'' (1987), '' The Rachel Papers'' (1989), ''Naked'' (1993), ''Priest'' (1994), ''The Moonstone'' (1996), ''Great Expectations'' (1999), '' Daylight Robbery'' (1999), '' Clocking Off'' (2000–2001), '' From Hell'' (2001), ''Vera Drake'' (2004), ''Afterlife'' (2005–2006), '' Scott & Bailey'' (2011-2016), ''This Cop Life'' (2022), and ''The Full Monty'' (TV series) (2023). Early life Sharp was born in Manchester, England to Elsie Makinson and Norman Patient, a married tram driver. She was adopted at six weeks old. Her adoptive father, Jack, was a tax inspector, and she grew up in Merseyside. Sharp has stated that she started acting because, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Ruth Sheen
Ruth Sheen is an English actress. From the late 1980s, she has appeared in British television shows, films and plays. A participant in the films of Mike Leigh, she won the European Film Award for Best Actress for her performance as Shirley in Leigh's '' High Hopes'' (1988). Early life Sheen was born in Stepney, London. She began her career training at the East 15 Acting School. Career Television Sheen had recurring roles as Nanny Simmons in ''Berkeley Square'' (1998) and as Nurse Ethel Carr in the series '' Bramwell'' (1995–1998). She also appeared as four different characters in six episodes of ''The Bill'' between 1989 and 2004. Also in 2004 she appeared in ''Agatha Christie’s Marple'' “The Murder at the Vicarage” as Mrs Tarrant. She played Maureen Tacy in the series '' Doc Martin'' (2005) and appeared as Mrs Jones in the 2007 drama mini-series ''Fanny Hill'', based on the erotic novel by John Cleland. She appeared in ''Agatha Christie’s Poirot'' “Eleph ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Sally Hawkins
Sally Cecilia Hawkins (born 27 April 1976) is an English actress of stage and screen. She began her career on stage and then moved into film, for which she has received several accolades including a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she started her career as a stage actress in productions such as ''Romeo and Juliet'' (playing Juliet), ''Much Ado About Nothing'', and ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. Her first major role was in Mike Leigh's '' All or Nothing'' in 2002. She continued working with Leigh, appearing in a supporting role in ''Vera Drake'' (2004) and taking the lead in '' Happy-Go-Lucky'' (2008), for which she won several awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and the Silver Bear for Best Actress. Hawkins appeared in two Woody Allen films, '' Cassandra's Dream'' (2007) and ''Blu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Heather Craney
Heather Craney (born 1971) is an English actress, known for portraying Joyce Drake in ''Vera Drake'', Alison Weaver in '' Life of Riley'' and Emily Holroyd in ''Torchwood''. Background Craney was born in Stapleford, Cambridgeshire. Her family lived in Darlington for two years during the 1980s, where Craney attended Hummersknott School. She attended Stapleford Community Primary School, Sawston Village College and Long Road Sixth Form College in Cambridgeshire, and went on to study English and drama at Liverpool Hope University, graduating in 1992.Profile – Heather Craney ''Mandy Actors''; retrieved 12 August 2009. She trained in Acting and Musical Theatre at the |
Adrian Scarborough
Adrian Philip Scarborough is an English actor. He has appeared in films including '' The Madness of King George'' (1994), '' Gosford Park'' (2001), '' Vera Drake'' (2004), '' The History Boys'' (2006), '' The King's Speech'' (2010), '' Les Misérables'' (2012) and '' 1917'' (2019). He is also known for his roles in television such as '' Cranford'' (2007–2009), '' Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2024), '' Upstairs Downstairs'' (2010–2012), '' The Paradise'' (2013), '' Crashing'' (2016), '' A Very English Scandal'' (2018), '' Killing Eve'' (2019), and '' The Chelsea Detective'' (2022). Scarborough is also a theatre actor and has twice won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role; he won in 2011 for his role in the Terence Rattigan's play '' After the Dance'' and in 2020 for his performance in Tom Stoppard's play '' Leopoldstadt''. Early life Scarborough was born and raised in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He attended Brooksby Melton College and trained ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Sandra Voe
Sandra Voe (born 6 October 1936) is a Scottish actress of film, television, and theatre. Career Television and films Voe began her on screen career in 1966, appearing in an episode of ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook''. She has also appeared in ''Coronation Street'', '' London's Burning'', ''Taggart'', '' Takin' Over the Asylum'', ''Casualty'', '' Monarch of the Glen'', ''The Bill'', ''Midsomer Murders'', and ''Shetland''. Her film credits include ''Breaking the Waves'', ''Felicia's Journey'' and ''Vera Drake''. Theatre Voe has worked in theatres all over the UK, including Sheffield Crucible, Leicester Phoenix, Leicester Haymarket, Oxford Playhouse, Birmingham Rep, Manchester Royal Exchange, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Nottingham Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic, Bloomsbury, Hampstead, Lyric Hammersmith, Almeida, Bush, Shared Experience, RNT, Royal Court and Ambassadors. Her theatre performances include: * ''Romeo and Juliet'' * ''Mother Courage'' * ''The Nightingale Sang'' * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Character Evidence
Character evidence is a term used in the law of evidence to describe any testimony or document submitted for the purpose of proving that a person acted in a particular way on a particular occasion based on the character or disposition of that person. In the United States, Federal Rule of Evidence 404 maps out its permissible and prohibited uses in trials. Three factors typically determine the admissibility of character evidence: # the purpose for which the character evidence is being used # the form in which the character evidence is offered # the type of proceeding ( civil or criminal) in which the character evidence is offered Purpose In the United States, character evidence may be offered at trial to: :1. prove character, if character is a substantive issue in the litigation ::admissibility of character evidence to prove character is ''not'' affected by the case's civil or criminal nature :2. prove, through circumstantial evidence, an aspect of an individual's conduct ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
