''Jack and Sarah'' is a 1995

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film written and directed by Tim Sullivan, and starring Richard E. Grant,

Samantha Mathis Samantha Mathis (born May 12, 1970) is an American actress and trade union leader who served as the Vice President, Actors/Performers of SAG-AFTRA from 2015 to 2019. The daughter of actress Bibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut in '' Pump Up ...

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

Eileen Atkins Dame Eileen June Atkins (born 15 June 1934) is an English actress. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting ...

, Cherie Lunghi and

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...

Plot

Jack and Sarah are expectant parents, renovating their home for their soon-to-be expanding family. One night, Jack falls and bangs his head. He wakes in hospital to find that Sarah had died after giving birth to their daughter. Grief-stricken, Jack rejects fatherhood, leaving the baby girl in the care of his parents and Sarah's mother. During this time, Jack relies heavily on drink, and befriends a homeless alcoholic man in a nearby skip. Knowing Jack needs to get back into his life, Jack's father decides to introduce Jack to his daughter by placing the child in bed next him as he sleeps off another all-night bender. The three grandparents then wait in Jack's kitchen until he wakes. Initially overcome by the child and feeling sabotaged, Jack bonds with his daughter. He quickly becomes a doting father as he continues to mourn the loss of his wife. In honour of his wife, Jack names the child Sarah. Fatherhood comes naturally to Jack, but he struggles with balancing raising his daughter, house renovation construction, and with his day-time job. In an odd turn of events, the homeless man from the skip comes to visit and Jack offers him work around the house. William, once sober, proves to be a remarkably efficient babysitter and housekeeper. William and Sarah's grandparents are often present to help Jack, Jack realises that he needs is a full-time live-in nanny to care for Sarah. Unfortunately, the interview process finds candidates who are cold or detached or just plain strange, much to Jack and the grandparents' dismay. In a chance outing at a restaurant with Sarah, Jack encounters the waitress Amy, an American living in London. Amy instantly takes a shine to Sarah and Sarah to her, and Jack offers her the nanny position on the spot. Within the week, Amy moves into Jack and Sarah's house and begins her new job caring for Sarah. Although Amy clashes with William and the grandparents, especially Jack's mother, Margaret, Jack and Amy gradually grow closer—but Jack's boss has also taken an interest in him.

Cast

* Richard E. Grant as Jack, the father of Baby Sarah who's taking care of her after the death of his wife. *

as Amy, the American babysitter for Baby Sarah. *

as Margaret, Jack's mother *

as Phil, Jack's mother-in-law * Cherie Lunghi as Anna, Jack's boss * Imogen Stubbs as Sarah, Jack's wife, who died during the birth of Baby Sarah. *

as William, Jack's fellow drinker * David Swift as Michael, Jack's father * Bianca Lee and Sophia Lee as Baby Sarah, the daughter of Jack and Sarah. *Sophia Sullivan as Baby Sarah (as a toddler), the daughter of Jack and Sarah.

Production

Development of the film began in 1991 for Granada Film. Polygram joined the film, and shooting began in January 1993.

Release

The film was originally released in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

on 9 June 1995.

Reception

The film was the third highest-grossing British film at the UK box office for the year, behind '' Shallow Grave'' and '' The Madness of King George'', with a gross of £2,565,673.Olins, Rufus. "Mr Fixit of the British Screen." Sunday Times [London, England] 24 Sept. 1995: 9[S]. The Sunday Times Digital Archive.
Web. 29 March 2014. In the United States and Canada it grossed $218,626.

Music

The theme song in this film is "

Stars A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night; their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed points of ...

" by British pop group

Simply Red Simply Red are an English soul music, soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. Band leader, singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall was the only original member left by the time Simply Red initially disbanded in 2010. They have released thir ...

References

External links

* * * {{Mojo title, jackandsarah 1995 films 1995 romantic comedy films British romantic comedy films French romantic comedy films Films scored by Simon Boswell Films shot at Pinewood Studios PolyGram Filmed Entertainment films Gramercy Pictures films 1990s English-language films 1990s British films 1990s French films English-language French films English-language romantic comedy films