''Mysterious Creatures'' is a 2006 British indie drama, directed by David Evans, and starring

Timothy Spall Timothy Leonard Spall ( ; born 27 February 1957) is an English actor. He gained recognition for his character actor roles on stage and screen. In 2000, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. S ...

Brenda Blethyn Brenda Blethyn ( Bottle; born 20 February 1946) is an English actress. Known for her character work and versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Cannes Film Festival Award, as well as n ...

and

Rebekah Staton Rebekah Staton is an English actress and narrator. She has had roles in '' Pulling'' (2006–2009), ''Doctor Who'' (2007), ''Rome'' (2007), ''Wallander'' (2011), ''Black Mirror'' (2011), '' Raised by Wolves'' (2013–2016), '' DanTDM Creates a Bi ...

. It is a true story of a married couple struggling to cope with the demands of their daughter with

Asperger syndrome Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's syndrome or Asperger's, is a diagnostic label that has historically been used to describe a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and no ...

Plot

It is November 2004, and Bill and Wendy Ainscow are struggling to cope with Social Services' neglect of their daughter, in her 30s and who is autistic. In a desperate attempt to escape, they posted a suicide note to a newspaper and ingested a variety of sleeping pills, walking together into the ocean in the hopes of committing suicide. On this tragic day, Bill lost his life, however Wendy was rescued, leading her to live her life caring for her daughter alone, with no state help, leading her to a second suicide attempt. The struggles came from the fact that Social Services refused to help lonely, naïve Lisa with social skills so she may get living life with people (friends and a lover). They outrageously claimed she didn't need such help. Lisa had an addiction to spending money which her parents didn't have on designer shoes and cuddly toys, which would lead to violent outbursts if her demands were not met. Bill had also previously been in prison for stealing £50,000 to pay for his daughter's obsessions. After the second suicide attempt, both women went on to live the rest of their lives, albeit apart.

Cast

as Bill Ainscow *

as Wendy Ainscow *

as Lisa Ainscow * Judy Flynn as Anne Buckley * David Crellin as David Kirwan * Stephen Boxer as Martyn Bowler * Mark Penfold as Judge Bryn * James Curran as Mr. Justice Mitchell * Joanna Phillips-Lane as Julie Kirwan * Alastair Galbraith as Dr. David Yorke

Production

The film was shot on location in London, United Kingdom and

Los Cristianos Los Cristianos is a town in Spain with a population of 21,235 (2017), situated on the south coast of the Canary Island of Tenerife. Located in the municipality of Arona, Tenerife, Arona between the cone of the mountain Chayofita and the greater mou ...

, Spain.

Accuracy of events

Both Lisa and Wendy were interviewed in depth by the writers beforehand to gain a thorough understanding of the events leading up to Bill's suicide and the following events. Wendy has since seen the movie, and was reportedly very moved by the depiction, however Lisa has declined to see the previews when offered.

References

External links

*
''Mysterious Creatures''
at

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. {{Gwyneth Hughes 2006 films British drama films 2000s English-language films Films shot in London Films about autism 2000s British films 2006 drama films