''Tumbledown'' is a 1988

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

set during the

Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...

. Directed by Richard Eyre, it stars

Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Colin Firth, several accolades, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA Aw ...

, Paul Rhys, and David Calder.

Synopsis

The film centres on the experiences of Robert Lawrence MC (played by

), an officer of the

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642 in the Ki ...

during the Falklands War of 1982. While fighting at the Battle of Mount Tumbledown, Lawrence is shot in the head by an Argentine sniper, and left paralysed on his left side. He then must learn to adjust to his new disability.

Cast

as Robert Lawrence * Paul Rhys as Hugh MacKessac * David Calder as John Lawrence * Barbara Leigh-Hunt as Jean Lawrence *Emma Bowe as Sophie Martin-Wells (as Emma Harbour) *Rupert Baker as Nick Lawrence *Jack Fortune as Christopher Lawrence * Roddy Maude-Roxby as George Stubbs * Ann Bell as Helen Stubbs *

Sophie Thompson Sophie Thompson (born 20 January 1962) is a British actress. She has worked in film, television and theatre and she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of ''Into the Woods''. She has been nominated for ...

as Louise Stubbs * Dan Hildebrand as Prothero * Tam Dean Burn as Sergeant Brodick * Mark Williams as Lumpy *Ian Michie as Fraser * Paul Higgins as Saltemarsh *Stewart Porter as O'Rourke * Timothy Carlton as Lt. Colonel Bill Kirke * Mark Wing-Davey as Adjutant Stewart Inglis *Robin Daglish as Major Peter Walsh * Andrew McCulloch as Padre Major Alistair Tolly *Edward Rawle-Hicks as Lt. Peter Fyshe *Charles Millham as The Noble Lord *Ben Cole as Harry Hebers *

Clive Russell Clive Russell (born 7 December 1945) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline in '' Ripper Street'', Angus O'Connor in ''Happiness'', Lord Lovat in '' Outlander'', and Brynden Tully in the HBO series ...

as Terry Knapp *James Griffiths as Surgeon * David Conville as Brigade Officer * Edwin Richfield as Group Captain * Brian Hall as Squadron Leader Wentworth * Pete Postlethwaite as Major - Rehabilitation Centre *Charles Lamb as Elderly Man *Richard Owens as RAF Officer *Arbel Jones as Welsh Lady * Sean Scanlan as Welsh Man * Tony Caunter as Air Commodore * Iain McColl as Colour Sergeant *Edward Lyon as Lt. Colonel RAMC *Victoria Hasted as Nurse Wendy * Angela Morant as Major Newman *Murray Ewan as CSM Brown *Wendy Nottingham as Mrs Prothero *Andrew Livingston as Young Doctor *Maggie McCarthy as Nurse Mary * Sharon D. Clarke as 1st Night Nurse (as Sharon Clarke) *Leila Bertrand as 2nd Night Nurse *

Liza Tarbuck Liza Tarbuck ( ; born 21 November 1964) is an English actress, comedian, and television and radio presenter. Early life Liza Tarbuck was born in Liverpool and grew up near Kingston upon Thames. She is the daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck an ...

as Angie (as Lisa Tarbuck) * Felicity Montagu as Tricia * Roy Spencer as Hospital Chaplain *Winston Crooke as Benny *Steven Law as Cabby *Alan White as Yeoman Warder * George Irving as Tug *

Marian McLoughlin Marian McLoughlin is a British actress, known for her role as Marina Bonnaire in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. She also played the role of Brenda Jacks in the BBC series '' Home Time'' in 2009 and Julia in '' Fast Freddie, The Widow and Me' ...

as Mandy * Serena Gordon as Phyllida *Francisco Morales as Argentinian Soldier *Martin Garfield as Argentinian Soldier

Awards

* BAFTA TV Awards 1989 **Won: Best Film Cameraman: Andrew Dunn **Won: Best Make Up: Shaunna Harrison **Won: Best Single Drama: Richard Broke, Richard Eyre & Charles Wood **Nominated: Best Actor: Colin Firth **Nominated: Best Costume Design: Michael Burdle **Nominated: Best Design: Geoff Powell **Nominated: Best Film Editor: Ken Pearce **Nominated: Best Film Sound: Graham Ross, Ken Hams & Christopher Swanton **Nominated: Best Original Television Music: Richard Hartley * RTS Television Award 1989 **Won: Best Actor (Male): Colin Firth **Won: Best Make Up Design: Shaunna Harrison **Won: Best Single Play: Charles Wood *

Prix Italia The Prix Italia is an international television, radio-broadcasting and web award. It was established in 1948 by RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (in 1948, RAI had the denomination RAI – Radio Audizioni Italiane) in Capri and is honoured with th ...

198
Prix Italia, Winners 1949 - 2010, RAI

Reception

The film sparked enormous controversy when first broadcast in 1988, in part because it conveyed the flat indifference shown by government, society and public to the returning wounded from the Falklands War; this content forms much of the story, as Lawrence struggles to come to terms with his terrible injuries, and to face a life in which he cannot do the thing he is trained to do, the thing he loves: soldiering. The film also triggered controversy by presenting an unvarnished portrait of the protagonist: for example, his joy in the brutalities of war and a flashback scene toward the end which shows him exulting at the top of Mount Tumbledown. The film portrays Lawrence's love of the military life as much as it portrays his feelings of abandonment and bitterness as he tries to cope with his wounds, with little help from the government that sent him into battle. Lead actor Colin Firth is reported to have said that the political left and right hated the film because it did not conform to any fixed ideology.

Media information

DVD release

*Released on Region 2 DVD by BBC Video on 2007-03-26. *The series was included in ''The Falklands 25th Commemorative Box Set'' with '' The Falklands Play''.

Script book

* Paperback edition (28 April 1988). Penguin Books.

References

External links

*
Battle for Life
by Robert Fox from

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

(28 May - 3 June 1988) * {{Richard Eyre 1988 television films 1988 films British television films 1980s English-language films Falklands War films Anti-war films Prix Italia winners Films directed by Richard Eyre 1988 in British television 1980s political films 1980s war films English-language war films