Connection
On Giant's Shoulders is a film of genre Drama directed by Anthony Simmons with Bryan Pringle
On Giant's Shoulders (1979)
If you like this film, let us know!
Add to a movie listOn Giant's Shoulders is a 1979 BBC television film about the early life of thalidomide victim Terry Wiles, with Wiles playing himself. The drama also starred Bryan Pringle and Judi Dench and won an Emmy Award in 1980.
Based on a 1976 book of the same name by Marjorie Wallace and Michael Robson, the 90 minute film was first shown on BBC2 on 29 March 1979 as the 'Play of the Week', and was written by William Humble and Anthony Simmons; the latter was also the director. Terry Wiles had never acted before and, as he was then 17, his voice had to be dubbed by a child actor after filming as it had broken and he had to appear to be much younger, playing himself from age 9 to 12.
The drama tells the story of Terry Wiles, who was born with severe disabilities following his mother's use of the sedative thalidomide, prescribed at that time for morning sickness, during her pregnancy. Abandoned by his mother at birth, he is later adopted from a children's home by the middle-aged and childless couple Hazel (Judi Dench) and Len Wiles (Bryan Pringle). The couple quickly adjust to caring for so severely disabled a child, and Len Wiles develops a series of motorised wheelchairs (or 'Supercars') based on the forklift truck, so that Terry can live as independent a life as possible. Eventually, through the love and care of his adoptive parents Terry adjusts to life in the normal world and attends school with able-bodied pupils for the first time.
Judi Dench was nominated for a Best Actress BAFTA for her role as Hazel Wiles.
Actors
Bryan Pringle
(Len Wiles)
Judi Dench
(Hazel Wiles)
Hilda Braid
(Sister Page)
Barbara Young
(Teacher at hospital)
Tony Church
(Hospital administrator)
Comments
Leave comment :
Suggestions of similar film to On Giant's Shoulders
There are 60 films with the same actors, 4 films with the same director, 61656 with the same cinematographic genres, to have finally 70 suggestions of similar films.If you liked On Giant's Shoulders, you will probably like those similar films :
Four in the Morning (1965)
, 1h34Directed by Anthony Simmons
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama
Actors Judi Dench, Ann Lynn, Norman Rodway
Rating60%
The plot revolves around the lives of two couples living in London and how they are connected to the body of a young woman found drowned in the River Thames.
Black Joy (1977)
, 1h50Directed by Anthony Simmons
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Comedy
Themes Films about music and musicians, Hip hop films, Films based on plays, Gangster films
Actors Norman Beaton, The Baroness Benjamin, Oscar James, Paul J. Medford, Vivian Stanshall, Barbara Keogh
Rating62%
Guyanese immigrant Ben Jones arrives at Heathrow Airport with a suitcase and a wallet full of money. Immigration officials refuse to believe his naïve explanation that the cash was given by his grandmother, and strip-search him. Humiliated and confused, Ben travels to Brixton in search of an obscure address. A ten-year-old boy, Devon, spots him and offers to help find the address if Ben pays him. When Ben foolishly reveals his fat wallet, Devon runs off with it, and Ben is forced to sleep at the local hostel. Dave King, a charismatic petty crook and lover of Devon's mother Miriam, pretends to be a responsible adult and intercepts Ben's wallet, but he keeps the money knowing that Devon has stolen it. That evening, Dave tries to seduce Miriam but she resists him, explaining that she has recently become pregnant. An argument ensues and Miriam forces Dave to leave.
The Optimists of Nine Elms (1973)
, 1h50Directed by Anthony Simmons
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Comedy-drama
Actors Peter Sellers, Marjorie Yates, David Daker, Hilary Pritchard, Patricia Brake, Bruce Purchase
Rating65%
Londres, dans le quartier de Nine Elms. Sam, un acteur vieillissant, et son chien se lient d'amitié avec deux enfants. Ceux-ci achètent un chien, mais cela est mal accepté chez eux vu les difficultés de logement de leur famille. Ils finissent par offrir le chien à Sam, dont le vieux chien vient de mourir.
Your Money or Your Wife (1960)
Directed by Anthony Simmons
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Comedy
Actors Donald Sinden, Peggy Cummins, Richard Wattis, Georgina Cookson, Barbara Steele, Olive Sloane
Rating47%
Tea with Mussolini (1999)
, 1h57Directed by Franco Zeffirelli
Origin Italie
Genres Drama, War, Comedy, Comedy-drama
Themes Politique, Political films
Actors Cher, Joan Plowright, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Lily Tomlin, Michael Williams
Rating68%
The film begins in Florence, Italy in 1935, where a group of cultured expatriate English women — called by the Italians "the Scorpioni" — meet for tea every afternoon. Young Luca (Charlie Lucas) is the illegitimate son of an Italian businessman (Massimo Ghini) who shows little interest in his son's upbringing; the boy's mother, a dressmaker, has recently died. Mary Wallace (Joan Plowright), who works as the man's secretary, steps in to care for him, turning to her Scorpioni friends – including eccentric would-be artist Arabella (Judi Dench) – for support. Together, they teach Luca many lessons about life and especially the arts. Elsa Morganthal (Cher), a brash rich young American widow whom Scorpioni matron Lady Hester Random (Maggie Smith) barely tolerates, sets up a financial trust for Luca when she learns of the death of his mother, whom she was fond of and to whom Elsa still owed money for her dressmaking services.
Jack & Sarah (1995)
, 1h50Directed by Tim Sullivan (réalisateur américain), Tim Sullivan
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Actors Richard E. Grant, Samantha Mathis, Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Ian McKellen, Imogen Stubbs
Rating65%
Jack (Richard E. Grant) and Sarah (Imogen Stubbs) are expecting a baby together, but a complication during the birth leads to the death of Sarah. Jack, grief-stricken, goes on an alcoholic bender, leaving his daughter to be taken care of by his parents and Sarah's mother, until they decide to take drastic action: they return the baby to Jack whilst he is asleep, leaving him to take care of it. Although he struggles initially, he eventually begins to dote on the child and names her Sarah.
Mrs Brown (1997)
, 1h43Directed by John Madden
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Biography, Historical, Romance
Themes Political films, Films about royalty
Actors Judi Dench, Geoffrey Palmer, Billy Connolly, Antony Sher, Gerard Butler, David Westhead
Rating71%
Several screens of text giving some background are shown before a bust is shown flying over a palace wall and shattering into countless pieces. The film shows the story of a bereaved Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and her relationship with a Scottish servant, John Brown (Billy Connolly), and the subsequent uproar it provoked. Brown had been a trusted servant of Victoria's then deceased and beloved Prince Consort, Prince Albert; Victoria's chief servants thought Brown might help to ease an inconsolable Queen since the Prince Consort's death in 1861. In 1863, hoping to subtly coax the Queen toward resuming public life after years of seclusion, Mr Brown is summoned to court.
Chocolat (2000)
, 2h1Directed by Lasse Hallström
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Themes Cooking films
Actors Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lena Olin, Johnny Depp
Rating71%
Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), an expert chocolatier, drifts across Europe with her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol), following the north wind. In the beginning of the Lenten season in 1959, "fifteen years after the War," they travel to a quiet French village that closely adheres to tradition, as led by the village mayor, the Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina). Just as the villagers begin observing the forty days of Lent, Vianne opens a chocolate shop, much to Reynaud's displeasure.
Iris (2001)
, 1h31Directed by Richard Eyre
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Biography, Romance
Themes Films about writers
Actors Judi Dench, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Bonneville, Penelope Wilton, Kris Marshall
Rating69%
When the young Iris Murdoch (Kate Winslet) meets fellow student John Bayley (Hugh Bonneville) at the University of Oxford, he is a naive virgin easily flummoxed by her libertine spirit, arch personality, and obvious artistic talent. Decades later, little has changed and the couple keeps house, with John (Jim Broadbent) doting on his more famous wife (Judi Dench). When Iris begins experiencing forgetfulness and dementia, however, the devoted John struggles with hopelessness and frustration, and becomes her caretaker, as his wife's mind deteriorates from the ravages of Alzheimer's disease.
, 1h37Directed by Oliver Parker
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Historical, Romance
Themes Théâtre, Films based on plays
Actors Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon, Judi Dench, Anna Massey
Rating68%
The story revolves around two men in Victorian England, John "Jack" Worthing (Colin Firth) and Algernon "Algy" Moncrieff (Rupert Everett). Whenever Jack travels to London from his Hertfordshire estate, he says he is going to see his (fictitious) wayward brother, Ernest. Once in London, he keeps his privacy by calling himself Ernest. This tactic is especially important as his beloved, Gwendolen (Frances O'Connor), declares that she could love only a man named Ernest. Her cousin, Algy, is the one person who knows Jack's secret and one day he travels down to the estate, announcing himself to Jack's attractive ward, Cecily (Reese Witherspoon), as the infamous Ernest. Cecily is enamoured of him and his name, but upon Jack's return home and Gwendolen's unexpected arrival, it becomes clear there are both too many and too few Ernests.