Abigail's Party DVD

Advantages: Timeless classic, superb acting
Disadvantages: Can't stop quoting it!

...the noise and not cramp Abigail's style. The group are not natural friends. having little in common other than being neighbours. Conversation is strained, brash and boastful Beverley becomes lewd and lascivious as she gets more and more drunk. She pouts and poses in front of Tony and the sexual tension between the two is tangible. Ange meanwhile prattles away telling everyone the same things and poor Sue sits quietly worrying about what is going ...
...she behaved when she was Abigail's age - naturally this does not serve to reassure Sue. Lawrence meanwhile is becoming increasingly hot under the collar. After a stressful day at work the last thing he wants to do is listen to Beverley trying to impress the neighbours. Lawrence sees through Beverley but he is either too tired or too cowardly to stand up to her. He lets her belittle him in front of strangers and when he tries to respond with sarcasm ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent performance by Alison Steadman, brilliant script
Disadvantages: A little dated now

Abigails Party was originally a play by Mike Leigh and is now considered a classic both as a play and as a film. To be truthful the film does not move the play into any wider scenery. All the action takes place at a party in a suburban house. The narrow confines of the house only serve to heighten the dramatic potential as there is no escape for the characters from the situation. Now I am sure many of us have been to a party at which someone behaves ...
...make a fool of themselves or make a fool of someone else. The embarrassment caused can keep you going on gossip for weeks and you learn far more about people than you ever admitted you wanted to know. The beauty of Abigails Party is that these are ordinary people just like you and me. The performance of Alison Steadman in the role of Beverley is simply fantastic. If Meryl Streep or Julia Roberts were to give a similar performance and the film was ... Read review

Advantages: Cringey black humour and 70s nostalgia
Disadvantages: Not for those who need signposted laughs

Back in 1977, when I was in primary school, there was a BBC Play For Today on one evening. The next day ALL my female friends were quoting lines from that play and holding conversations in "Beverly-speak." Years later, that same play made it into the top 100 comedies of all time despite it only having been shown once or twice on TV. That shows the long-lasting and wide appeal of this Mike Leigh play. The action takes place in 1977 in the suburban ...
...decided to hold a little party for the neighbours as a refuge for neighbour Sue, whose daughter is holding the party mentioned in the title, and for Tony and Ange, who are new to the area. Beverly is a typical 70s lady of leisure as her husband works all hours as an estate agent to provide her with the luxuries to which she has become accustomed. She did have a "little job" but she gave that up as soon as she got married. She has a lovely (for the ... Read review

Advantages: Superb acting (especially Alison Steadman), Unexpected ending
Disadvantages: Rather short. Avoid if you have a phobia against 70's taste fashion/culture

...to watch, in all honesty, ABIGAIL'S PARTY was at the bottom of my list. I thought it looked boring and quite frankly didn't care less about what happened to anyone at Abigail's bash! WHAT A MISTAKE! I was utterly swept away with this film. Director, Mike Leigh has a little gem in his collection here. The film was devised by himself and the cast: Alison Steadman (Beverley), Tim Stern (Laurence), Janine Duvitski (Angela), John Salthouse (Tony). Harriet ...
...acting from everyone. Alison Steadman has received huge acclaim for her role as Beverley. But my favourite was Janine Duvitski (you may know her better as Angus Deaton's wife in ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE)...she was hilarious - it's worth seeing this film to watch her 'slow dance' if nothing else...GENIUS!! What's it about? Ok, to sum it all up with as little waffle as possible...ABIGAIL'S PARTY is about a gathering with people who wouldn't normally ... Read review

Advantages: Very funny comedy of 1970s manners
Disadvantages: The actor who plays 'Lawrence', the ending

I wasn't around in the 70s, but chose to study this film for A-level English just out of curiosity. Mike Leigh's work never fails to impress me now, but to be honest I was a bit dubious about this before I saw it. Not being a child of the 70s, some of the cultural references went over my head a bit, but the performances bring to life characters that are still recognisable today. However, the actor who plays Lawrence is a thorn in the side of the ...
...doesn't hinder the performaces of the other three actors, all excellent, in this ensemble piece. After a strong script all the way through, the ending is a bit of a disapointment, and doesn't sit very well with the rest of the play. Other than that I enjoyed 'Abigail's Party' and loved seeing the reality of the 70s 'kitsch'! ... Read review