Cold Comfort Farm main backdrop
Cold Comfort Farm main poster

Cold Comfort Farm

Visit website

6.7/10 • 72

1995-01-011h 35m

ComedyRomance

She discovered a new branch of her family tree... the one with all the nuts.

In this adaptation of the satirical British novel, Flora Poste, a plucky London society girl orphaned at age 19, finds a new home with some rough relatives, the Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm. With a take-charge attitude and some encouragement from her mischievous friend, Mary, Flora changes the Starkadders' lives forever when she settles into their rustic estate, bringing the backward clan up to date and finding inspiration for her novel in the process.

Directors
John Schlesinger
Editors
Mark Day

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Eileen Atkins

    Eileen Atkins

    Judith Starkadder

  2. Kate Beckinsale

    Kate Beckinsale

    Flora Poste

  3. Sheila Burrell

    Sheila Burrell

    Ada Doom

  4. Stephen Fry

    Stephen Fry

    Mybug

  5. Freddie Jones

    Freddie Jones

    Adam Lambsbreath

  6. Joanna Lumley

    Joanna Lumley

    Mary Smiling

  7. Ian McKellen

    Ian McKellen

    Amos Starkadder

  8. Miriam Margolyes

    Miriam Margolyes

    Mrs. Beetle

  9. Rufus Sewell

    Rufus Sewell

    Seth Starkadder

Reviews1

View Reviews
CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

May 2, 2024

7/10

I'm not sure "Flora" (Kate Beckinsale) really knew what to expect when she arrived at the home of her more rustic family at the eponymous location. Farmhouses always look so welcoming and inviting, but one step through the door here and she might as well have stepped back through time. With a cast of characters named as if they were inspired by Charles Dickens, John Schlesinger takes us on a darkly humorous trip through the lives (and loves) of this community. "Can someone wash my curtains?" she enquires... "I think they're red but I'd like to be sure". She's got a meagre £100 per year, but that's a fortune for many who live a life trading hens and chickens and getting up to all sorts in the hay loft. Of course, there's loads of romantic shenanigans going on too as her wealthy cousin "Charles" (Christopher Bowen) takes an unrequited shine to her whilst she prefers life with her guilt-stricken relative "Starkadder" (Eileen Atkins) whilst all are under the thumb of the reclusive "Aunt Ada" (the scene stealing Sheila Burrell). This is a society where nothing is as is seems or straightforward and any novel that "Flora" might choose to write in later life is going to be a colourful affair! The story is whimsically engaging enough but it's really the assemblage of talent here that makes this work. Freddie Jones, the cheekily expressive Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Fry, Sir Ian McKellen and Joanna Lumley (never a very versatile actress, I find) all chip into this tale of the startling hypocrisy existing between the vulgar and crass and the prim and the proper. It looks good, flows well and shows what can be done when everyone is on board for a bit of a muddy romp.

Media

  • Cold Comfort Farm poster
  • Cold Comfort Farm poster
  • Cold Comfort Farm poster

Recommendations

  • A Wish for Christmas main backdrop

    A Wish for Christmas

    5.9

  • Away We Go main backdrop

    Away We Go

    6.7

  • What They Had main backdrop

    What They Had

    6.6

  • Alice Through the Looking Glass main backdrop

    Alice Through the Looking Glass

    5.1

  • Ivanhoe main backdrop

    Ivanhoe

    6.2

  • Love Scenes from Planet Earth main backdrop

    Love Scenes from Planet Earth

    6.1

  • Harakiri main backdrop

    Harakiri

    8.4

  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon main backdrop

    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

    7.4

  • Bicentennial Man main backdrop

    Bicentennial Man

    7.3

  • Oz the Great and Powerful main backdrop

    Oz the Great and Powerful

    5.9

  • The Handmaiden main backdrop

    The Handmaiden

    8.2

  • The Lion King main backdrop

    The Lion King

    7.1

  • Cinderella main backdrop

    Cinderella

    6.8

  • Fargo main backdrop

    Fargo

    7.9

  • The Aristocats main backdrop

    The Aristocats

    7.3

  • The Avengers main backdrop

    The Avengers

    7.7

  • Joker main backdrop

    Joker

    8.1

  • Wonder Woman main backdrop

    Wonder Woman

    7.2

  • District 9 main backdrop

    District 9

    7.4

  • Hacksaw Ridge main backdrop

    Hacksaw Ridge

    8.2

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
based on novel or bookorphansussexfaithful adaptation