Amazing Grace … a great movie
Posted By RichC on December 18, 2007
Amazing Grace … the movie: This is an excellent movie families over the Christmas break. In fact it might be good enough to actually purchase (Amazon link) … and if you knew my ‘anti-buy DVD when you can rent’ opinion in regard to purchasing DVDs, that actually means something.
We enjoyed the history lesson as well as the story line while watching this well done movie this weekend as a family. It follows the life of of antislavery pioneer William Wilberforce in Britain during the period that followed the war with America. In discussing the challenges of the day which were centered around politics and slavery, I found it interesting to hear the pro-slavery positions as well; it made me think of political decisions happening today … decisions are not always clear cut when you hear dissenting arguments. All in all, this would be a good movie from teens to grandparents and would make an excellent family DVD showing during Christmas break.
The film stars Ioan Gruffudd (Black Hawk Down), Albert Finney (Erin Brockovich), Romola Garai (Vanity Fair), Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), Benedict Cumberbatch (Hawking), Rufus Sewell (Legend of Zorro), Ciaran Hinds (Rome) and introduces Youssou N’Dour.
Executive Producer is Jeanney Kim, with Mark Cooper as co-producer. Producers on the film are Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line) and Ed Pressman under their Sunflower Productions banner, Patricia Heaton and David Hunt for FourBoys Films, and Ken Wales.
Gruffudd plays Wilberforce, who, as a Member of Parliament, navigated the world of 18th Century backroom politics to end the slave trade in the British Empire. Albert Finney plays John Newton, a confidante of Wilberforce who inspires him to pursue a life of service to humanity. Benedict Cumberbatch is William Pitt the Younger, England’s youngest ever Prime Minister at the age of 24, who encourages his friend Wilberforce to take up the fight to outlaw slavery and supports him in his struggles in Parliament.
Elected to the House of Commons at the age of 21, and on his way to a successful political career, Wilberforce, over the course of two decades, took on the English establishment and persuaded those in power to end the inhumane trade of slavery.
Romola Garai plays Barbara Spooner, a beautiful and headstrong young woman who shares Wilberforce’s passion for reform, and who becomes his wife after a whirlwind courtship. Youssou N’Dour is Olaudah Equiano. Born in Africa and sent as a slave to the Colonies, Equiano bought his freedom and made his home in London, where he wrote a best-selling account of his life and became a leading figure in the fight to end the slavery of his fellow countrymen.
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