The French Lieutenant's Woman( 1981)

TV-MADramaRomanceHistory

64%

User
Score

She was lost from the moment she saw him.

Overview

In this story-within-a-story, Anna is an actress starring opposite Mike in a period piece about the forbidden love between their respective characters, Sarah and Charles. Both actors are involved in serious relationships, but the passionate nature of the script leads to an off-camera love affair as well. While attempting to maintain their composure and professionalism, Anna and Mike struggle to come to terms with their infidelity.

Top Billed Cast

Meryl Streep
Sarah / Anna
Jeremy Irons
Charles Henry Smithson / Mike
Hilton McRae
Sam
Lynsey Baxter
Ernestina
Emily Morgan
Mary
Penelope Wilton
Sonia
Jean Faulds
Cook
Charlotte Mitchell
Mrs. Tranter
Peter Vaughan
Mr. Freeman
Colin Jeavons
Vicar
Liz Smith
Mrs. Fairley
Patience Collier
Mrs. Poulteney
John Barrett
Dairyman
Leo McKern
Dr. Grogan
Arabella Weir
Girl on Undercliff
Ben Forster
Boy on Undercliff
Richard Griffiths
Sir Tom
David Warner
Murphy
Catherine Willmer
Dr. Grogan's Housekeeper
Anthony Langdon
Asylum Keeper
Edward Duke
Nathaniel
Graham Fletcher-Cook
Delivery Boy
Richard Hope
3rd Assistant
Michael Elwyn
Montague
Toni Palmer
Mrs Endicott
Cecily Hobbs
Betty Anne
Doreen Mantle
Lady on the Train
Alun Armstrong
Grimes
Gérard Falconetti
Davide
Joanna Joseph
Lizzie
Jude Alderson
Red Haired Prostitute
Cora Kinnaird
2nd Prostitute
Orlando Fraser
Tom Elliott
Fredrika Morton
Girl
Alice Maschler
2nd Girl

Social

Review 1Discussion

A review by CinemaSerf

Written by CinemaSerf on Fri Jan 17 2025

Usually if there are two separate timelines featured in a story, the director tries to ensure that we cannot readily distinguish between one that might be true and one that might be artificial. It's the complete opposite that really works well here as we mingle the story of an 18th century woman living within the constraints of high Victorian society with a more profligate 1970s one. To fit out the earlier scenario, we meet the shy "Sarah" (Meryl Streep) who is rebounding from a liaison with the titular French lieutenant by having an even less suitable assignation with the altogether more decen...