Drama

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

- Hope is a journey.

Harold Fry is an unremarkable man who has made mistakes with all the important things: being a husband, a father and a friend. And now, well into his 60s, he is content to fade quietly into the background of life. Until, one day – Harold learns his old friend Queenie is dying. Harold leaves home, walking to his post office to send her a letter. And out of the blue, Harold decides to keep walking, all the way to her hospice, 450 miles away.

Release Date : 2023-04-27

Language :EnglishFrench

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Embankment FilmsFree Range FilmsRose Pine Productions

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Harold Fry

Original Name : Jim Broadbent

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maureen Fry

Original Name : Penelope Wilton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Queenie

Original Name : Linda Bassett

Gender : Female

Character Name : David Fry

Original Name : Earl Cave

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rex

Original Name : Joseph Mydell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Maureen Fry

Original Name : Bethan Cullinane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Garage Girl

Original Name : Nina Singh

Gender : Female

Character Name : Martina

Original Name : Monika Gossmann

Gender : Female

Character Name : Farmer’s Wife

Original Name : Claire Rushbrook

Gender : Female

Character Name : Silver Haired Man

Original Name : Nick Sampson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Harold Fry

Original Name : Adam Jackson-Smith

Gender : Male

Character Name : GP

Original Name : Andrew Leung

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sister Philomena

Original Name : Joy Richardson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Wilf

Original Name : Daniel Frogson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Barista

Original Name : Jessica Kaur

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mick the Blogger

Original Name : Maanuv Thiara

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kate

Original Name : Naomi Wirthner

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jim the Oncologist

Original Name : Ian Porter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman with Shopping

Original Name : Alyson Marks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dog Walker

Original Name : Duggie Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : Postman

Original Name : Tigger Blaize

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pizza Delivery Man

Original Name : Marvin Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kind Man

Original Name : Trevor Fox

Gender : Male

Character Name : Press Photographer

Original Name : David Gennard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mobile Home Man

Original Name : Howard Grace

Gender : Male

Character Name : David Fry, aged 10

Original Name : Braxton Kolodny

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dressing Gown Man

Original Name : Brian Male

Gender : Male

Character Name : Manageress

Original Name : Georgia Nicholson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waitress

Original Name : Lucy Reynolds

Gender : Male

Character Name : Selfie Girl

Original Name : Jazz Shergill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Silver Haired Gentleman

Original Name : Nick Sampson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waiting Truck Driver

Original Name : Bogdan Silaghi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Superhero Girl

Original Name : Leila Temirzhanova

Gender : Male

Character Name : Driver

Original Name : Georgina Strawson

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-04-13

"Harold" (Jim Broadbent) is having breakfast with his wife "Maureen" (Dame Penelope Wilton) when he opens a letter. It turns out to be from a colleague from the brewery in which he worked and it mentions that she is in an hospice, terminally ill with cancer. He pens the briefest of replies and sets off to post the letter. En route, he pops into the local garage for a pint of milk and encounters a young girl with blue hair (Nina Singh) who urges him not to lose hope. Her words have quite an effect. He decides to post his letter in the next post box, then the next. The next thing we know he in on a trek some 450-odd miles from their home in Devon to Berwick-upon-Tweed. That's about as far as he can actually walk without entering Scotland! Along the way he encounters some interesting characters whilst fighting a bit of a rear guard action with his bewildered wife at home (via the phone) and we are also, gradually, introduced to flashbacks illustrating the tragedy both went through with their own increasingly wayward son "David" (Earl Cave). This is a powerful tour-de-force from Broadbent. As the journey develops, his character exudes a gritty determination alongside an humanity that is touching and engaging. Dame Penelope really only features sparingly, almost like a steam valve to let us all take a breather from the intensity of the march - and that works to a certain extent, but unfortunately I found the substance of the story a bit lacking. It works better when it is just him, but as he meets and attracts hangers-on, then melodrama creeps in and increasingly diverts the theme into a rather disappointing vein of stereotype and hippiedom. There is also an implausible degree of serendipity to bits of this - as illustrated by his encounters with "Martina" (Monika Gossmann) and a cancer surgeon in a tea room. Still, I bet he hadn't met too many men who liked to lick their younger boyfriend's leaky trainers - and that, amongst other scenes, does inject a degree of humour (and an opportunity for this actor to use his hugely expressive face) to this travelogue with a difference. It felt long, not as long as his walk, but it could have maybe lost twenty minutes to keep it from meandering. There is some lovely, scenic, photography to enjoy which makes a cinema screening preferable, but it will do equally well on the telly. Characterful certainly but just a bit, well, plodding.