Secrets & Lies (1996)

Director:

Mike Leigh

Writer:

Mike Leigh (writer)

Release Date:

25 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Roxanne drives her mother crazy. Maurice never speaks to his niece. Cynthia has a shock for her family. Monica can't talk to her husband. Hortense has never met her mother.

Plot:

Successful black woman traces her birth mother to a lower-class white woman, who denies it; emotions run high as everyone's secrets are exposed.

Plot Keywords:

Bathroom | Photography | Kissing | Social Worker | Biracial

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 29 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Timothy Spall	...	Maurice Purley
Phyllis Logan	...	Monica Purley
Brenda Blethyn	...	Cynthia Rose Purley
Claire Rushbrook	...	Roxanne Purley
Marianne Jean-Baptiste	...	Hortense Cumberbatch
Elizabeth Berrington	...	Jane
Michele Austin	...	Dionne
Lee Ross	...	Paul
Lesley Manville	...	Social Worker
Ron Cook	...	Stuart
Emma Amos	...	Girl with Scar
Brian Bovell	...	Hortense's Brother
Trevor Laird	...	Hortense's Brother
Claire Perkins	...	Hortense's Sister-in-Law (as Clare Perkins)
Elias Perkins McCook	...	Hortense's Nephew

Also Known As:

Secrets et mensonges (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

142 min | USA:136 min

Country:

France | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Holborn Underground Station, Holborn, London, England, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

To add a spontaneous effect to the performances, Mike Leigh met with each actor individually and only told them what their character would know at the beginning of the film. As filming progressed the actors were hearing the secrets for the very first time. Brenda Blethyn, for instance, didn't know that Marianne Jean-Baptiste was black.

Quotes:

Maurice: She can't help it; she never had enough love

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Secrets & Flies (#6.6)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Happy Birthday to You

Magic

The way Leigh weaves a story here - no screenplay, just tell the actors what the scenes are supposed to do, give them an outline, but don't give away the punch line or the ending - shows up in the final print. This is cinematic magic, with Blethyn turning in one of the most breathtaking performances ever seen on the silver screen. The transformation into Cynthia Purley is total. Study especially the scene in the cafe in Holborn - story has it these two principals had not met before shooting this scene, and the scene goes on forever, and puts incredible demands on both actors, especially Blethyn, who is simply unreal in her abilities. All do a great job here. This is not a light comedy. It will tear at you, thanks in part to the evocative music, but at the end you will go 'wow' and feel good for having seen it.