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Reviews
Gideon's Daughter (2005)
A brilliantly moving and utterly captivating story of the heartache of parenthood
The story is narrated by a writer (Robert Lindsey's character) dictating it to a secretary. It is a story of damaged people, suffering intense pain in their personal lives while maintaining a facade of 'normality'. Gideon himself is an immensely successful and respected P.R. 'guru', feted by media moguls, celebrities and politicians alike. His daughter cannot forgive him for deserting her mother when she needed him most. Stella, who becomes Gideon's love interest, has lost her only child in a tragic accident. The Gideon character as played by Bill Nighy is calm and controlled in every situation with the answer to everyone's problems at his fingertips - except of course his own. His restraint and dignity make him truly enigmatic and beguiling throughout. By opening their hearts to each other the main protagonists finally find happiness, or at least peace. The film really captures the pain and torment every parent suffers in one form or another through their intense and overwhelming love for their children. Even the narrator's three year old son pops up, dumped at his doorstep by his ex-wife, the woman we fleetingly see at the end of the hallway. He then remarks 'has it come to this? She won't even speak to me any more' or words to that effect. The acting is brilliant, the direction faultless and the whole thing from start to finish totally captivating and moving.