I Capture the Castle
Release Date:
July 11, 2003
Limited release
This film is based on the novel of the same name by British author Dorothy "Dodie" Smith. This was Smith's first novel, but she gained much more fame from a book she wrote 8 years later called "The Hundred and One Dalmatians, the Great Dog Robbery." As you should be well aware, Disney has turned this later novel into a popular film and merchandising franchise.
This story is set in England in the 1930s. It is about an aspiring 17-year-old writer named Casandra Mortmain (Romola Garai) who lives with her sister Rose (Rose Byrne), her brother, and her father (Bill Nighy). They live together in a crumbling, run-down castle in a remote area of England. The father, James, thought this might help a severe case of writer’s block that he's had for the past 12 years.
Two American brothers, Neil (Marc Blucas) and Simon (Henry Thomas) come to town to reclaim the castle as their rightful inheritance. The family sees this as a wonderful opportunity to improve their financial woes by trying to marry off the two daughters to the brothers. However, some humorous entanglements occur when the relationships don't work out the way they were originally planned.
The film had its world premiere at the 2003 Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2003 and should be coming to your local limited release movie theater this summer. Both director Tim Fywell and screenwriter Heidi Thomas make their feature film debuts with this project. It hasn't won any awards yet, but has won audiences and critics alike. (Marty Doskins/BOP)