Wide-Eyed and Legless

Wide-Eyed and Legless (known in the US as The Wedding Gift) is a 1993 made-for-TV British drama film directed by Richard Loncraine starring Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Sian Thomas and Thora Hird.

For the 1975 song by Andy Fairweather Low, see Wide Eyed and Legless.

Wide-Eyed and Legless
Directed byRichard Loncraine
Written byJack Rosenthal
Deric Longden
StarringJulie Walters
Jim Broadbent
Thora Hird
Sian Thomas
Andrew Lancel
Release date
1993
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

It is based on the 1989 book Diana's Story by the writer Deric Longden, who co-wrote the script with Jack Rosenthal.[1] The film tells the story of the final years of Deric's (played by Broadbent) marriage to his wife, Diana (Julie Walters), who contracted a degenerative illness that medical officials were unable to understand at the time, though now believed to be a form of chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis. As Diana's health deteriorated, she encourages him to spend time with another woman who Longden has met (the partially-sighted novelist Aileen Armitage (played by Sian Thomas)), to help ease his pain over her eventual death.[2]

Title and home media

Wide-Eyed and Legless was the original title of the TV adaptation shown on BBC One whilst for the American release the film's title changed to The Wedding Gift. The film was released on Region 1 DVD.

Cast

Jim Broadbent - Deric Longden
Julie Walters - Diana
Thora Hird - Annie Longden
Sian Thomas - Aileen Armitage
Moya Brady - Sheila
Andrew Lancel - Nick
Anastasia Mulrooney - Sally
Frances Cox - Minnie Bonsall

Sequel

An award-winning sequel Lost for Words focusing on Longden's elderly mother Annie (Thora Hird) and her decline into dementia after his second marriage (to writer Armitage) followed in 1999 and saw Hird reprise her role, whilst the other cast members were replaced.

Year-end lists

References
  1. "Deric Longden: Deric Longden, who has died aged 76, wrote books that brought a gentle and life-enhancing humour to the problems of living with disability". The Telegraph. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  2. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/culture-magazines/wedding-gift
  3. MacCambridge, Michael (22 December 1994). "it's a LOVE-HATE thing". Austin American-Statesman (Final ed.). p. 38.
  4. Meyer, George (30 December 1994). "The Year of the Middling Movie". The Ledger. p. 6TO.
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