84 Charing Cross Road | | Cast : | Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins | | Director : | David Hugh Jones | | Studio : | Columbia Tri-Star | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned | | Released Date : | February 13, 1987 | | DVD Released Date : | September 23, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Thai (Subtitled), Chinese (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 11, 2005 | | Summary | Saw it again and had to buy it. | Content
 | I had recalled seeing this film in the theater years ago, but couldn't remember much about it. I decided to try it again and was so impressed that I bought it immediately. They don't make many like it anymore and that is too bad. Great characters, a good range of emotion, and nice depictions of time and place make this film extremely enjoyable. Whether you are a bibliophile or not, give "84 Charing Cross Road" a real try. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 08, 2005 | | Summary | Bancroft and Hopkins are marvelous! | Content
| When I received my copy of the DVD I was at first dismayed to realize it was not a Widescreen edition. Then I discovered that a panned-and-scanned edition is all that is available. On further thought, considering that the film is essentially Bancroft and Hopkins talking to each other through the mail, the absence of sweeping panoramas isn't a fatal flaw.
As a book lover, this film is one of my all-time favorites. The joy of reading, touching, smelling finely bound and printed texts comes palpably through the screen. If you love books you must see this film.
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| Rating | | | Date | August 05, 2005 | | Summary | Thank God For Amazon.com!!! | Content
| In this movie based on a true story we see Helene, played by Anne Bancroft who loves obscure and out of print books. She writes to Frank, a bookdealer in London to help her locate a book. Then a correspondence and friendship develops between the two of them. Somehow Helene manages to act manic even when she is reading . Then after 20 years she takes a trip to London. Frank has passed away and his bookstore now has empty shelves but Helen acts as if she is visiting a Holy Shrine. Thank God for Amazon so I don't have to to write to some book dealing nerd in England just to order something I want to read. I give this movie 5 stars because Helene does seem to have good taste in her choice of reading material. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 31, 2005 | | Summary | Beautiful, beautiful movie | Content
| What a perfect jewel of a movie! The first time I watched it, I felt as if I'd just been given a wonderful gift. This is a quiet film - not action or "event" driven, so it relies on the wonderful, nuanced performances of the leads. Although secondary characters come and go, it is Anne Bancroft as Helene Hanff and Anthony Hopkins as Frank Doel who do the heavy lifting and the results are perfect. I couldn't agree more with what reviewer Brockeim said: "Neither character has an agenda" and this is one of the things that makes them so appealing to watch.
To the best of my recollection, "84 Charing Cross Road" is remarkably faithful to the book (a rarity in movies, I think) and if you loved the book, you'll be pleased by the way the characters come to life in the movie. Even though I knew how the book ended, the tears that came at the end of the movie caught me by surprise - it's just that well-acted. A treat for anyone who loves a good film, but an extra-special treat for any book lover. It's my favorite rainy day movie.
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| Rating | | | Date | June 14, 2005 | | Summary | A Movie About The Joy Of Books | Content
| Released in 1987, this film is based on a book by the same name by New York author Helene Hanff of her correspondence with a bookseller Frank Doel (Anthony Hopkins)of Marks & Co. at 84, Charing Cross Road, London. Hanff (Anne Bancroft) and Doel develop a friendship, beginning in 1949, when she orders her first book from the London company, that lasts for 20 years. The brash Hanff and the gentle Doel carry on a correspondence that deepens into something both beautiful and bittersweet since they never meet. Hanff gets sidetracked in her planned visits to London because of recurring unforeseen expenses. Dental work and new apartments get in her way.
The movie is not for everyone, just those who love books. It will easily become one of your favorite movies. You can practically smell the wonderful "antiquarian" books in the London shop where Doel works. (Hanff opines early on that the word "antiquarian" scares her since it often denotes expensive books.)
Brancroft and Hopkins are joined by Judy Dench who plays Hopkins' wife. All three actors give excellent performances. It's good to know that Ms. Bancroft can be remembered for other fine roles besides her portrayal of an older married woman (Mrs. Robinson) who seduces a younger man in THE GRADUATE.
There are many interesting touches here about current events-- actual television footage from Queen Elizabeth's Coronation, references to the Civil Rights Movement-- Hanff at one point gets arrested when she gets in the middle of a student demonstration-- and the rationing of meat in England after World War II.
The beauty of this film is that when you mention it to another booklover, they light up. You know if you aren't already, that you and they will become friends.
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