Often there are roles where the star should have retired afterward since it was a fitting end to their careers. Boris Karloff should have waved good night at the end of Targets. Burt Reynolds should have tapped his 401K when Boogie Nights wrapped. Michael Jordan shouldn’t have worn the Washington Wizards jersey. As a spectator it’s easy to tell someone when to tip their hat and let the curtain fall. We don’t have to pay their expenses or turn down their paychecks. A Voyage Round My Father would have been a fitting finale for Sir Laurence Olivier. His passionate performance of Clifford Mortimer, a blind lawyer overcomes the less prestigious role choices he took in The Jazz Singer, Inchon and Clash of the Titans.
John Mortimer is best known for creating the PBS legal staple Rumpole of the Bailey. A Voyage Round My Father is his about his dad. Clifford became blind when he banged his head against a tree limb. His lack of vision does not slow down his legal work. His wife (Elizabeth Sellars) reads him the crime reports in the newspapers. She’s shy about the more lurid details, but he won’t let her go silent. He won’t back down from any challenge in life or the courtroom.
John Mortimer appears as both young child (Young Sherlock Holmes‘ Alan Cox) and adult (Alan Bates). His childhood was spent at an eccentric boarding school where a teacher pays the kids for the number of books he tosses at their heads. There’s a Rushmore moment when the son and a school friend put on a World War I play next to the staircase in his parents’ house. They’ve gone all out in the production design with barbed wire wrapped around the railings.
A Voyage Round My Father does a fine job of mixing the comical moments of life with the bizarre. The headmaster’s advice on what to do to avoid wet dreams dances between these two elements. Olivier keeps up the dry humor while dispensing fatherly advice. He knows how to embarrass his son at the right time. This was a great wrap up to his career even if he would live another seven years longer and make Wild Geese II.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The production appears to have been shot in 16mm since it has a bit of fuzz on the details. It’s a grainy film which adds to the nostalgic quality. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. Olivier’s voice sounds authoritative in the courtroom scenes. The level are proper. The subtitles are in English.
Cast Biographies for John Mortimer, Alan Bates and Laurence Olivier are in text.
A Voyage Round My Father brings out the best in Laurence Olivier. He brings out the character in Clifford Mortimer. He’s not a man who seeks pity for his age and lack of sight. The connection between himself and his son is entertaining and not horrifying. This is much more endearing than Mommy Dearest.
Acorn Media presents A Voyage Round My Father. Starring: Laurence Olivier, Alan Cox, Alan Bates and Jane Asher. Directed by: Alvin Rakoff. Screenplay by: John Mortimer. Running time: 80 minutes. Released on DVD: April 27, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.
