Project Detail

The Misadventures of Margaret

Synopsis

'The Misadventures of Margaret' is a romantic comedy set in two time frames - contemporary New York and 18th Century France.

It tells the story of a young American academic, Margaret Nathan, whose ordered, safe existence and seven year-old marriage to English professor Edward starts to fall apart when she begins to adapt a French diary, written by a dashing but pompous 18th Century man of letters, known simply as The Philosopher.

The diary relates the seduction by the Philosopher of a Young Girl, newly arrived from England, and her subsequent undermining of his dearly-held opinions regarding life and love.

As Margaret continues to adapt the diary, she begins to question not only her marriage but also her philosophy of life. Her vivid imagination catapults her into a series of encounters that include her handsome, but rather dim, dentist Dr Lipi, the charmingly earnest sound engineer, Martin and her bi-sexual friend, Lily. At the same time she forces her sister Till Turner to re-evaluate her own relationship with her womanising novelist husband Art.

When Margaret beings to suspect that Edward is having an affair with one of his young students, the terribly determined Sarah from Brighton, she moves in with her gay best friend and cynical publisher, Richard Lane, in order, as she says 'to throw her last scruple to the wind'.

Will Margaret's marriage survive her 'misadventures'? Will she?

Based on Cathleen Schine's acclaimed comic novel, 'Rameau's Niece', 'The Misadventures of Margaret' is a very contemporary film with a know-ing nod to Hollywood's Golden Age of comedy.

Details

Year: 1998
Type of film: Features
Format: 35mm Kodak, Agfa, Fuji
Director: Brian Skeet
Producer: Pippa Cross, Dominique Green, Andy Harries
Director of Photography: Romain Winding
Principal cast: Parker Posey, Elizabeth McGovern, Jeremy Northam, Corbin Bernsen, Brooke Shields and Craig Chester
Executive Screen Writer: Brian Skeet

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Lunatics & Lovers c/o Holmes Associates 38-42 Whitfield Street London W1 5RF Tel/Fax:: 020 7813 4333

Sales Company

TF1 International 1, Quai du Point du Jour 92656 Boulogne Cedex France Tel: 1 41 41 12 34 Fax: 1 41 41 21 33

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It's midsummer and Marian and John have invited Lyle to their beautiful country house for the weekend. Marian is surprised when Lyle brings his new friend Robert with him, for this is the anniversary of the death of Tony, Lyle's former lover, John's half brother and Marian's best friend. Lyle hasn't been up to the house since Tony died there last year and as the weekend progresses, we see why. It's as if Tony is haunting them. So much of their lives and the life of the house was influenced by him, that it's impossible not to feel his presence. But their chance to indulge in grief is prevented by the presence of Robert and Laura, a pseudo Italian widow and her daughter Nina, who are invited to dinner. Laura and Robert are connected by their search for fun in this stultifying atmosphere. Nina awakes a passion in John, that has been lacking in his marriage since the birth of his one-year old son. By the end of the weekend, two relationships are over as Lyle and Marian remain consumed by their love for Tony.