11 February 2016
Dad’s Army
A film by Oliver Parker
by Adam McCormack
Who do you think you are kidding Mr Critic? Director Oliver Parker has taken two big risks in bringing a new version of Dad’s Army to the big screen. The first is the standard one of trying to turn what is a great vehicle for a 28 minute sitcom on the TV, into a 1hr 40minute feature film, when so many before have failed. Secondly, he is toying with a national institution that so many fondly remember, and so many more have rediscovered from the constant Saturday evening repeats. However, despite many film critics seeming to disagree with me, I think he has produced a film true to the spirit of the TV series and one that is both engaging and entertaining.
What the mealy mouthed critics seem to have missed is that, what was once nostalgia for a time when the country pulled together against a common foe, has now become nostalgia for family evenings in front of the TV screen in the 1970s. The other reason that this film works, at least for an audience determined to enjoy some good light-hearted entertainment, is exactly the reason why the TV series works; they have mined the best of British character acting to fill the roles that we all know and love. One could argue that Tom Courtney (Corporal Jones) and Bill Patterson (Private Fraser) somewhat under-act their roles, but this seems necessary for the longer format, and Toby Jones (Captain Mainwaring), Bill Nighy (Sergeant Wilson), Daniel Mays (Private Walker) and Michael Gambon (Private Godfrey) are all excellent, with the added bonus of Catherine Zeta Jones smoldering as a reporter for the Lady magazine (or is she?).
It is also reassuring to see some of the original actors, with Frank Williams reprising his role as the vicar, and the original Pike, Ian Lavender, ironically having a cameo as a Brigadier. The plot works well to bring out all of the qualities that the original series had in terms of pratfalls, rivalry and pathos, with perhaps just the introduction to our heroes (trying to catch an escaped bull) coming across as a little lame and sedentary.
The only gripe that I really have is that, in the TV series, like Arthur Dailey’s and Columbo’s wives, Captain Mainwaring’s Elizabeth is often referred to but never seen – yet here she is played as an endearing battle-axe by Felicity Montagu. There does seem to be a fair point in doing this as it corrects the misconception that women did not have any involvement in the Home Guard. All-in-all then a worthwhile revival for those of us who regard the original series as one of the highpoints of the BBC back-catalogue – or maybe I am just easily pleased (stupid boy!).
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