A Woman of Substance (1984)
A Woman of Substance charts the life of Emma Harte, from kitchen maid at the beginning of the 20th Century, to respected business woman and Grandmother in the 1980's. From humble beginnings Emma Harte starts her business with a small shop, but over the next twenty years she expands her stores and invests in the growing textile industry in Leeds. By the time of World War 2, Emma is the head of a major retail and manufacturing empire, but she has struggled all her life to find love. After an illegitimate daughter and two marriages, she finally meets the love of her life, Paul McGill, but their affair is cut short by a tragic accident, leaving Emma with his daughter. In the 1980's Emma faces one of her biggest tests - her children's attempt to remove her as head of her company, but Emma is far from the senile old woman they think she is - she is determined to stop them at all costs. Written by Stacey Mitchell.
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Very well executed
People are voting emotionally.
Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Barbara Taylor Bradford's sweeping feminine tale comes to life in this entertaining British miniseries. In contemporary times, meaning the 1980s, Grandy is surrounded by her children and grandchildren, who are trying to usurp her position as chairwoman of the very successful family business. She fights for her seat and tells her story of how she became A Woman of Substance. The majority of the story is told in a flashback, and it's very fun to see Jenny Seagrove cast as a young Deborah Kerr, who plays Grandy. While the old timers in the cast add class and glamour to the miniseries, the young actors also give great performances and effortlessly capture the audience's attention. This is a fantastic story of a young woman's journey in the early 20th century, her career and loves and struggles through WWII. Joining the cast are John Mills, Miranda Richardson, Liam Neeson, Diane Baker, Barry Bostwick, and Peter Chelsom. Although everyone is wonderful, Deborah Kerr really stands out. She's feisty and strong, but still feminine and caring, the perfect combination of emotions that shows she really lived through what Jenny Seagrove lives through during the episodes. Anyone who likes British miniseries, or stories with a strong heroine, will love A Woman of Substance.
When Emma Harte leaves Fairly Hall she is 16, single, and pregnant. With determination hard work and resilience that was to become her trademark Emma becomes one of the worldÂ's richest women. From the streets of Knightsbridge, London to the bustling city of New York Harte Enterprises becomes the toast of the world.When Emma Harte has to leaves Fairly Hall after her passionate affair with her mastersÂ' son (Peter Chelsom) she is pregnant and alone. Escaping to town of Leeds to be with her friend Blackie OÂ'Neill (Liam Neeson) Emma quickly finds her feet and dominates the market. Driven by revenge to avenge herself by her betrayal at the hands of the Fairleys, Emma succeeds in ruining their lives and money and securing incalcuble wealth for herself. Marriage to Joe Lowther (John Duttine) brings her a son Kit, although she is widowed most tragically during the war. Two further children Robin and Elizabeth result in her second marriage to the charming womaniser Arthur Ainsley (Christopher Gable). She finally finds true love with Major Paul McGill (Barry Bostwick) the man that was dominate her life and overthrow her mistrust in men, resulting in the birth of her last child Daisy. This story charts EmmaÂ's rise from lowly kitchen maid to multi millionairess. Fighting off opposition from her sworn enemy, Gerald Fairly, older brother of Edwin Fairly, father to her illegitimate child Edwina. To her final act of vengeance, against the very people she loved whole-heartedly.
Whenever my sister and I get in the mood for a mini-series marathon, we rent "The Thorn Birds", but only if our all-time fave is checked out. I refer, of course, to BTB's "A Woman of Substance". This mini-series boasts a stellar cast- Deborah Kerr, Liam Neeson, Jenny Seagrove, Barry Bostwick, and a young Miranda Richardson. The rags-to-riches story of Emma Harte's (Kerr/Seagrove)empire is riddled with tragedy and passion (what else?). The acting at times can be a bit overdone, but that makes it all the more a guilty pleasure. And hey- yummy Liam Neeson is in it! How can you go wrong? Check out Barry Bostwick pre-"Spin City" sporting a cheesy Freddie Mercury mustache!
This has just become available on DVD for a very modest price in the UK and I would highly recommend it to all those who love "Family Sagas". There is a sequel "Hold the Dream" but it is useless to watch this if you haven't first watched "A Woman of Substance". The whole show, almost ten hours viewing in all will keep you glued to your armchair, and as there are some sad moments along the way, it's better to have your supply of kleenex beside you before starting to view !The main actors in the series are magnificent, I have always adored Deborah Kerr, notably in "An Affair to Remember", and "The Innocents" and here she plays out the very believable rôle of the Old Lady. Her diction and facial expressions are magnificent, and here performance here just adds more confirmation to the fact that she is a great actress.Jenny Seagrove, strangely beautiful, acts out the young Emma Harte with great conviction and Liam Neeson, very handsome, puts in a magnificent performance as Blackie. Despite the story being very long, the fact that there are so many twists and turns, and the fact that is is filmed mostly in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside, one doesn't get bored for an instant.........Naturally, a story of this length is bound to have some inconsistencies for example, Jenny Seagrove's accent seems to vary from Yorkshire to Posh Southern England and back on several occasions ! We see heavy rain falling from a bright blue sky ! Because the film spans so many years, some people grow up too quickly and towards the end, it gets a little confusing. But there is no point in dwelling inordinately upon these defects. The general impression is one of great satisfaction. I can only hope this film will be available in all countries with corresponding language tracks and subtitles so that all will be able to appreciate it. It is said to be a "woman's film" as it shows a woman's struggle from "rags to riches" but I, as a man, certainly enjoyed it !!!