The Remains of the Day (1994)
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A dedicated butler reflects on his life and a past relationship while traveling to visit a former colleague in postwar Britain.
The story
In 1958 postwar Britain, Stevens, the butler of Darlington Hall, receives a letter from the former housekeeper, Miss Kenton, now Mrs. Benn. Their past employer, the Earl of Darlington, has died a broken man, his reputation destroyed by his pre–Second World War support of Nazi Germany, and his stately country house has been sold to retired US Congressman Jack Lewis. Allowed to borrow the Daimler, Stevens sets off for the West Country to see Miss Kenton for the first time in decades. The story explores the lives of these two servants who have spent years navigating the rigid social structures of an English country estate.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1958 postwar Britain, butler Stevens travels to see former housekeeper Miss Kenton after the death of their employer, the Earl of Darlington. The narrative flashes back to the 1930s, showing their lives at Darlington Hall. Stevens, a man of extreme discipline, and Kenton, a more expressive woman, navigate the complexities of their roles while the political climate of pre-WWII Europe shifts around them. They witness the rise of Nazi influence and the consequences of political appeasement. During the war, Kenton marries and leaves the estate. In 1958, Stevens travels to find her. They meet and discuss the past, the death of the Earl, and their personal feelings. They ultimately part ways, both reflecting on their lives and the roles they played in a changing world. The film ends with Stevens returning to the now-American-owned Darlington Hall, watching a bird fly away.
- First release year
- 1993
- Runtime (minutes)
- 134
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Ivory
- Writers
- Ruth Prawer Jhabvala · screenplay; Harold Pinter · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Anthony Hopkins · James Stevens; Emma Thompson · Miss Kenton; James Fox; Christopher Reeve; Peter Vaughan; Hugh Grant; Michael Lonsdale; Tim Pigott-Smith
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- social class; unrequited love; duty vs. personal desire
- Tone and mood
- subtle; thoughtful
- Setting
- English country estates in 1930s and 1958.
- Premise and plot tags
- period piece; historical drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- the Booker Prize–winning 1989 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Content notes
- Nazism
- Reception
- The film was a critical and box office success, praised for its performances and as a Merchant-Ivory classic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 96% · review count: 49; Metacritic · score: 86 · scale: weighted average · review count: 12
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · nomination; Academy Award · Best Actor · nomination; Academy Award · Best Actress · nomination; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · nomination; Academy Award · Best Original Score · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was ranked 64th-greatest British film of the 20th century by the British Film Institute.; The character of Sir Geoffrey Wren is based loosely on that of Sir Oswald Mosley.; The character of Congressman Jack Lewis is a composite of two separate American characters in Kazuo Ishiguro's novel.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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