Made with such love and care it’s impossible not to be impressed but after 30 or so minutes it start to drag: vignette after vignette of life in a Welsh mining town – choir, coal mines, grace at family diner, the brothers want to establish a union and dad isn’t keen on socialism, the rituals and politeness, chapel services, dad washing his feet, gossips in church, more singing, not one but two deaths, etc.
The ending is incredibly moving however – with little Roddy McDowall working through the water to find Donald Crisp who gives him a hug just before he dies. Sob.
McDowall is superb, whether fighting a bully at school, or falling in love with sister in law Anna Lee (who I kept thinking was going to have a bigger part than she did) at first glance, or going down the mines. Donald Crisp is excellent too, and Maureen O’Hara very good; Patric Knowles is stiff but then again when wasn’t he? You can tell why it was so loved and I always feel guilty admitting stuff like this but I found it a little dull.
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