My Uncle Silas tells the story of a mischievous reprobate in rural England in the early 20th century. The production consists of five episodes based on a collection of short stories H.E. Bates published in 1939 to relive the memories of his youth in Northamptonshire. Albert Finney stars as the title character, a kind of over-the-hill Tom Jones who lives life to the fullest -- and then some. Silas' misadventures are presented through eyes of his great nephew, Edward (whom Silas calls Ned), a ten-year-old who spends a summer vacation with Silas. The boy learns an important lesson from the old fellow: carpe diem. In episode one, "The Wedding," Silas and his relatives celebrate the wedding of his son. At the reception, Silas gets drunk, toasts the couples, and dances well into the night with the lovely bride. Ned can only marvel at his uncle's "eloquence" and stamina. In episode two, Silas and Ned paper walls at a hotel at which liquor is forbidden and the proprietor neglects his wife. By the time the walls are papered, Silas has rehabilitated the proprietor. He not only appreciates his wife, but he also begins to serve liquor. In episode three, Silas wins over a proper lady by serving her the best tea she ever tasted (because, unknown to her, it's spiked with booze), and comforts her on her deathbed. In episode four, Silas jogs himself into passable shape to box a brute named Goliath, and in episode five, he tells Ned a stirring tale from his youth in which he and his friends go swimming in the nude and impish creatures called girls steal their clothes. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
Review
This 2000 television production presents Albert Finney as an aging rapscallion who milks life and his wine bottle bone dry, then asks for more. Though well past 60, Finney's character, a widower named Silas, effervesces with energy and mischief; he dances, sings, boxes, tells tall tales, chases skirts, and laces his tea with liquor. Silas knows that life is meant to be lived. The production presents five episodes that celebrate Silas, one leading into the other to present a unified whole. There is nothing profound in the story. Silas poaches game, dodges bullets, wallpapers a room, digs a grave, reforms a teetotaler, catches a fish with his bare hands, and charms all the ladies -- the young and the beautiful, the old and the ugly -- with his honey-dipped tongue. The story is told through the eyes of Silas' visiting ten-year-old great nephew, Edward (whom Silas dubs Ned, just because), played with innocent charm by Joe Prospero. While on a ladder leaning against a house with a thatched roof, Ned remembers a word his aunt used to describe Silas, then asks his uncle, "What's the difference between a thatcher and a lecher?" The question hangs there while Silas launches into a tale about one of his long-ago loves. By the end of his sojourn with Silas, Ned learns that life is a wondrous adventure requiring its participants to act on whim, play tricks, make fools of themselves, and, now and then, sing a soulful ditty. The production features quaint rural scenery, playful music, and a strong supporting cast playing Dickensian characters ranging from sharp-tongued prisses to gawky dunderheads. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
Philip Saville - Director, Graeme MacArthur - Producer, Robert Banks Stewart - Screenwriter, Peter Tinniswood - Screenwriter, H.E. Bates - Short Story Author
