Themes: Custody Battles, Breakups and Divorces, Crumbling Marriages
Main Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter, Fanny Viner, Simon Callow
Release Year: 1986
Country: UK
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
Anthony Hopkins stars in The Good Father as a publishing executive whose wife Julie Walters has left him, taking their son with her. Walking around like a zombie after this blow, Hopkins is brought back to life by involving himself in the profound problems of his friend Jim Broadbent. Feeling that his misguided pro-feminist stance has caused him all his trouble, Hopkins encourages Broadbent, whose own wife is leaving him with their son in tow, to fight for custody of the child in court. Hopkins even agrees to finance Broadbent's legal fees. As Broadbent's custody battle intensifies into a bitter, all-out war, Hopkins becomes more relaxed concerning his own domestic difficulties. Allowing Broadbent to be his emotional surrogate, a becalmed Hopkins feels secure enough to try to reconcile with his ex-wife Walters. But she is aware, even if he isn't, that his problems stem not from his relationship with women, but from his resentment of his son, whose birth was the beginning of the end of his marriage. Contrary to the title and his own self-deceptions, Hopkins is not "the good father." The film was scripted by Christopher Hampton from a novel by Peter Prince. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Alison Stewart-Richardson - Art Director, Sheila Trezise - Casting, Pip Newbery - Costume Designer, Mike Newell - Director, Peter Hollywood - Editor, Richard Hartley - Composer (Music Score), Christine Beveridge - Makeup, Sally Harrison - Makeup, Adrian Smith - Production Designer, Michael Coulter - Cinematographer, Ann Wingate - Production Manager, Ann Scott - Producer, Ann Skinner - Producer, David A. Stephenson - Sound/Sound Designer, Tony Jackson - Sound/Sound Designer, Gareth Milne - Stunts, Christopher Hampton - Screenwriter, Peter Prince - Book Author
Anthony Hopkins is a father who loses custody of his child and takes out his anger by befriending Jim Broadbent's character and funding the latter's court case to regain his kid's custody. Simon Callow is the unscrupulous lawyer. It also included Stephen Fry's first film role.
The movie was made for British TV and received a theatrical release in the US. The script was based on Peter Prince's novel of the same title.
