A Private Function
Movie · Comedy

In a small Yorkshire town in the post-war years, when rationing is rife, a group of businessmen want to impress the local government by throwing a party to celebrate Princess Elizabeth’s wedding, with the intention of slaughtering an illegally raised pig. This hilarious comedy also follows the domestic crises of a husband and wife team, Gilbert, a chiropodist and Joyce, a bullying, socially ambitious Lady Macbeth figure. Gilbert, encouraged by his wife, plans to kidnap the pig and hold the forces of snobbery to ransom. This is made more complex and amusing by the presence of a greedy mother who lives in terror of being ‘put away’.

1985 · 1h 33m
  • 91%
Starring Michael Palin, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott
Director Malcolm Mowbray

Related

Cast & Crew

  • Michael Palin
    Gilbert Chilvers
  • Maggie Smith
    Joyce Chilvers
  • Denholm Elliott
    Dr Charles Swaby
  • Liz Smith
    Joyce's Mother
  • Richard Griffiths
    Henry Allardyce
  • John Normington
    Frank Lockwood the Solicitor
  • Bill Paterson
    Morris Wormold the Meat Inspector
  • Tony Haygarth
    Bernard Sutcliffe
  • Alison Steadman
    Mrs. Allardyce
  • Pete Postlethwaite
    Douglas J. Nuttol the Butcher
  • Jim Carter
    Inspector Noble

About

A Private Function

Comedy

In a small Yorkshire town in the post-war years, when rationing is rife, a group of businessmen want to impress the local government by throwing a party to celebrate Princess Elizabeth’s wedding, with the intention of slaughtering an illegally raised pig. This hilarious comedy also follows the domestic crises of a husband and wife team, Gilbert, a chiropodist and Joyce, a bullying, socially ambitious Lady Macbeth figure. Gilbert, encouraged by his wife, plans to kidnap the pig and hold the forces of snobbery to ransom. This is made more complex and amusing by the presence of a greedy mother who lives in terror of being ‘put away’.

91%

TOMATOMETER
Average 7.9
Reviews 11
Fresh 10
Rotten 1

Information

Studio
HandMade Films
Released
1985
Run Time
1 hr 33 min
Rated
AL/G
Regions of Origin
United Kingdom, Australia
© 1984 Arrow Films

Languages

Original Audio
English (United Kingdom), English
Audio

English (United Kingdom) , French (France)

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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
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  • Mozambique
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  • Niger (English)
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  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
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  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
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Europe

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  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
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