‘The Father’ explores a family’s heart-wrenching journey with Alzheimer’s. Starring icons Sir Anthony Hopkins & Olivia Coleman. Find out when & where to watch.
Where can I watch The Father?
The film adaptation of the award-winning stage production of the same name stars Olivia Colman alongside Anthony Hopkins – but many people in the UK will be asking, when is it out in cinemas?
There has been a long eager wait for the UK release. The film takes a long hard look at dementia through the eyes of the individual. Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman star in the film adaptation of the award-winning stage play, written and directed by Florian Zeller.
What’s The Father about?
Anthony, played by Sir Anthony Hopkins, is 80 years old, who is a mischievous character, living defiantly alone and rejecting the carers that his daughter, Anne, played by Olivia Coleman, encouragingly introduces. Anne is increasingly needing help with her father, as she can no longer make the daily visits and her father’s understanding of reality is diminishing. The audience are taken on a journey through Anthony’s struggles with memory and identity, as Anne copes with watching her father’s personality and identity fade away. The Father is described in the synopsis as, “The Father warmly embraces real life, through loving reflection upon the vibrant human condition; heart-breaking and uncompromisingly poignant – a movie that nestles in the truth of our own lives.”
What is The father based on?
The Father is based on Florian Zeller’s play Le Pere. This play shows dementia through the eyes of the individual.
Is The Father about Dementia?
The Father explores Anthony’s Alzchiemer’s condition, the most common cause for Dementia.
Who is the cast?
The Father brings together award winning British icons, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Coleman.
Sir Anthony Hopkins, famously known for his depiction of Hannibal Lecter in the film trilogy, Nixon and Hitchcock, plays the lead character, Anthony, who is experiencing some health changes during old age.
Olivia Coleman, from The Night Manager, The Favourite and The Crown, plays Anthony’s daughter Anne. Anne visits her father on a regular basis but begins to notice all is not well with him.
The star studded cast also includes Imogen Poots (That Awkward Moment), Rufus Sewell (Judy), Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense), and Mark Gatiss (Sherlock).
Where was The Father filmed?
The Father was shot at West London Film Studios, London, England, UK. The exterior scenes took place at Blythe House, 23 Blythe Rd, Hammersmith, London.
What are the reviews saying?
The Guardian – “a brutal, trippy portrait of what it must feel like to lose your grip on reality boasts an Oscar-worthy performance”.
The Times – “Colman mirrors his emotional fragility… jollying him along while trying to wrestle down her grief at watching part of him leave. The sense of loss is acute and as things get worse, you feel your heart break in 10 directions at once.”
The Independent – “Terrifically acted and finely crafted though it is, it’s a brilliant but hollow exercise in perspective that calls more attention to its artful orchestration than it does life or loss.”
The Express – “Sir Anthony is on his absolute finest form here, bringing confusion, aggression, light-hearted fun and deep sorrow all within the blink of an eye.”
Has The Father won any awards?
The Father scooped three awards at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), including Best Actor for Sir Anthony Hopkins. Sir Anthony Hopkins was also awarded Best Actor at the BAFTAs. Florian Zeller has been awarded the Satellite Award for Best Screenplay, Adapted, the Goya Award for Best European Film and a BAFTA award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Olivia Coleman has been awarded the AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.Yorgos Lamprinos has been awarded the British Independent Film Award and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Editing.
When is The Father being released in the UK?
Initially scheduled for 18th December 2020, but the date was pushed back due to the COVID pandemic. The new release date for The Father is Friday, June 11th 2021.
Who is distributing The Father in the UK?
The Father is being distributed by Lionsgate in the UK.
What is dementia?
Dementia describes different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. These conditions are all usually progressive and worsen over time.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 per cent of those diagnosed.
Other types of dementia include vascular dementia affecting up to 20 per cent of those diagnosed, frontotemporal dementia affecting 2 per cent and dementia with Lewy bodies between 10 and 15 per cent.
Symptoms of dementia include memory loss, confusion and problems with speech and understanding and sadly it is a terminal condition.
Who is affected by Dementia?
- There are currently around 850,000 people with dementia in the UK. This is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.
- 209,600 will develop dementia this year, that’s one every three minutes.
- 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 have dementia.
- 70 percent of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems.
- There are over 42,000 people under 65 living with dementia in the UK.
- More than 25,000 people from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in the UK are affected.
Other Dementia charities: