“The day has dawned and the weather proves conclusively that God is a monarchist.” - Lady Mary Talbot, Downton Abbey
When PBS’s uber-popular period drama “Downton Abbey” ended its run in 2016, producers started teasing the possibility of a feature film revisiting the beloved aristocracy.
We’ve seen such musings fail to come to fruition in the past. The folks behind “The Sopranos” talked about a theatrical follow-up (viewers thought the inclusion of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” in the series finale was a clue), but it has yet to happen.
Bridget and I were fans of “Downton Abbey” during its six seasons on PBS, but I had my doubts as to whether we’d see a theatrical movie.
Here we are three years later, and “Downton Abbey” has curtsied its way into movie palaces across the globe.
In this chapter, we find the Crawley clan in 1927 (shortly after the events in the series) preparing to welcome King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James) to the privileged environs of Downton Abbey.
The king and queen are taking a royal tour through the country.
For those not versed in the Downton saga, the show follows the lives of the upstairs family (the Crawleys) and the downstairs staff at the majestic Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle is the real-life setting for “Downton”).
The drama in “Downton Abbey” isn’t built on “shock and awe” like edgier shows generating buzz the past decade. Most of the stories focus on societal norms and mores — wrapped in historical events — to pull the narrative forward.
Series creator Julian Fellowes knows this territory well. He won an Oscar for his “Gosford Park” screenplay in 2002, a murder mystery at an English country house in the 1930s.
Little moments provide the drama in “Downton Abbey.” The series — and movie — don’t strive to tell “big” stories.
The overall effect is like a Whitman’s Sampler box of candies — bite-sized chunks of drama designed to be nibbled in small doses.
For example, something as innocuous as the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) losing his paper opener (among other missing items in the house) could result in a member of the downstairs staff being accused of theft, setting off a domino-like chain reaction among the people serving “Downton Abbey.”
Or, a faulty boiler might mean there is no hot water at Dowton Abbey, so a brawny plumber (James Cartwright) comes to fix the ailing machine, inadvertently wrenching the affections of kitchen maid Daisy (Sophie McShera).
Those are the kind of tropes that fed “Downton Abbey” through six seasons, and are on full display in the new movie.
The filmmakers do their due diligence crafting a movie that integrates well with the series. Having been a fan of the show, I thought the overall effect felt like an extended season finale episode (or one of the series’ “Christmas Specials”).
I tend to have mixed emotions about popular TV series shifting to the big screen — especially one as well drawn as “Downton Abbey.”
Part of “Downton’s” charm as a series was the fact that focus could shift between characters in a more meaningful manner. A movie only allows for little sprinkles of plot development among those same characters. Inevitably, efforts like the theatrical “Downton Abbey” mean some characters are left holding the short end of the stick.
Some of the movie’s plot points feel rushed and contrived (an assassination plot against the royals is a fairly glaring example of this). Had those same plot points developed over the course of multiple episodes, they would have had room to breathe and grow in an organic fashion.
That said, Fellowes penned a screenplay that does a yeoman’s job of maintaining balance. While the movie isn’t as filling as the series, it should leave fans satiated.
“Downton Abbey” pulled in a healthy $31 million at the box office during its opening weekend (putting it in first place in the North American box office).
Whether or not the opening haul means fans will be treated to additional “Downton” dinner parties is up in the air at this point. Whatever the case may be, it is heartening to see a “grown-up drama” enjoying success at the box office.
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