# The Remains of the Day (film)

The Remains of the Day is a 1993 drama film adapted from the Booker Prize–winning 1989 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. The film was directed by James Ivory, produced by Ismail Merchant, Mike Nichols, and John Calley and adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. It stars Anthony Hopkins as James Stevens and Emma Thompson as Miss Kenton, with James Fox, Christopher Reeve, Hugh Grant, Ben Chaplin, and Lena Headey in supporting roles.
The film was a critical and box office success and it was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Hopkins), Best Actress (Thompson) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Jhabvala). In 1999, the British Film Institute ranked The Remains of the Day the 64th-greatest British film of the 20th century.

## Plot

In 1958 postwar Britain, Stevens, the butler of Darlington Hall, receives a letter from the former housekeeper, Miss Kenton, now Mrs. Benn. Their past employer, the Earl of Darlington, has died a broken man, his reputation destroyed by his pre–Second World War support of Nazi Germany, and his stately country house has been sold to retired US Congressman Jack Lewis. Allowed to borrow the Daimler, Stevens sets off for the West Country to see Miss Kenton for the first time in decades.
In the 1930s, Kenton arrives at Darlington Hall, where the ever-efficient but deeply repressed Stevens derives his entire identity from his profession. He butts heads with the warmer, strong-willed Kenton, particularly when he refuses to acknowledge that his father, now an under-butler, is no longer able to perform his duties.
Displaying total professionalism, Stevens carries on as his father lies dying during Darlington's conference of like-minded fascist-sympathising British and European aristocrats. Also in attendance is U.S. Congressman Lewis, who admonishes the "gentleman politicians" as meddling amateurs, advising that "Europe has become the arena of Realpolitik" and warning of impending disaster.
Exposed to Nazi racial laws, Darlington gets Stevens to dismiss two newly hired refugee German-Jewish maids. Kenton threatens to resign but has nowhere to go, and a regretful Darlington is later unable to rehire the maids. At another conference, Stevens is unable to answer an aristocratic guest's questions on global trade and politics, which the aristocrat claims demonstrates the lower classes' ignorance and inability to govern themselves.
Relations thaw between Stevens and Kenton, and she clearly shows her feelings for him. But the outwardly detached Stevens remains dedicated solely to his role as butler. She catches him reading a romance novel, which he explains is to improve his vocabulary, asking her not to invade his privacy again.
Lord Darlington's godson, journalist Reginald Cardinal, arrives on the day of a secret meeting at Darlington Hall between the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, and the German ambassador, Joachim von Ribbentrop. Appalled by his godfather's role in seeking appeasement for Nazi Germany, Cardinal tells Stevens that Darlington is being used by the Nazis, but Stevens feels it is not his place to judge his employer.
Kenton forms a relationship with former co-worker Tom Benn and accepts his proposal of marriage. She informs Stevens as an ultimatum, but he will not admit his feelings and only offers his congratulations. Finding her crying, his only response is to call her attention to a neglected domestic task, and she leaves Darlington Hall before the start of the Second World War.
En route to meeting Kenton in 1958, Stevens is mistaken for a gentleman at a pub. Doctor Carlisle, a local GP, helps him refuel the Daimler, deduces that he is actually a manservant, and asks his thoughts about Lord Darlington's actions. Initially denying having even met him, Stevens later admits to having served and respected him, noting that Darlington later confessed that his Nazi sympathies had been misguided and naive.
Stevens tells Carlisle that, although Lord Darlington was unable to correct his error, he is attempting to correct his own. He meets Kenton, who has separated from her husband and is staying at a boarding house on the coast. She and Stevens discuss how Lord Darlington died from a broken heart after suing a newspaper for libel, losing the suit and his reputation. Stevens mentions that Cardinal was killed in the war.
Kenton declines to resume her position at Darlington Hall, wishing to remain near her pregnant daughter and, despite years of unhappiness, thinking about going back to her husband. Stevens supposes they may never meet again, and they part fondly but are both quietly upset, with Miss Kenton visibly tearful as her bus pulls away.
Stevens returns to Darlington Hall, where Lewis asks if he remembers what he had said at the conference in the 30s. Stevens replies that he was too busy serving to listen to the speeches. A pigeon flies into the fireplace from the chimney, and Lewis catches and sets it free. Stevens watches the bird as it flies away, leaving Darlington Hall far behind.

## Cast

* Anthony Hopkins as Mr James Stevens
* Emma Thompson as Miss Sarah "Sally" Kenton (later Mrs Benn)
* James Fox as the Earl of Darlington (Lord Darlington)
* Christopher Reeve as Congressman Jack Lewis
* Peter Vaughan as Mr William Stevens ("Mr Stevens, Sr")
* Hugh Grant as Reginald Cardinal (Lord Darlington's godson)
* Tim Pigott-Smith as Mr Tom Benn
* John Haycraft as Auctioneer
* Michael Lonsdale as Dupont d'Ivry
* Brigitte Kahn as Baroness
* Jeffry Wickham as Viscount Bigge
* Paula Jacobs as Mrs Mortimer
* Ben Chaplin as Charlie
* Rupert Vansittart as Sir Geoffrey Wren
* Patrick Godfrey as Spencer
* Peter Halliday as Canon Tufnell
* Peter Cellier as Sir Leonard Bax
* Pip Torrens as Doctor Carlisle
* Frank Shelley as Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
* Peter Eyre as the 3rd Viscount Halifax (Lord Halifax)
* Wolf Kahler as Joachim von Ribbentrop
* Lena Headey as Lizzie
* John Savident as Doctor Meredith

## Production

A film adaptation of the novel was originally planned to be directed by Mike Nichols from a script by Harold Pinter. Meryl Streep’s then-agent, Sam Cohn, and the director sold her on the plum role of Miss Kenton. Both Streep and Jeremy Irons read for Nichols, but the filmmaker opted not to cast them in roles later filled by Emma Thompson (ten years Meryl’s junior) and Anthony Hopkins (twenty years Emma’s senior). Cohn, who was also Nichols’s agent, didn’t make it clear to Meryl that she was no longer a candidate for Miss Kenton, she only learned later, after reading about Thompson’s casting. Shortly thereafter Streep made headlines after she fired her long time, east coast agent, signing with rival agent Bryan Lourd at the powerful Creative Artists Agency. Some of Pinter's script was used in the film, but, while Pinter was paid for his work, he asked to have his name removed from the credits, in keeping with his contract. Christopher C. Hudgins observes: "During our 1994 interview, Pinter told [Steven H.] Gale and me that he had learned his lesson after the revisions imposed on his script for The Handmaid's Tale, which he has decided not to publish. When his script for The Remains of the Day was radically revised by the James Ivory–Ismail Merchant partnership, he refused to allow his name to be listed in the credits" (125). Though no longer the director, Nichols remained associated with the project as one of its producers.
The music was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin.

### Settings

A number of English country estates were used as locations for the film, partly owing to the persuasive power of Ismail Merchant, who was able to cajole permission for the production to borrow houses not normally open to the public. Among them were Dyrham Park for the exterior of the house and the driveway, Powderham Castle (staircase, hall, music room, bedroom; used for the aqua-turquoise stairway scenes), Corsham Court (library and dining room) and Badminton House (servants' quarters, conservatory, entrance hall). Luciana Arrighi, the production designer, scouted most of these locations. Scenes were also shot in Weston-super-Mare, which stood in for Clevedon. The pub where Mr Stevens stays is the Hop Pole in Limpley Stoke; the shop featured is also in Limpley Stoke. The pub where Miss Kenton and Mr Benn meet is The George Inn in Norton St Philip.

### Characters

The character of Sir Geoffrey Wren is based loosely on that of Sir Oswald Mosley, a British fascist active in the 1930s. Wren is depicted as a strict vegetarian, like Hitler. The 3rd Viscount Halifax (later created the 1st Earl of Halifax) also appears in the film. Lord Darlington tells Stevens that Halifax approved of the polish on the silver, and Lord Halifax himself later appears when Darlington meets secretly with the German Ambassador and his aides at night. Halifax was the chief architect of the British policy of appeasement from 1937 to 1939. Coincidentally, Halifax was born at Powderham Castle (above). The character of Congressman Jack Lewis in the film is a composite of two separate American characters in Kazuo Ishiguro's novel: Senator Lewis (who attends the pre-WW2 conference in Darlington Hall), and Mr Farraday, who succeeds Lord Darlington as master of Darlington Hall.

## Release

The film had its premiere on 25 October 1993 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles.
It was the opening night film at the London Film Festival on 4 November 1993 and opened in 94 theatres in the United States on 5 November.

## Reception
### Critical reception

The film has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The consensus states: "Smart, elegant, and blessed with impeccable performances from Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, The Remains of the Day is a Merchant–Ivory classic." At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average out of 100 to critics' reviews, it received a score of 86 based on 12 reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert particularly praised the film, calling it "a subtle, thoughtful movie." In his favorable review for The Washington Post, Desson Howe wrote, "Put Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson and James Fox together and you can expect sterling performances." Vincent Canby of The New York Times said, in another favorable review, "Here's a film for adults. It's also about time to recognize that Mr. Ivory is one of our finest directors, something that critics tend to overlook because most of his films have been literary adaptations."
The film was named one of the best films of 1993 by over 50 critics, making it the fifth-most-acclaimed film of 1993.

### Box office

The film grossed $23 million in the United States and Canada. In the United Kingdom, it grossed £4.5 million. Worldwide, it grossed $63.9 million.

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| 20/20 Awards | Best Actor | Anthony Hopkins | Nominated |
| 20/20 Awards | Best Actress | Emma Thompson | Nominated |
| 20/20 Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | Nominated |
| 20/20 Awards | Best Costume Design | Jenny Beavan and John Bright | Nominated |
| 20/20 Awards | Best Original Score | Richard Robbins | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Picture | John Calley, Mike Nichols and Ismail Merchant | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Director | James Ivory | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Actor | Anthony Hopkins | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Actress | Emma Thompson | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Screenplay – Based on Material Previously Produced or Published | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Art Direction | Art Direction: Luciana Arrighi; Set Decoration: Ian Whittaker | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Costume Design | Jenny Beavan and John Bright | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Original Score | Richard Robbins | Nominated |
| Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Emma Thompson | Nominated |
| Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Costume Design | Jenny Beavan and John Bright | Nominated |
| Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Production Design | Luciana Arrighi and Ian Whittaker | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Film | Ismail Merchant, Mike Nichols, John Calley, and James Ivory | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Direction | James Ivory | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Anthony Hopkins | Won |
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Emma Thompson | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Cinematography | Tony Pierce-Roberts | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Anthony Hopkins | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Emma Thompson | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Screenplay | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | Nominated |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Film | Best Film | Nominated |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Anthony Hopkins | Won |
| David di Donatello Awards | Best Foreign Film | James Ivory | Nominated |
| David di Donatello Awards | Best Foreign Actor | Anthony Hopkins | Won |
| David di Donatello Awards | Best Foreign Actress | Emma Thompson | Won |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | James Ivory | Nominated |
| Evening Standard British Film Awards | Best Actress | Emma Thompson (Also for Much Ado About Nothing) | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Anthony Hopkins | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Emma Thompson | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Director – Motion Picture | James Ivory | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | Best European Film | James Ivory | Nominated |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | Anthony Hopkins | Won |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Emma Thompson | Won |
| London Film Critics Circle Awards | British Film of the Year | British Film of the Year | Won |
| London Film Critics Circle Awards | Director of the Year | James Ivory | Won |
| London Film Critics Circle Awards | Actor of the Year | Anthony Hopkins | Won |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Anthony Hopkins (Also for Shadowlands) | Won |
| Movieguide Awards | Best Movie for Mature Audiences | Best Movie for Mature Audiences | Won |
| Nastro d'Argento | Best Foreign Director | James Ivory | Nominated |
| National Board of Review Awards | Top Ten Films | Top Ten Films | 3rd Place |
| National Board of Review Awards | Best Actor | Anthony Hopkins (Also for Shadowlands) | Won |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Anthony Hopkins (Also for Shadowlands) | 3rd Place |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | Anthony Hopkins (Also for Shadowlands) | Runner-up |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Emma Thompson (Also for Much Ado About Nothing) | Runner-up |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures | Mike Nichols, John Calley, and Ismail Merchant | Nominated |
| Robert Awards | Best Foreign Film | James Ivory | Won |
| Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Top Ten Films | Top Ten Films | 3rd Place |
| Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Anthony Hopkins (Also for Shadowlands) | Won |
| Turkish Film Critics Association Awards | Best Foreign Film | Best Foreign Film | 7th Place |
| USC Scripter Awards | USC Scripter Awards | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenwriter); Kazuo Ishiguro (author) | Nominated |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Screenplay – Based on Material Previously Produced or Published | Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | Nominated |
* The film is #64 at the British Film Institute's "Top 100 British films".
* The film was also nominated for the American Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Passions" list.

## Soundtrack

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| Entertainment Weekly | A link |
The original score was composed by Richard Robbins. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score, but lost to Schindler's List.

### Track listing

* Opening Titles, Darlington Hall – 7:27
* The Keyhole and the Chinaman – 4:14
* Tradition and Order – 1:51
* The Conference Begins – 1:33
* Sei Mir Gegrüsst (Schubert) – 4:13
* The Cooks in the Kitchen – 1:34
* Sir Geoffrey Wren and Stevens, Sr. – 2:41
* You Mean a Great Deal to This House – 2:21
* Loss and Separation – 6:19
* Blue Moon – 4:57
* Sentimental Love Story/Appeasement/In the Rain – 5:22
* A Portrait Returns/Darlington Hall/End Credits – 6:54