Jack & Sarah

Although 'Jack and Sarah' is undoubtedly twee and contrived, there is something extremely watchable about a story where a young dad (Jack, played by Richard E Grant), is left to look after his baby when his wife (Sarah, played by Imogen Stubbs) dies in childbirth. Helped and hindered in equal measure by his mother and mother-in-law (Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins), Jack begins to bond with his child and thrives with the support of ditzy nanny Amy (Samantha Mathis) and street dropout Matthew (Ian McKellen in a lovely performance as the wino who becomes the perfect butler and baby minder). Pleasant and undemanding, this drama will make you smile and bring tears to your eyes (using 'Stars' by Simply Red to good effect), but it is far from being a 'good' film.

One of the strengths of this film is its subtlety. The first ten or fifteen minutes are a great example. Few words are needed yet volumes of emotion are communicated through those scenes. Another - later - example is where Jack and his father are in the park when it's snowing. The weather seems to exaggerate the raw, emotional pain Jack is going through but no words are needed because the viewer knows exactly what he is feeling. The scene where the grief hits Jack is very poignant - he has been almost in a trance until then, trying to carry on as normal and yet what finally gets him in touch with his grief for Sarah is the almost ordinary combination of her lipstick on the wine glass and her voice on the answerphone. He tried to be so prepared, so involved in his wife's pregnancy but never came close to being prepared for the real outcome. I hate to say it, but there are points during Jack's early mourning period where the character comes across as what I believe non-English people think of the stereotypical Englishman - blocking out any emotion. Perhaps this is a disadvantage of the story starting when it does - we don't get any idea of what he was like before his wife Sarah was pregnant. The baby next to the sleeping Jack is an interesting metaphor. At that point, both are helpless in their own way, both only in tune with their own feelings, but baby Sarah at least has the excuse of not knowing any better. Jack's selfishness is entirely self-induced. There are some interesting attempts to explode stereotypes, which I think should be applauded. The characterisation of Jack's boss Anna is interesting - the assumption that just because she is female, she will be more sympathetic would be natural but she comes across as so work-driven that she almost becomes heartless. I think Jack is a bit overwhelmed by Anna, perhaps too much so - there are moments when she is quite cutting and when Jack would be right to correct her. There is a curious comparison with Amy, who - although superficially like other females in that she cooes over Sarah - is sufficiently vague at first that she doesn't even notice which sex baby Sarah is. Jack also tackles another himself over the issue of whether he can use the nursing mothers' room to change Sarah's nappy. In keeping with the theme of stereotypes, it is interesting how the opinions of the other characters try to influence the main ones. Jack's mum thinks Anna is outwardly great for him when she is really a selfish character, while Amy - who is a far kinder person - is written off as a "dreadful American girl". The baby alarm worked rather well as a plot device - it's an overlooked but very useful piece of equipment. There are quite a lot of twists and turns in this plot - I think most are an intricate combination of clever writing and artful camera angles - but a lot of the plot development hinges on the budding relationship between Jack and Amy and when and how he treats her as a nanny or as a friend. It is obviously a grey area for them. On the surface, this film looks to be just your typical British romantic comedy but this one has some features that make it satisfyingly substantial. In terms of basic romantic plot it is broadly like Four Weddings and a Funeral, but unlike that film it is deeper and the characters are better written and investigated.

"Jack and Sarah" is all about a British man, Jack, who finds himself stuck with a new born daughter, Sarah, while mourning the loss of his wife. As he struggles with his grief, he takes on an American nanny, Amy, (Mathis) who, with and in spite of assorted family and friends, helps him find happiness again. A tad long for a romcom at almost 2 hours, this easy-going and light hearted flick gets moving and keeps moving with enough side characters and subplots neatly knitted together that the time passes swiftly. Unabashedly sentimental but with a little edge to it, "Jack and Sarah" works well, doesn't stereotype too much, ignores the obvious opportunities for culture clashing, and passes on the schmaltz. Cute, fun, and fresh, "J&S" should make an enjoyable watch for anyone looking to wile away a couple of hours with some romantic comedy fare. Now on broadcast with R-rated language and G-rated CC's. (B)

Completely unheard of this movie...Caught it on T.V...What a great movie...Excellent cast wonderful plot and heart warming acting...In these days of special effects and no heart movies it was a refreshing change...About the only movie I'd pay to go see ...And as an ex-pat the scenery was so good got home sick....If you get the chance to see take it is hard to find...Chick flick yes but still a great movie...

Originally written by UK sitcom writer Tim O'Sullivan, Jack and Sarah is one of the very best British films that graced British cinema. The story begins with couple Jack and Sarah getting all loved up, Sarah then goes into labour and her husband, who panics, has to drive her to the hospital. Eventually, she gives birth to a healthy and beautiful baby daughter, much to the delight of Jack. Unfortunately, joy turns to anguish when Sarah dies during the childbirth, devastating Jack in the process. As a single parent, he faces a somewhat un daunting task of looking after his daughter, of whom he names Sarah whilst at the same time juggling his work responsibilities. Luckily for him, he meets an American woman named Amy, who earns her living as a waitress and thus, he hires her as his babysitter, much to the disapproval of Jack's mother played by Dame Judy Dench and so-called bum-turned butler played by Sir Ian McKellan. Thus, it isn't long before a romantic sub-plot involving Amy and Jack develops later on. Although the scheming Anna- Jack's boss, does go to great lengths to snake-charm her way into Jack's affections. Whilst Amy is sweet, down-to-earth and considerate, Anna comes across as rather self-centred, selfish and somewhat a nasty piece of work. The story very much centres on the relationship between Jack and Amy and the realisation that they are in love with one another, hence the transition from workers to eventual lovers. Samantha Mathis successfully manages to convey a quality in Amy that makes us want to like her and after her appearance in that awful Super Mario Brothers movie, she has redeemed herself in this movie. Jack and Sarah is a film with a very simple plot that is easy to understand, and yet its the performances by the two actors Grant and Mathis that make it a very good film overall. It's sentimental-yet still pleasing to eye, and though whilst this film deals with the issue of fatherhood and being a single parent, the romantic sub-plot involving Jack and Amy still plays an important part in the film, by means of which it implies that whilst being a single father, one doesn't have to give up hope in finding love and in falling in love with that person. Which is what happened with Jack and Amy. In all, it is well-written, well directed with a good cast and though whilst I am not a huge fan of Brit flicks, Jack and Sarah is extremely good. Highly recommended.

As with many of the comments previously - it is a film normally stumbled upon by accident, ever so slow and girly at the start, it quickly develops into a lovely heart warmingly (and dare i say as a male - ever so slightly tear starting...) tale. Richard grant shows full emotions (especially during the breakdown) and as ever dame Judi (!) and sir Ian (!) play flawless roles. The yank who id never heard off also contributes substantially to a generally 'warm your cockles film'

Horrific acting, except from all supporting actors and the baby. Richard E. Grant is just too hard to watch, not hideously bad, just hard to watch. His kitschy and formulaic approach to the character is somewhat embarrassing (and his haircut is beyond awful--where was the make-up dept anyway!!?? 1995 or not, it was hideous). Samantha Mathis definitely shouldn't be sharing any scenes with the likes of Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, or Ian McKellan. Mathis is incredibly hard to watch as it is, then when she shares scenes with all of the above it just makes her look BEYOND FOOLISH. It was almost like watching a "scene study" exercise in acting class, where you feel incredibly sorry for the girl in the scene because she just isn't believable and is truly hard to watch. Mathis is beyond lucky to be acting opposite Dench, Atkins and McKellan. Almost as though someone pulled some "favor" to get her into this film. There are so many thousands of other talented American actresses who would have made this character so much more brilliant! What a total disaster, and tragedy of wasted celluloid. The only reason to watch this movie is for the supporting cast. For that matter, it seems that the supporting cast members were the only reason this movie could have been produced in the first place. With a terribly weak script, BAD BAD BAD lead actors, and trite resolution to the story who would sink money into this without the assurance of some real acting talent. It's truly amazing what a McKellan, Dench, and Atkins can make possible. Leave the real acting to the real actors next time! Please!

I would just like to say first that I think Richard E. Grant is an amazing actor. Subtley versatile, captivating, and in my opinion, rather good looking. Okay, moving on to the actual film... Jack and Sarah is the story of a man (Grant) whose wife/girlfriend (they never seem to tell you which) dies giving birth to their daughter. In his grief, he must decide whether to give up on life and in to his drinking addiction, or else to make a comeback and take care of his now motherless child. I think we're all very happy with the result. What I was really charmed by was the realistic and tender way Grant presented his character. Here is a man, not superhuman, not faultless, and a man who has lost the person he loved most in his life. He also is so adorable with the baby Sarah (I loved their little bath scene!). Plus, if it is absolutely to bring an American into it (the only spoiler I can find here) then Samantha Mathis is certainly a beautiful and charming choice. And let me not discount Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Eileen Atkins, and David Swift as the older friends and family who set out to guide Jack on his journey of fatherhood and, eventually, second love. McKellen is particularly good as the good natured bum from the skip(dumpster). A real gem! I give it a 10!

That's what it felt like. Maybe that was the intent. It wasn't too hard to fill in the blanks at times but if the story isn't a mystery or something, a viewer should have to try and fill in the blanks as often as this movie required. The toughest character to figure out was William. Was he a bum? Wasn't he? When he left how wasn't he a bum anymore? And telling the time frame was a bit difficult at times too. Oh well. It wasn't awful but I doubt I'd watch it more than once. The ending was rather predictable. Not that that's totally awful in a movie like this. You don't see a romcom with the intent of some majorly drastic plot twist. And yeah, they should give a better warning about the language. Netflix rates it PG but that is not US PS language.

"Jack and Sarah", the delightful comedy directed by Tim Sullivan, was shown recently on cable. The appeal of the film lies largely in the fabulous cast that was put together. Mr. Sullivan delivers a 'feel good' movie that will warm hearts for viewers of all ages. When Jack's wife dies, suddenly, he is left alone with an infant girl. Jack has no clue about what to do with the baby. His life goes into a tailspin. Enter his kind parents and former mother-in-law. They all have ideas about what to do with Sarah, but Jack ends up resenting their interference. That's when he has the bright idea of getting a nanny for little Sarah. Amy, the girl he hires, is probably the wrong kind for the job. Little does Jack know, Amy doesn't have a clue about children, let alone, how to handle them. The only thing that is clear is that Amy loves her little charge. Amy and Sarah seem to have been made for one another. Jack warms up to the babysitter and they find one another in love because of Sarah. Richard E. Grant is a versatile actor. He is tremendously appealing as the confused father of a baby he was not prepared to handle. Samantha Mathis makes an endearing Amy, the girl that steals Jack's heart. Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Ian McKellen are seen in in supporting roles that add great charm to the film. This is a fun film thanks to Tim Sullivan.