The Remains of the Day
A rule-bound head butler's world of manners and decorum in the household he maintains is tested by the arrival of a housekeeper who falls in love with him in post-WWI Britain. The possibility of romance and his master's cultivation of ties with the Nazi cause challenge his carefully maintained veneer of servitude.
Critics Sentiment
Stevens continues his duties while his father lies dying upstairs
Stevens fails to answer aristocratic guest's questions about global politics
The film drops significantly when Stevens is politically questioned, then soars during the emotionally devastating scene where he finds Miss Kenton crying.
Critics consistently praised the film's impeccable performances, particularly Hopkins's tour de force, and the exquisite production values throughout. The sentiment peaks during the most emotionally intense moments of repressed feeling and professional duty, while dipping during slower political sequences. The overall arc builds to a profoundly moving but heartbreaking conclusion that reviewers found unforgettable.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 33
Anthony Hopkins
James Stevens
Emma Thompson
Miss Kenton
James Fox
Lord Darlington
Christopher Reeve
Jack Lewis
Hugh Grant
Reginald Cardinal
Peter Vaughan
William Stevens
Ben Chaplin
Charlie, Head Footman
Paula Jacobs
Mrs. Mortimer, the cook
Patrick Godfrey
Spencer
Michael Lonsdale
Dupont D'Ivry
Rupert Vansittart
Sir Geoffrey Wren
Tim Pigott-Smith
Thomas Benn
Lena Headey
Lizzie
Paul Copley
Harry Smith
Peter Cellier
Sir Leonard Bax
Brigitte Kahn
Baroness
John Savident
Doctor Meredith
Pip Torrens
Doctor Richard Carlisle
Peter Eyre
Lord Halifax
Wolf Kahler
German ambassador
Crew
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