A Private Function

In the summer of 1947 Britain is preparing to celebrate the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Rationing is still in force. The town's notables, a doctor, an accountant and a solicitor, have been secretly fattening a pig for the occasion. Egged on by his wife, the meek chiropodist Gilbert Chilvers steals it. The problem is that a two-hundred-kilo animal has to be hidden in the house, and Inspector Wormold is checking the town. Malcolm Mowbray directed from a screenplay he wrote with Alan Bennett. The narrative tells the class order of post-war England through a pig: who is after the meat, who is after the standing, and what the difference between them is. Michael Palin plays Gilbert and Maggie Smith plays his wife Joyce. The film received five BAFTA nominations; Maggie Smith won best actress, with Denholm Elliott and Liz Smith winning in the supporting categories. Who it's for: Viewers who like British black comedy, period satire, and Alan Bennett's writing. Who it's not for: The humour is very dry and the pace is slow. Some jokes are lost on a viewer unfamiliar with the English class structure.