A Private Function (1984)
Average Rating: 7.4/10
Reviews Counted: 5
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 0
No consensus yet.
Release Date: Mar 11, 1985 Limited
liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 2,027
My Rating
Movie Info
A British couple's attempts to circumvent local food-rationing regulations trigger a chaotic series of events in this satirical comedy set in post-World War II England. The couple's scheme centers on a massive hog which has been illegally raised by a local farmer. Seeing a chance to capitalize on pork's scarcity, the ambitious Joyce Chilvers (Maggie Smith) convinces her mild-mannered husband (Michael Palin) to steal the pig. Unfortunately for the Chilverses, a vigilant food inspector is on duty
Mar 11, 1985 Limited
Jul 5, 2005
Island Alive
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Michael Palin
Gilbert Chilvers -
Maggie Smith
Joyce Chilvers -
Liz Smith
Mother -
Denholm Elliott
Dr. Charles Swaby -
John Normington
Frank Lockwood -
Bill Paterson
Maurice Wormold -
Anthony Haygarth
Bernard Sutcliffe -
Alison Steadman
Mrs. Allardyce -
Pete Postlethwaite
Nuttol -
Jim Carter
Inspector Noble -
Rachel Davies
Mrs. Forbes -
Reece Dinsdale
P.C. Penny -
Donald Eccles
Father -
Denys Hawthorne
Hotel Manager -
Eileen O'Brien
Mrs. Sutcliff -
Philip Whileman
Preston -
Elijah Wood
Ernest -
Charles McKeown
Medcalf -
David Morgan
Marvin -
Gilly Coman
Dorothy -
Lee Daley
Painter's Boy -
Don Estelle
Barraclough -
Amanda Gregan
Veronica -
Josie Lane
Mrs. Beavers -
Maggie Ollerenshaw
Woman -
Susan Porrett
Mrs. Medcalf -
Paula Tilbrook
Mrs. Turnbull -
Bernard Wrigley
Painter -
-
-
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (9) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (0) | DVD (5)
A gentle and amusing, very English comedy.
Entertains, but never dazzles or impresses us with its script, performances, or even production design.
Maggie Smith and Michael Palin hoard a pig in a food-rationed postwar town, and hilarity actually ensues in this largely forgotten gem.
Click to read the article.
Audience Reviews for A Private Function
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for A Private Function yet.
What's Hot On RT
Bradley Cooper's Best Movies
Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh
Fast & Furious cars gallery
Blockbusters ranked!
Featured on RT
- Weekly Ketchup: Fox and Marvel Both Courting Quicksilver for Comic Blockbusters 10
- Critics Consensus: Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh 58
- Red Carpet Photos with Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Gina Carano and More 0
- Video: The Hangover Part III Cast Interviews 0
- Total Recall: Bradley Cooper's Best Movies 48
- Parental Guidance: Epic and Beautiful Creatures 2
- Comic Book Movies You Can Watch Online 13
Top Headlines
-
Evan Peters Joins X-Men: Days of Future Past
0
-
Toby Jones Talks Captain America: The Winter Soldier
1
-
The Poltergeist Reboot May Actually Be a Sequel
16
-
Will Forte Promises MacGruber 2
2
-
Universal Plans Timecop Reboot
2
-
Return of the Jedi Turns 30
1
-
Vin Diesel Says Fast & Furious 7 Will Take Place in L.A.
0
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
This film is chuckle-funny, scattering a few witty moments. The supporting players, especially Richard Griffiths and the great Maggie Smith, are most responsible for the film's good scenes while Michael Palin doesn't do anything extraordinary to create a discernible character, quite unlike his Python work.
Thematically, it's hard to tell what this film is satirizing. It's clear that class is at issue; the upper class characters act ridiculously, and Joyce's societal aspirations seem senseless as a result. But what is going on with the socialist food rationing? Is the film satirizing socialism? The answers to these questions aren't entirely clear.
Overall, good for a few yuks, A Private Function isn't a bad film, but it's ultimately disappointing considering the overwhelming talent of its stars.