Movies we love: The Family Way (2025)

Movies we love: The Family Way

November 2015

John Mills | Hywel Bennett | Hayley Mills | Biker

Movies we love: The Family Way (1)

Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett. Excellent performances from two of Britain's top actors of the 1960s. McCartney's soundtrack is, in its way, as good as anything the Beatles ever wrote. Well, almost.

If you're into classic British movies and classic British motorcycles, you can have both in the 1966 Boulting Brothers' production of The Family Way, the movie version of Bill Naughton's play, All in good time. That's what we'll be watching tonight.

Starring Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett, John Mills, Marjorie Rhodes and Murray Head, this top notch ensemble of British acting talent is ably supported by the likes of Avril Angers, Barry Foster, and Diana Coupland.

Set in the early 1960s, and largely filmed in the northern cities of Bolton and Rochdale, The Family Way is a tale of newly married Jenny Piper (Hayley Mills) and Arthur Fitton (Hywel Bennett) who are (ahem) unable to consummate their marriage.

Why? Well, for all manner of reasons, not least the pressures put upon the young couple to adhere to social and moral conventions of the day and perform their matrimonial duties in the glare of familial scrutiny. Beyond that, it's actually a story of betrayal and devotion, both maternal and paternal. And there are some classic motorcycle scenes provided by actor Murray Head, one of which involves a trip on his BSA unit single to a local trials meeting.

Movies we love: The Family Way (2)

Mills: "He walked through here like it were a public convenience!"

Rhodes: "If you say that again, I won't be responsible ..."

As a window into British sexual and domestic mores of the 1960s, it's difficult to see how this movie can be bettered. The photography is impeccable. The set-pieces, such as they are, are perfectly staged. The dialogue is crisp and economical (and sometimes extremely funny and extremely sad). The plot thickens with a savage realisation. And the movie ends on exactly the right dramatic fulcrum leaving you, the viewer, unsure of which way to topple.

Movies we love: The Family Way (3)

Murray Head and Hayley Mills. There ain't many biking scenes, but they're convincing and add a little social depth and colour.

At times, the film unfolds like a stage play. But always, it feels real and gritty and sharp. Paul McCartney wrote the (excellent) music. Bill Naughton (who also wrote Alfie, and Spring and Port Wine) adapted his play for the big screen. John Boulting produced the film. And Roy Boulting directed it.

It's hard to overstate just how good this movie is. Along with Saturday Night and Sunday Morning; Spring and Port Wine; This Sporting Life; A Taste of Honey; A Kind of Loving; and Room at the Top, The Family Way is your non-stop time-travel ticket back to (arguably) a more hopeful time in British history despite the manifold privations of the era.

John Mills (Hywel Bennett's father in the movie, but Hayley Mills' real life dad), puts on a performance of a lifetime as Ezra Fitton, a practical down-to-earth working class man who has enormous trouble seeing what is bleedin' obvious to everyone else.

Movies we love: The Family Way (4)Actress Marjorie Rhodes is Ezra Fitton's patient, wise and enduring wife. She enjoyed the same role in the original Broadway play and won a Tony award for her efforts.

In particular, watch for her "flashback scene" and see if you can figure out how, in the pre-CGI era, it was done (we think we know, and it's a simple but highly effective technique: see the image on the right for your cue).

Hywel Bennett is also excellent, and ditto for Hayley Mills who, for once, fails to nauseate with her occasional cinematic descents into cloying coyness and pseudo-sexual naivety bordering on infantilism.

Murray Head, who made his name in Jesus Christ Superstar is perfectly convincing as a 1960s biker. He nicely props up his corner of the Fitton household and steals no one's thunder.

Go get the film. Ride home. Park the bike. Open a bottle. Prop your significant other on the sofa beside you, and watch this 115-minute movie. These days, this film is largely forgotten by all but the British movie diehards. But if you're into this celluloid stuff, and if you haven't seen it, you'll remember this one for a long time to come.

Dexxion

Movies we love: The Family Way (2025)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Melvina Ondricka

Last Updated:

Views: 6281

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (48 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Melvina Ondricka

Birthday: 2000-12-23

Address: Suite 382 139 Shaniqua Locks, Paulaborough, UT 90498

Phone: +636383657021

Job: Dynamic Government Specialist

Hobby: Kite flying, Watching movies, Knitting, Model building, Reading, Wood carving, Paintball

Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.