Search - Country Life on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Movie Release: 1994 DVD Release: 05/21/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 43 mins Studio: Miramax Members Wishing: 2 Genres: Drama, Romance, Romantic Drama, Period Film

This Australian drama has been adapted from Chekov's Uncle Vanya. It is set in post WW I Australia at a time when the Aussies were getting ready to break away from England. After his father's death, Jack Dickens sacrificed his literary aspirations to run the family farm. He lives in the old farm house with his aged mother and his plain, soft-spoken niece Sally, who was abandoned by her father Alexander Voysey after her mother, Jack's sister, passed away. Sally suffers unrequited love for Max Askey, the local doctor. Jack sends monthly payments to his brother-law Alexander, an aspiring London literary critic. After secretly dishonoring himself in London, Alexander returns to Australia with his lovely and much younger wife, Deborah. Alexander is a wind-bag and it is plain that Deborah is unhappily married. Jack and the doctor are attracted by the comely woman and vie for her attention at the expense of long suffering and ignored Sally. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Sam Neill - Dr. Max Askey
Greta Scacchi - Deborah Voysey
John Hargreaves - Jack Dickens
Kerry Fox - Sally Voysey
Michael Blakemore - Alexander Voysey

Michael Blakemore's charming comedy Country Life comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround, while a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo. There are no subtitles, but the English soundtrack is closed-captioned. Supplemental materials are limited to the theatrical trailer. This is a decent release from Disney/Buena Vista that should please fans of the film. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide