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Tom Jones is an Academy Award-winning 1963 British comedy film. It is an adaptation of Henry Fielding's classic novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (1749), starring Albert Finney as the titular hero. It was one of the most critically acclaimed and popular comedies of its time.[1] The film was directed by Tony Richardson and the screenplay was adapted by playwright John Osborne. The film is notable for its unusual comic style: the opening sequence is performed in the style of a silent movie, and characters frequently break the fourth wall by looking directly into the camera and addressing the audience.
SynopsisSpoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Tom (Albert Finney) grows up to be a lively young man whose good looks and kind heart make him very popular with the opposite sex. However, he truly loves only one woman, the gentle Sophie Western (Susannah York), who returns his passion. Sadly, Tom is stigmatized as a bastard and cannot wed a young lady of her high station. Sophie, too, must hide her love while her aunt (Edith Evans) and her father, Squire Western (Hugh Griffith) try to force her to marry a more suitable man - a man whom she hates. This young man is Blifil (David Warner, in his film debut), the son of the Squire's widowed sister Bridget (Rachel Kempson). Although he is of legitimate birth, he is an ill-natured fellow with plenty of hypocritical 'virtue' but none of Tom's warmth, honesty, or high spirits. When Bridget dies unexpectedly, Blifil intercepts a letter which his mother intended for her brother's eyes only. What this letter contains is not revealed until the end of the movie; however, after his mother's funeral, Blifil and his two tutors, Mr. Thwackum and Mr. Square, join forces to convince the squire that Tom is a villain. Allworthy (George Devine) gives Tom a small cash legacy and sorrowfully sends him out into the world to seek his fortune. In his road-traveling odyssey, Tom is knocked unconscious while defending the good name of his beloved Sophie and robbed of his legacy. He also: flees from a jealous Irishman who falsely accuses him of having an affair with his wife; engages in deadly swordfights; meets his alleged father and his alleged mother; saves a certain Mrs. Waters from an evil Redcoat Officer; and later beds the same Mrs. Waters. In a celebrated scene, Tom and Mrs. Waters sit opposite each other in the dining room of the Upton Inn, wordlessly consuming an enormous meal while gazing lustfully at each other.
Spoilers end here.
Image:Tom Jones .jpeg DVD cover ProductionBridgwater's Castle Street was used as a location in several scenes. ReleasesTagline: The whole world loves Tom Jones! Time magazine devoted a cover and three pages to the film. The film was reissued in 1989; for this release, Richardson trimmed the film by seven minutes.[2] Awards and nominationsAcademy AwardsWins
Nominations
Tom Jones is the only film in the history of the Academy in which three British actresses were nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscar. [3] BAFTA AwardsWins
Nominations
Golden Globe AwardsWins
Nominations
Other awardsNew York Film Critics Circle Awards
Writers' Guild of Great Britain
Cast
Footnotes
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