Abigail's Party

1977 1h 47m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 46

ComedyDramaTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Beverly and Laurence are entertaining their new neighbours, Angela and Tony as well as Sue, whose teenage daughter, Abigail, is having a party. Over drinks and small talk, class differences and relationship difficulties emerge.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Britbox Apple TV channelSubscription

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Alison Steadman
Beverley
Tim Stern
Laurence
Janine Duvitski
Angela
John Salthouse
Tony
Harriet Reynolds
Susan

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mike Leigh
Writers: Mike Leigh
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

CRAFT

Did you know

Part of the "Mike Leigh's Play For Today" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ron Bowman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Alison Steadman and Tim Stern and Janine Duvitski carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0075622 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 46 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mike Leigh directs. Ron Bowman cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

149 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "Mike Leigh's Play For Today" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Editor Ron Bowman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Alison Steadman and Tim Stern and Janine Duvitski carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0075622 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 46 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Editing: Ron Bowman
Production design: Kenneth Sharp
Makeup / hair: Toni Chapman
Sound: Derek Miller-Timmins
Runtime: 107 min · 1h 47m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Abigail's Party (1977)

Part of

Mike Leigh's Play For Today

Mike Leigh's original plays produced by the BBC in the "Play For Today" series

Also by

Mike Leigh

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-03-27
★ 7/10
Alison Steadman is outstanding in this BBC "Play for Today" self-adaptation of Mike Leigh's play as the really quite hateful "Beverley' who gathers a few of her friends around for drinks and canapés only to have the evening slowly degenerate into an alcohol infused angry, bitter observation of snobbery and middle class anachronisms. The tensions rise - accompanied by the increasingly intrusive and irritating racket from the eponymous party being held next door by the daughter of one of the guests. At times this is truly laugh-out-loud and at others agonisingly exasperating but an excellent example of great acting and writing.

Production companies