A Handful of Dust

"It's a long fall from high society"

1988 1h 58m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 43

RomanceDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

English aristocrat Tony Last welcomes tragedy into his life when he invites John Beaver to visit his vast estate. There Beaver makes the acquaintance of Tony's wife, Brenda. Together, they continue their relationship in a series of bedroom assignations in London. Trusting to a fault, Tony is unaware that anything is amiss until his wife suddenly asks for a divorce. With his life in turmoil, Tony goes on a haphazard journey to South America.

“It's a long fall from high society”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

James Wilby
Tony Last
Kristin Scott Thomas
Brenda Last
Rupert Graves
John Beaver
Pip Torrens
Jock Grant-Menzies
Judi Dench
Mrs. Beaver
Alec Guinness
Mr. Todd
Beatie Edney
Marjorie
Christopher Godwin
Dr. Messinger

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Charles Sturridge
Writers: Charles Sturridge, Tim Sullivan, Derek Granger
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 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Charles Sturridge, shot by Peter Hannan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by George Fenton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

James Wilby and Kristin Scott Thomas and Rupert Graves carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It's a long fall from high society".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0095274 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 43 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Charles Sturridge directs. Peter Hannan behind the camera. George Fenton scores. Peter Coulson cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

138 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Charles Sturridge, shot by Peter Hannan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by George Fenton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Peter Coulson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5James Wilby and Kristin Scott Thomas and Rupert Graves carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "It's a long fall from high society".
7IMDB entry: tt0095274 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 43 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "based on novel or book", "loss of loved one", "country house", "mansion".