This Little Life

2003 1h 20m EN

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A powerful one-off drama written by Rosemary Kay , winner of the BBC's Dennis Potter award for new screenwriting. Sadie and Richie MacGregor are thrown into the terrifying world of neo-natal intensive care when their son Luke is born prematurely. Willed on by his desperate parents, he gradually grows in strength - but as Sadie develops a unique bond with her son, her relationship with Richie begins to suffer.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Kate Ashfield
Sadie MacGregor
Peter Mullan
Neonatologist
Anthony Borrows
Luke
Sian Reeves
Glenda
Alan Stocks
Alan
Corinne Skinner-Carter
Midwife
Alexis Tuttle
Doctor at Birth
Emma Lowndes
Nurse at Birth

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sarah Gavron
Writers: Rosemary Kay, Temple Clark, Howard Schuman
Languages: English, Swedish
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

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

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Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Swedish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Sarah Gavron, shot by David Katznelson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kate Ashfield and Peter Mullan and Anthony Borrows carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0327691 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sarah Gavron directs. David Katznelson behind the camera. Dario Marianelli scores. William Diver cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English, Swedish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 23 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Swedish.
4Directed by Sarah Gavron, shot by David Katznelson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Dario Marianelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor William Diver shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Kate Ashfield and Peter Mullan and Anthony Borrows carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0327691 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.