HOPE AND GLORY

For Hope and Glory (1987), its writer/director/producer John Boorman called upon his personal experiences as a child growing up in England during the early days of World War II. The movie revolves around the Rohan family as seen through the view of 9-year-old Rohan son, Billy (Sebastian Rice-Edwards).

The story begins as England declares war upon Germany. Billy’s father, Clive, enlists in the British Army and soon departs. Billy’s mother, Grace, wrestles with whether to send her three children away for their safety or keep them with her in their suburban home in London. She eventually opts for the latter. Billy’s older sister, Dawn, takes advantage of the circumstances and begins sneaking out at night to dance with soldiers.

While the horrors of war are certainly present, as seen through Billy’s eyes, it’s all sort of magical. He gets to see fireworks. He experiences a blimp actually bumping into his home! And every time a nearby house is bombed, it becomes a play area for scavenging for treasures with his friends. His youthful whimsey makes something fun out of something terrible. And his “growing up” experience is still a natural one, despite circumstances. His friends teach him to swear (“Bugger off you bloody sod!”), and he gets into scuffles, and he and his younger sister, Grace, spy on their older sister Dawn as she’s having sex with a Canadian soldier. Billy and Grace are convinced she’s doing it wrong! Eventually, the Rohans lose their own home to fire and are forced to move in with their maternal grandparents. The change of location and the addition of more parental figures simply increase the influences that contribute to Billy’s many adventures and developing views.

Hope and Glory was nominated for 5 Oscars and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. It’s an extremely charming film, though it struggles at times to maintain a consistent tone. As this type of “childhood as I remember” story goes, Hope and Glory is easily on par with How Green Was My Valley or Dancing at Lughnasa, while leaning more into humor than drama. The movie is visually breathtaking and well worth checking out… especially if you’re in the mood for, or need, a couple of hours of genuine “feel good!”