Amazing Grace (2006 film)
Encyclopedia
Amazing Grace is a 2006 U.S.–UK co-production film, directed by Michael Apted
, about the campaign against slave trade
in the British Empire
, led by William Wilberforce
, who was responsible for steering anti-slave trade legislation through the British parliament
. The title is a reference to the hymn
"Amazing Grace
". The film also recounts the experiences of John Newton
as a crewman on a slave ship and subsequent religious conversion, which inspired his writing of the poem later used in the hymn. Newton is portrayed as a major influence on Wilberforce and the abolition movement.
The film premiered on 16 September 2006 at the Toronto Film Festival, followed by showings at the Heartland Film Festival
, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
, and the European Film Market, before opening in wide U.S. release on 23 February 2007, which coincided with the 200th anniversary of the date the British parliament
voted to ban the slave trade.
severely ill and taking a holiday in Bath, Somerset, with his cousin, Henry Thornton
. It is here that William is introduced to his future wife, Barbara Spooner
. Although he at first resists, she convinces him to tell her about his life.
The story flashes back 15 years to 1782, and William recounts the events that led him to where he is now. He is portrayed as addicted to laudanum
due to his illness. He is introduced to Barbara Spooner
at the Pump House at Bath. They do not get on.
Beginning as an ambitious and popular Member of Parliament
(MP), William was persuaded by his friends William Pitt
, Thomas Clarkson
, Hannah More
, and others to take on the dangerous issue of the British slave trade. This led him to become highly unpopular in the House of Commons
amongst the MPs representing vested interests of the slave trade in London
, Bristol
, and Liverpool
. The film portrays William Pitt the Younger
as one of his few friends and allies.
He is introduced to the abolitionist cause over dinner at his house by two new guests, Thomas Clarkson
and Olaudah Equiano
. His conviction in the cause deepens following conversation with John Newton (who is portrayed sweeping a church floor dressed in sackcloth) who is said to live "in the company of 20,000 ghosts... slaves". As a former slave ship owner he deeply regrets his life, and the effects on his fellow man.
Exhausted, and frustrated that he was unable to change anything in the government, William becomes physically ill (in the film he is depicted as suffering from chronic colitis
), which brings the story back up to 1797. Having virtually given up hope, William considers leaving politics forever. Barbara convinces him to keep fighting because if he does not, there will be no one else capable of doing so. A few days afterward, William and Barbara marry.
William, with a renewed hope for success, picks up the fight against slave trade where he had previously left off, aided by Thornton, Clarkson, and James Stephen. In time, after the 20-year campaign and many attempts to bring legislation forward, he is eventually responsible for a bill being passed through Parliament
in 1807, which abolishes the slave trade in the British Empire
forever.
was never a member of the House of Commons, but was, beginning in 1789, a member of the House of Lords
, where he did speak against the abolition of the slave trade. However, prior to being made a Duke like his elder brothers and receiving a similar Parliamentary grant to the House of Lords, Prince William had put pressure on his reluctant father by threatening to run for the House of Commons. This prospect had horrified his father, George III, who in May 1789 made him a royal duke and thus ineligible for the House of Commons. Wilberforce addresses the Duke of Clarence as "Your Grace", which is correct in the parts of the film which cover 1782–1789. By May 1789, as a royal duke, his proper honorific
would have been "Your Royal Highness".
In one early scene, Clarence wagers his black slave coachman against Wilberforce in a card game. It is unlikely, however, that Clarence owned any domestic slaves at this time, as Somersett's Case
in 1772 had virtually eliminated slavery in England.
The film briefly refers to William's founding of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
. However, this post-dated the abolition debate by many years (1824).
Charles James Fox
appears in Commons at the passage of the Abolition bill, but he died in 1806, the year before the bill was passed. Fox was the younger son of a baron
, and his title was "The Honourable Charles Fox" — not, as in the film, "Lord Charles Fox". Fox was in reality only ten years older than William Pitt. Banastre Tarleton
, later a baronet
, was never a lord, as titled in the film.
Various ships in the film fly the flag of the British East India Company
despite the fact that that flag was not used outside the East Indies
. When crossing the Atlantic, these ships would instead fly the British ensign.
In one scene Wilberforce, known as a fine singer, sings the first verse of "Amazing Grace". However, the verses written by John Newton were not associated with the now familiar melody until much later.
, Yorkshire
. Baker's Quay, which forms part of the Parliament
docks on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
, was used as a backdrop against which to recreate the atmosphere of the East India Docks
in London
circa 1780. Shooting took place during October 2005 and involved the tall ship
s, Kaskelot, Earl of Pembroke, Johanna Lucretia
and Phoenix. During January 2006, the scenes from The Houses of Parliament were shot at the 1743 Church within Chatham Historic Dockyard
. The wedding scene was filmed at Garsington
Church.
A number of outside scenes were shot at the former Greenwich Hospital, now part of the University of Greenwich
and around Salisbury
, Wiltshire
.
, Amazing Grace brought in a little over $4 million at the box office over its opening weekend of February 23–25, 2007, making it the 10th-highest grossing film for the weekend, behind such new releases as The Astronaut Farmer
and The Number 23
. The film had grossed $21,250,683 in the United States as of June 14, 2007. Worldwide box office as of August 26, 2007, stood at $32,050,774.
amassed a total of 108 reviews for the film, 70% of which were positive (or "fresh"). According to the website, the film is "your quintessential historical biopic: stately, noble, and with plenty of electrifying performances."
Michael Apted
Michael David Apted, CMG is an English director, producer, writer and actor. He is one of the most prolific British film directors of his generation but is best known for his work on the Up Series of documentaries and the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.On 29 June 2003 he was elected...
, about the campaign against slave trade
History of slavery
The history of slavery covers slave systems in historical perspective in which one human being is legally the property of another, can be bought or sold, is not allowed to escape and must work for the owner without any choice involved...
in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, led by William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
, who was responsible for steering anti-slave trade legislation through the British parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. The title is a reference to the hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
"Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
". The film also recounts the experiences of John Newton
John Newton
John Henry Newton was a British sailor and Anglican clergyman. Starting his career on the sea at a young age, he became involved with the slave trade for a few years. After experiencing a religious conversion, he became a minister, hymn-writer, and later a prominent supporter of the abolition of...
as a crewman on a slave ship and subsequent religious conversion, which inspired his writing of the poem later used in the hymn. Newton is portrayed as a major influence on Wilberforce and the abolition movement.
The film premiered on 16 September 2006 at the Toronto Film Festival, followed by showings at the Heartland Film Festival
Heartland Film Festival
The Heartland Film Festival is a film festival held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana. First held in 1992, its goal is to "recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."In May 2007, Heartland...
, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1985, that showcases independent American and international films. The SBIFF line-up includes 20 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres, with newly expanded 11-day festival...
, and the European Film Market, before opening in wide U.S. release on 23 February 2007, which coincided with the 200th anniversary of the date the British parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
voted to ban the slave trade.
Plot
The film begins in 1797 with William WilberforceWilliam Wilberforce
William Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
severely ill and taking a holiday in Bath, Somerset, with his cousin, Henry Thornton
Henry Thornton (abolitionist)
Henry Thornton was an English economist, banker, philanthropist and parliamentarian.-Early life:He was the son of John Thornton of Clapham, London, who had been one of the early patrons of the evangelical movement in Britain...
. It is here that William is introduced to his future wife, Barbara Spooner
Barbara Spooner Wilberforce
Barbara Ann Wilberforce was the spouse of abolitionist and MP William Wilberforce...
. Although he at first resists, she convinces him to tell her about his life.
The story flashes back 15 years to 1782, and William recounts the events that led him to where he is now. He is portrayed as addicted to laudanum
Laudanum
Laudanum , also known as Tincture of Opium, is an alcoholic herbal preparation containing approximately 10% powdered opium by weight ....
due to his illness. He is introduced to Barbara Spooner
Barbara Spooner Wilberforce
Barbara Ann Wilberforce was the spouse of abolitionist and MP William Wilberforce...
at the Pump House at Bath. They do not get on.
Beginning as an ambitious and popular Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP), William was persuaded by his friends William Pitt
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
, Thomas Clarkson
Thomas Clarkson
Thomas Clarkson , was an English abolitionist, and a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. He helped found The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade and helped achieve passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which ended British trade in slaves...
, Hannah More
Hannah More
Hannah More was an English religious writer, and philanthropist. She can be said to have made three reputations in the course of her long life: as a poet and playwright in the circle of Johnson, Reynolds and Garrick, as a writer on moral and religious subjects, and as a practical...
, and others to take on the dangerous issue of the British slave trade. This led him to become highly unpopular in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
amongst the MPs representing vested interests of the slave trade in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. The film portrays William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
as one of his few friends and allies.
He is introduced to the abolitionist cause over dinner at his house by two new guests, Thomas Clarkson
Thomas Clarkson
Thomas Clarkson , was an English abolitionist, and a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. He helped found The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade and helped achieve passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which ended British trade in slaves...
and Olaudah Equiano
Olaudah Equiano
Olaudah Equiano also known as Gustavus Vassa, was a prominent African involved in the British movement towards the abolition of the slave trade. His autobiography depicted the horrors of slavery and helped influence British lawmakers to abolish the slave trade through the Slave Trade Act of 1807...
. His conviction in the cause deepens following conversation with John Newton (who is portrayed sweeping a church floor dressed in sackcloth) who is said to live "in the company of 20,000 ghosts... slaves". As a former slave ship owner he deeply regrets his life, and the effects on his fellow man.
Exhausted, and frustrated that he was unable to change anything in the government, William becomes physically ill (in the film he is depicted as suffering from chronic colitis
Colitis
In medicine, colitis refers to an inflammation of the colon and is often used to describe an inflammation of the large intestine .Colitides may be acute and self-limited or chronic, i.e...
), which brings the story back up to 1797. Having virtually given up hope, William considers leaving politics forever. Barbara convinces him to keep fighting because if he does not, there will be no one else capable of doing so. A few days afterward, William and Barbara marry.
William, with a renewed hope for success, picks up the fight against slave trade where he had previously left off, aided by Thornton, Clarkson, and James Stephen. In time, after the 20-year campaign and many attempts to bring legislation forward, he is eventually responsible for a bill being passed through Parliament
Slave Trade Act
The Slave Trade Act was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom passed on 25 March 1807, with the long title "An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade". The original act is in the Parliamentary Archives...
in 1807, which abolishes the slave trade in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
forever.
Historical inaccuracies
Prince William, the Duke of ClarenceWilliam IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
was never a member of the House of Commons, but was, beginning in 1789, a member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, where he did speak against the abolition of the slave trade. However, prior to being made a Duke like his elder brothers and receiving a similar Parliamentary grant to the House of Lords, Prince William had put pressure on his reluctant father by threatening to run for the House of Commons. This prospect had horrified his father, George III, who in May 1789 made him a royal duke and thus ineligible for the House of Commons. Wilberforce addresses the Duke of Clarence as "Your Grace", which is correct in the parts of the film which cover 1782–1789. By May 1789, as a royal duke, his proper honorific
Style (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
would have been "Your Royal Highness".
In one early scene, Clarence wagers his black slave coachman against Wilberforce in a card game. It is unlikely, however, that Clarence owned any domestic slaves at this time, as Somersett's Case
Somersett's Case
R v Knowles, ex parte Somersett 20 State Tr 1 is a famous judgment of the English Court of King's Bench in 1772 which held that slavery was unsupported by law in England and Wales...
in 1772 had virtually eliminated slavery in England.
The film briefly refers to William's founding of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
. However, this post-dated the abolition debate by many years (1824).
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
appears in Commons at the passage of the Abolition bill, but he died in 1806, the year before the bill was passed. Fox was the younger son of a baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
, and his title was "The Honourable Charles Fox" — not, as in the film, "Lord Charles Fox". Fox was in reality only ten years older than William Pitt. Banastre Tarleton
Banastre Tarleton
General Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British soldier and politician.He is today probably best remembered for his military service during the American War of Independence. He became the focal point of a propaganda campaign claiming that he had fired upon surrendering Continental...
, later a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, was never a lord, as titled in the film.
Various ships in the film fly the flag of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
despite the fact that that flag was not used outside the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. When crossing the Atlantic, these ships would instead fly the British ensign.
In one scene Wilberforce, known as a fine singer, sings the first verse of "Amazing Grace". However, the verses written by John Newton were not associated with the now familiar melody until much later.
Cast
- Ioan GruffuddIoan GruffuddIoan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he started off in Welsh language film productions, then came to international attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in the film Titanic , and as Lt. John Beales in Black Hawk Down...
- William WilberforceWilliam WilberforceWilliam Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire... - Romola GaraiRomola GaraiRomola Sadie Garai is an English actress. She is known for appearing in the movies Amazing Grace, Atonement, and Glorious 39, and for appearing in the BBC adaptation of Emma.-Early life:...
- Barbara Spooner - Benedict CumberbatchBenedict CumberbatchBenedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English film, television, and theatre actor. His most acclaimed roles include Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama Hawking ; William Pitt in the historical film Amazing Grace ; the protagonist Stephen Ezard in the miniseries thriller The Last Enemy ; Paul...
- William Pitt the YoungerWilliam Pitt the YoungerWilliam Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806... - Albert FinneyAlbert FinneyAlbert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
- John NewtonJohn NewtonJohn Henry Newton was a British sailor and Anglican clergyman. Starting his career on the sea at a young age, he became involved with the slave trade for a few years. After experiencing a religious conversion, he became a minister, hymn-writer, and later a prominent supporter of the abolition of... - Michael GambonMichael GambonSir Michael John Gambon, CBE is an Irish actor who has worked in theatre, television and film. A highly respected theatre actor, Gambon is recognised for his roles as Philip Marlowe in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective, as Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret, and as...
- Charles James FoxCharles James FoxCharles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger... - Rufus SewellRufus SewellRufus Frederik Sewell is an English actor. In film, he has appeared in The Woodlanders, Dangerous Beauty, Dark City, A Knight's Tale, The Illusionist, Tristan and Isolde, and Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence. On television, he starred in the 2010 mini-series The Pillars of the Earth...
- Thomas ClarksonThomas ClarksonThomas Clarkson , was an English abolitionist, and a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. He helped found The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade and helped achieve passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which ended British trade in slaves... - Youssou N'DourYoussou N'DourYoussou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
- Olaudah EquianoOlaudah EquianoOlaudah Equiano also known as Gustavus Vassa, was a prominent African involved in the British movement towards the abolition of the slave trade. His autobiography depicted the horrors of slavery and helped influence British lawmakers to abolish the slave trade through the Slave Trade Act of 1807... - Ciarán HindsCiarán HindsCiarán Hinds is an Irish film, television and stage actor. He has built up a reputation as a versatile character actor appearing in such high profile films as Road to Perdition, The Phantom of the Opera, Munich, There Will Be Blood and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. His television roles include...
- Banastre TarletonBanastre TarletonGeneral Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British soldier and politician.He is today probably best remembered for his military service during the American War of Independence. He became the focal point of a propaganda campaign claiming that he had fired upon surrendering Continental... - Toby JonesToby JonesToby Edward Heslewood Jones is an English actor.-Early life:Jones was born in Hammersmith, London, the son of actors Jennifer and Freddie Jones...
- William, Duke of ClarenceWilliam IV of the United KingdomWilliam IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death... - Nicholas FarrellNicholas FarrellNicholas Farrell is an English stage, film and television actor. His early screen career included the role of Aubrey Montague in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. In 1983, he starred as Edmund Bertram in a television adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, Mansfield Park...
- Henry ThorntonHenry Thornton (abolitionist)Henry Thornton was an English economist, banker, philanthropist and parliamentarian.-Early life:He was the son of John Thornton of Clapham, London, who had been one of the early patrons of the evangelical movement in Britain...
- Sylvestra Le TouzelSylvestra Le TouzelSylvestra Le Touzel is a British television, film and stage actor who was born on Jersey in the Channel Islands and raised in Kensington, London. She was schooled in East Acton.-TV:...
- Marianne Thornton - Jeremy SwiftJeremy SwiftJeremy Swift is an English actor. He studied drama at Guildford Drama school from 1978 to 1981 and worked almost exclusively in theatre throughout the 1980s, working with companies such as Deborah Warner's Kick Theatre company and comedy performance-art group The People Show...
- Richard the Butler - Stephen Campbell MooreStephen Campbell MooreStephen Campbell Moore is an English actor, best known for his roles in the Alan Bennett play The History Boys and its subsequent film.-Career:...
- James Stephen - Bill Paterson - Thomas DundasThomas Dundas, 1st Baron DundasThomas Dundas, 1st Baron Dundas FRS , known as Sir Thomas Dundas, 2nd Baronet, from 1781 to 1794, was a powerful figure in the Kingdom of Great Britain, now remembered for commissioning the Charlotte Dundas, the world's "first practical steamboat".-Biography:Thomas was the only son of Sir Lawrence...
- Nicholas Day - Sir William DolbenSir William Dolben, 3rd BaronetSir William Dolben, 3rd Baronet was a British MP and slavery abolitionist.He was born in Finedon, Northamptonshire, the only surviving son of Sir John Dolben, 2nd Baronet and his wife Elizabeth Digby. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, matriculating in 1744...
- Georgie GlenGeorgie GlenGeorgie Glen is a prolific British actress, best known for her stage and television work. Her most notable role is as Hannah More in the 2006 film Amazing Grace. She plays John Ruskin's mother in the drama Desperate Romantics about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood...
- Hannah MoreHannah MoreHannah More was an English religious writer, and philanthropist. She can be said to have made three reputations in the course of her long life: as a poet and playwright in the circle of Johnson, Reynolds and Garrick, as a writer on moral and religious subjects, and as a practical... - Nick Thomas-Webster - Clapham Sect MP
- Richard Bailey - Speakers Clerk
- Simon DelaneySimon DelaneySimon Delaney is an Irish television and theatre director, whose works include the RTE series Bachelors Walk as one of three bachelors living together in a flat on the quays in Dublin....
- Young Parliamentary Officer
Production
The film was shot primarily in HullKingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. Baker's Quay, which forms part of the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
docks on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal or Gloucester and Berkeley Canal is a canal in the west of England, between Gloucester and Sharpness; for much of its length it runs close to the tidal River Severn, but cuts off a significant loop in the river, at a once-dangerous bend near Arlingham...
, was used as a backdrop against which to recreate the atmosphere of the East India Docks
East India Docks
The East India Docks was a group of docks in Blackwall, east London, north-east of the Isle of Dogs. Today only the entrance basin remains.-History:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
circa 1780. Shooting took place during October 2005 and involved the tall ship
Tall ship
A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall Ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival....
s, Kaskelot, Earl of Pembroke, Johanna Lucretia
Johanna Lucretia
The Johanna Lucretia is a British tall ship and is an oak wooden two masted topsail schooner built at the Rhoos Shipyard, Ghent in Belgium in 1945...
and Phoenix. During January 2006, the scenes from The Houses of Parliament were shot at the 1743 Church within Chatham Historic Dockyard
Chatham Historic Dockyard
Chatham Historic Dockyard is a maritime museum on part of the site of the former royal/naval dockyard at Chatham in Kent, England.Chatham Dockyard covered 400 acres and was one of the Royal Navy's main facilities for several hundred years until it was closed in 1984. After closure the dockyard was...
. The wedding scene was filmed at Garsington
Garsington
Garsington is a village and civil parish about southeast of Oxford in Oxfordshire.-Notable Garsington buildings:The earliest part of the Church of England parish church of Saint Mary is the Norman tower, built towards the end of the 12th century. The Gothic Revival architect Joseph Clarke restored...
Church.
A number of outside scenes were shot at the former Greenwich Hospital, now part of the University of Greenwich
University of Greenwich
The University of Greenwich is a British university located in the London Borough of Greenwich, London, England. The main campus is located on the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, a central location within the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:The history of the...
and around Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Box office
According to Box Office MojoBox Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
, Amazing Grace brought in a little over $4 million at the box office over its opening weekend of February 23–25, 2007, making it the 10th-highest grossing film for the weekend, behind such new releases as The Astronaut Farmer
The Astronaut Farmer
The Astronaut Farmer is a 2006 American drama film directed by Michael Polish, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Mark. The story focuses on a Texas rancher who constructs a rocket in his barn and, against all odds, launches himself into outer space.-Plot:Charles Farmer is a former...
and The Number 23
The Number 23
The Number 23 is a 2007 American psychological thriller film written by Fernley Phillips and directed by Joel Schumacher. The film starred Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Danny Huston, and Logan Lerman. It was subsequently released on DVD on July 24, 2007 , and premiered on HBO on Saturday April 19,...
. The film had grossed $21,250,683 in the United States as of June 14, 2007. Worldwide box office as of August 26, 2007, stood at $32,050,774.
Awards
- Amazing Grace won the Christopher AwardChristopher AwardThe Christopher Award is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, motion pictures and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit"...
for 2008.
- Amazing Grace was named "Best Spiritual Film of 2008" in the third annual "Beliefnet Film Awards".
Reception
As of October 29, 2007, Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
amassed a total of 108 reviews for the film, 70% of which were positive (or "fresh"). According to the website, the film is "your quintessential historical biopic: stately, noble, and with plenty of electrifying performances."
Soundtracks
- Music Inspired By the Motion Picture Amazing GraceMusic Inspired By the Motion Picture Amazing GraceMusic Inspired By the Motion Picture Amazing Grace is a soundtrack for the movie Amazing Grace starring Ioan Gruffudd. The album features new versions of old hymns recorded by some of Christian music's more prominent artists as well as one of the most popular country artists around today.- Track...
- Original Score from the Motion Picture Amazing GraceOriginal Score from the Motion Picture Amazing GraceOriginal Score from the Motion Picture Amazing Grace is another soundtrack for the movie Amazing Grace starring Ioan Gruffudd, this soundtrack features an original score composed by David Arnold.- Track listing :#Opening Title#Torture#Fetch Him...
External links
- Grace official U.S. website
- Grace official UK website
- Grace film credits
- Interview with Walden Media's Chip Flaherty about Amazing Grace
- "English Abolition – The Movie" by Adam HochschildAdam HochschildAdam Hochschild is an American author and journalist.-Biography:Hochschild was born in New York City. As a college student, he spent a summer working on an anti-government newspaper in South Africa and subsequently worked briefly as a civil rights worker in Mississippi in 1964...
from The New York Review of BooksThe New York Review of BooksThe New York Review of Books is a fortnightly magazine with articles on literature, culture and current affairs. Published in New York City, it takes as its point of departure that the discussion of important books is itself an indispensable literary activity...