Cinema tends to portray school holidays as epic turning points in the lives of children. The time when we experience our first love or face some important event or tragedy. A major turning point in our lives or when we make the difficult transition into adulthood. Or even a summer romance. In actuality, those weeks between terms are often quite boring, punctuated by the occasional interesting experience. Days of Bagnold Summer revels in the ordinary.
Daniel (Earl Cave) is looking forward to spending the summer with his dad in Florida, but when he’s cancelled on at the last minute, he lashes out at the person closest to him, his mother (Monica Dolan). Sue is a librarian who never really does anything, but is drawn out of herself when she bumps into her son’s history teacher (Rob Brydon). Meanwhile, Daniel tries to express himself through music, but has a crisis of confidence.
Days of Bagnold Summer works so well thanks to great writing from Lisa Owens and Joff Winterhart as well as an impressive supporting cast which includes Alice Lowe and Tamsin Greig. Simon Bird’s film is decidedly British, in a good way. It’s made with a lot of love and the characters are afforded time to grow through small but important changes. Days of Bagnold Summer is a warm-hearted family drama which leaves a pleasant aftertaste.
Limited edition Blu-ray special features:
- Very limited (500 only) edition O card version – signed by director Simon Bird
- Director supervised presentation of the film
- Original 5.1 surround sound
- Making of featurette (2020, 30 mins)
- Deleted Scenes
- Influences and Inspirations: a video essay by director Simon Bird (2022, 8 mins)
- Monica Dolan and Earl Cave screen test (14 mins)
- The world of Joff Winterhart: 3 short films by Joff and newly filmed interview (2022, 35 mins)
- Theatrical trailer
- Optional English Hard of Hearing subtitles
- Limited edition exclusive 28-page booklet containing new writing on the film by director Simon Bird, screen writer Lisa Owens, film critic Leigh Singer, and unseen stills, film credits and technical details
- Limited edition of 500 copies ONLY!
Days of Bagnold Summer is released on Blu-ray by Anti-Worlds on 25 April.
