Margaret's Museum Movie Review 1995

The museum of the title is the bizarre shrine Margaret (Bonham Carter) dedicates to the family members who have been killed in the coal mines that dominate her small (1940s) Cape Breton, Nova Scotia town. Both Margaret and her mother, Catherine (Nelligan), are embittered by their tragedies and when Margaret finds romance with eccentric bagpiper Neil (Russell), she makes him promise he'll never return to mine work. But with a bad economy, Neil is forced back to the pits and inevitable disaster. It's Bonham Carter's picture all the way and she shows a wide (and welcome) range of emotions and strength. Adapted from a story by Sheldon Currie.

Distribution

Available on VHS
Running time 114 minutes.
Originally from Canadian, British.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Romantic Drama, Miners & Mining, Tragedy, Canada, Period Piece: 1940s, Adapted from a Story, Family Ties

Screenplay

Mort Ransen, Gerald Wexler

Cast

Helena Bonham Carter, Clive Russell, Kate Nelligan, Kenneth Welsh, Craig Olejnik

Cinematography

Vic Sarin

Director

Mort Ransen

Music

Milan Kymlicka

Producer

Claudio Luca, Mort Ransen, Christopher Zimmer, Steve Clark-Hall, Malofilm Communications, Cabin Fever Entertainment

Awards

Genie 1995: Actress (Bonham Carter), Adapt. Screenplay, Costume Des., Support. Actor (Welsh), Support. Actress (Nelligan), Score.