|
Gorgeous to behold, slow to reveal its full charm and
intelligence, Monarch of the Glen is not just for Britcom fanatics.
Adapted and updated from the so-called "Highland" novels of Compton MacKenzie
(author of Sylvia Scarlett), Monarch concerns the crisis of Archie
MacDonald (Alistair Mackenzie), a London restaurateur all set (with his
girlfriend Justine, played by Anna Wilson-Jones) to open a hip new eatery when
he is interrupted by an emergency call from his home in the Scottish Highlands. There is no emergency, as it turns out, just a gambit by Archie's mother,
Molly (the radiant Susan Hampshire), to effect a reconciliation between her son
and his cantankerous, relentlessly bitter father, Hector (Richard Briers). The
reason: Archie, much to his surprise, must legally assume Hector's longtime role
as Laird of Glenbogle, the MacDonalds' 400-year-old, financially strapped
40,000-acre estate. Despite their lengthy estrangement, Hector needs Archie to
save the family's honor and assets.
|
