A divorce is one of the hardest parts of life, you feel you are with the one and then it all comes crashing down. It feels especially hard when you’ve been with your significant other for a considerable amount of time and then it just…ends. In “Hope Gap” the turmoil in a couple who have been together 29 years, comes to a head.
Directed and written by Oscar-nominated Englishman, William Nicholson (“Shadowlands”), the film will showcase the breakdown of the marriage between Grace (Annette Bening from “American Beauty”) and Edward (Bill Nighy from “About Time”) as their son, Jamie (Josh O’Connor from “The Crown”), visiting from university is torn between his parents.
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The film is actually adapted from a play written by Nicholson titled “Retreat From Moscow,” which was nominated for three Tony Awards back in 2004. Speaking to Cinema Perspective about adapting it for the big screen, he said, “In an interesting way, the biggest challenge was to not ditch the dialogue! A lot of people think that you can’t have a film where people give long speeches. I don’t agree. A film is yet another form of exposing people to emotional drama. I’ve been able to compose every frame! I can’t do that in the theatre because the audience composes the frame. For me, that was a gift.”
In our review of the film, we said that Bening “has the spotlight here, and it’s arguably the richest role she’s had in ages which is no small feat considering her resume this past decade.”
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Alongside the shattered family, there are roles for Aiysha Hart (“Colette”), Ryan McKen (“Bancroft”) and Rose Keegan (“Match Point”). The film will be distributed in the USA by Roadside Attractions and Screen Media Films and had its world premiere at TIFF back in September.
READ MORE: Annette Bening Fights Off An Inevitable Divorce In ‘Hope Gap’ [TIFF Review]
Here’s the synopsis:
The intimate, intense and loving story of “Hope Gap” charts the life of Grace, shocked to learn her husband is leaving her for another after 29 years of marriage, and the ensuing emotional fallout the dissolution has on their only grown son. Unraveled and feeling displaced in her small seaside town, Grace ultimately regains her footing and discovers a new, powerful voice.
The film will be released in theatres on March 6th. Watch the new trailer below.
