AFI Dallas Film Festival Preview Screening: Amazing Grace

by John P. Meyer

The evening of February 7 brought together the real die-hard film people in Dallas, to an invitational showing of the William Wilberforce biodrama Amazing Grace. I know they were die-hards because they gave up the two-hour final season kickoff episode of Lost in order to attend. (O.K., so most of them were probably TiVoing it; but still!)

The event was sponsored and hosted by organizers of the forthcoming AFI Dallas International Film Festival - kind of a "teaser" event for the ten days of official screenings and workshops to come (March 22 - April 1). While this may not qualify as an actual review of the film, suffice it to say that, during this dramatic rendering of the parliamentary battles to overthrow Great Britain's slave trade, grown men cried - both on-screen and off. Never mind the women. And, yes, the film DOES contain a segment in which the title song is rendered by bagpipe, fife and drum. Talk about turning on the faucets.

(It was a miserable display, frankly. What happened to stiff upper lip, chaps? Oh, and might I borrow your hanky?)

James Faust and Ioan Gruffudd during the Q&A

Following the film, lead actor Ioan Gruffudd (who plays Wilberforce in the film, and who you may recognize from his earlier roles as plucky sea captain Horatio Hornblower and Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four) hung around at the front of the packed Magnolia auditorium to discuss his role and field questions from the audience.

Excuse the weirdly-spelled name - he is Welsh, after all, and where but in Wales does one find the names of, for instance, towns such as Aberystwyth, Llandrindod Wells and Penmaenmawr? So his momma could have laid it on even heavier, don't you know. In any case, regardless of the fact that his first name is pronounced as if it contains an "L", he turns out to be a charming and well-spoken bloke, who seems to have embraced the challenge of portraying an iconic individual in the history of human rights with enthusiasm and a full knowledge of the impactfulness of the performance.

Michael Cain, Ioan Gruffudd and Tearlach Hutcheson prior to the screening

Gruffudd shared a couple of highly amusing anecdotes regarding his time spent with veteran actor Albert Finney; one of them involved a shared lunchtime Pinot Noir that made the remainder of the day's takes far less stiff. He also spoke about his tour of historical Parliment quarters conducted by opposition leader William Hague, during which he actually walked in the footsteps of great figures in British social/political history.

He also noted that much of the dialogue used in the film's House of Commons sequences was taken from actual transcripts of discussions. Amazing, frankly, that director Michael Apted and writer Steven Knight were able to weave that high-handed oratory into the larger entertaining whole that ended up as the finished film. (Oops, I guess I'm slipping into a film review here... O.K., so I enjoyed it.)

ECHOES OF THE PRESENT DAY?: "You know as well as I do - the king is insane." - Rufus Sewell, as Thomas Clarkson, to William Wilberforce.

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melinda, says:

Thanks for the entertaining review, it sounds like you had a wonderful time. Not to nit-pick but just to mention (because I'm sure you will be hearing even more about this talented actor) there is no "L" sound in the pronounciation of either his first or last name.

The first is "Yo-wahn" and the last is pronounced just the same as was the old police chief of Mayberry, Andy "Griffith".

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2 years, 10 months ago
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John Meyer, says:

Melinda - thanks! I must have just mis-heard. (It's happened before...)

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2 years, 10 months ago
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recknot, says:

"Impactfulness." Is that a real word? What does it mean, please?

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2 years, 10 months ago
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John Meyer, says:

My dear recknot - I consider the English language to be a dynamic medium; wordsmiths such as myself are constantly hammering away at Old Man Webster's tattered pasteboard covers, seeking to extend our lexicographic reach.

Which is to say, I made it up. And it means: the quality of having an impact.

(Why, what did you think it meant? Maybe I'll change my opinion...)

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2 years, 10 months ago
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recknot, says:

"a full knowledge of the impactfulness of the performance" ... does this translate to "a full knowledge of the quality of having an impact"?

I still don't understand. Does this mean that the actor has knowledge that his portrayal will have great impact (and if so, on what or whom?); or does it mean that the character he portrays had a great impact? Isn't it easier to say he had knowledge of the impact, or potential for impact, or of Wilberforce's impact?

I do understand the fluidity of the English language; I just don't understand the need for a new word that is a somewhat vague and longer variation of the old word, when the old word sufficed.

Semantics aside, I envy you the early opportunity to see this film.

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2 years, 9 months ago
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John Meyer, says:

Reck, bud - since you are willing to leave semantics aside, so am I.

I like both of your interpretations of my cumbersome phraseology; another strength of the language is that multiple meanings may spring from a lone seed. So let's agree that my intent was to convey that both his portrayal and the character he portrays will have an impact, and that he (Ioan) is mindful of it.

An impact on whom? Viewers of the film.

And, yes, it's good to be in on advance screenings. For this one, in fact, all that was required was that you sign up on the AFI Dallas Film Fest website to receive news of events by email; no press pass necessary.