The Father: drama starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman about a demented father who, at 80, refuses to accept home care alongside his daughter.
Film plot and background
Drama starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman about a demented father who, at 80, refuses to accept home care alongside his daughter.
At 80, Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) continues to live in his large flat in London. His daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) moves in with him to look after him from then on. Her father suffers from dementia. While she gradually loses patience with her stubborn father, who completely refuses domestic help, her father lives through the moments of the disease without knowing when his perception changes. Sometimes his treasures are elsewhere, sometimes a complete stranger (Olivia Williams) walks into his flat claiming to be his daughter.
When Anne hires the young nurse Laura (Imogen Poots), her father pretends to be the charmer and playful man Anne knew from her youth. But when the disease reveals its darker side, she is the first in the line of fire. As Anthony’s perceptions continue to drift, Anne and her partner Paul (Rufus Sewell) must ask themselves how long they can linger in the flat.
The moving trailer gives you a first impression
“The Father” – background, cast, cinema release
Seldom has a film shown the severity of dementia in full effect as “The Father” by director Florian Zeller has done. Based on his own play “The Father”, the French director’s debut film portrays dementia from the perspective of the person suffering from the disease. This paints an accurate picture that also shows relatives of dementia patients how shocking even the smallest changes in the everyday life of their loved ones can be.
In the leading role, Anthony Hopkins shines once again in his remarkable career. With Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), he was given an equal actress in the role of the desperate daughter. Her performance enraptured the critics once again. Other roles are played by Mark Gatiss (“Sherlock”), Rufus Sewell (“The Pillars of the Earth”), Imogen Poots (“Green Room”) and Olivia Williams (“Dollhouse”).
The Father” will be released in German cinemas on 26 August 2021. The FSK gave the sensitive drama an age rating from 6 years.
“The Father” at the Oscars 2021
As early as the world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020, the first calls for an Oscar were made for 82-year-old actor Anthony Hopkins. In the end, Hopkins received the second golden boy in his career, after he was awarded for “The Silence of the Lambs” in 1992. The award for best adapted screenplay was presented to Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton. The dementia drama “The Father” was nominated in four other categories, including Best Film and Olivia Colman for Best Supporting Actress.
