Blue Sunray
Well-known member
Yep, shades of Gibson's dog, doesn't necessary mean it will be a bad film though.
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Swallows and Amazons - 5 Stars from Libby
- Thread starter RichardS
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Yep, shades of Gibson's dog, doesn't necessary mean it will be a bad film though.
AndrewfromFal
Active member
I kind of understand where you're coming from: but at the same time try googling 'Titty Swallows' and see what comes up...
phanakapan
Well-known member
I've just seen it- thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't have a problem with the re-naming of Titty, or the addition of the silly spies- but I do mind that the character of Susan and her relationship with John has been altered; in the books she is a bit bossy but very competent and cheerful- in the film she is portrayed as moany, bickers with John, can't cook.... however Roger and Titty/Tatty are delightful and spot on imho
Babylon
Well-known member
I'll be taking my kid. The film will be for him to enjoy, not for me to critically dissect.
PS he's got an older but functional wooden Oppy, but has no interest in racing at the local reservoir club. However bringing it with us to Newtown Creek or Brownsea Island appeals much more to his innate imagination.
PS he's got an older but functional wooden Oppy, but has no interest in racing at the local reservoir club. However bringing it with us to Newtown Creek or Brownsea Island appeals much more to his innate imagination.
Frank Holden
Well-known member
In the interest of furthering my education I just googled Titty Swallows and at least the first two and half pages were outrage at the name change.... then I found this ... http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/...y-called-bollocks-and-bellends-20160525109096 and didn't get any further....
jbweston
Active member
Three of us went yesterday. Our combined ages about 170.
I enjoyed it. I think the secret with many of these films of books is not to compare them with the books and certainly not let it spoil our enjoyment of the books. I just treat the film and the book as separate creations - eg Master and Commander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Tinker Tailor etc. Some of them are good, some OK and some just bad films.
I enjoyed it. I think the secret with many of these films of books is not to compare them with the books and certainly not let it spoil our enjoyment of the books. I just treat the film and the book as separate creations - eg Master and Commander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Tinker Tailor etc. Some of them are good, some OK and some just bad films.
Bru
Well-known member
I could just about swallow (pun intended) the changing of Titty's name to "Tatty" (it comes from the same source - Joseph Jacob's story "Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse") even though "Titty" was the real world nickname of Mavis Altounyan on whom "Titty" is based and even though the Altounyan family are furious over the name change but if they've fundamentally changed Susan's character I shan't bother watching the film
The sensible, practical character of Susan (particularly her ability to cook and keep the crew properly fed etc.) is crucial to the storyline because it's the principal reason their mother is prepared to let them go off and have adventures by themselves. If her character does not have that practical competence, the whole story becomes much less credible
Mind you, that said, Susie Altounyan later expressed annoyance at being portrayed as the sensible character
(could have been worse, her elder sister Taqui had to put up with a gender change!)
For those not in the know, the Swallows were loosely based on the Altounyan family, Taqui, Susan (aka Susie), Mavis (aka Titty), Roger and Bridgit the children of Ransome's friends Ernest and Dora (to whom Ransom had proposed after being turned down by her sister Barbara only to be turned down again) after the family met up with Ransom whilst on holiday in the Lake District which itself was the inspiration for the storyline of Swallows and Amazons.
The sensible, practical character of Susan (particularly her ability to cook and keep the crew properly fed etc.) is crucial to the storyline because it's the principal reason their mother is prepared to let them go off and have adventures by themselves. If her character does not have that practical competence, the whole story becomes much less credible
Mind you, that said, Susie Altounyan later expressed annoyance at being portrayed as the sensible character
(could have been worse, her elder sister Taqui had to put up with a gender change!)For those not in the know, the Swallows were loosely based on the Altounyan family, Taqui, Susan (aka Susie), Mavis (aka Titty), Roger and Bridgit the children of Ransome's friends Ernest and Dora (to whom Ransom had proposed after being turned down by her sister Barbara only to be turned down again) after the family met up with Ransom whilst on holiday in the Lake District which itself was the inspiration for the storyline of Swallows and Amazons.
AntarcticPilot
Well-known member
There is no such thing a "At the age when I might have read one"
I still read them with enjoyment - and probably get more from them than I did when I was at Junior School age! And some of them probably my subsequent path through life - Winter Holiday, Secret Water and Pigeon Post are all directly relevant to my career, and formed my ambitions as a child. Admittedly there are probably few people who qualified as a Geologist and went on to map the polar regions!
sgr143
Active member
There is no such thing a "At the age when I might have read one"
Despite being an avid reader as a child (and ever since) , oddly I never read any of the Swallows and Amazon books until my daughter started dinghy sailing, and I bought her S&A as a Xmas present. Once I picked it up, I was completely hooked, and I bought and we both devoured the whole set in a pretty short space of time! I can take or leave Peter Duck and Missee Lee, and Secret Water for some reason never really grabbed me that well; but the others I've reread many times over. We didn't mean to go to Sea is I think my favourite, but all the Lake District ones are a delight.
BTW, as well as the 1974 film of S&A, there was a BBC series that combined Coot Club with The Big Six. I have it on DVD, oddly entitled "Swallows and Amazons for Ever", despite having the two Ds in it, but not any of the Swallows or the Amazons! It's rather nice, and really great on all the vintage transport used - especially the wonderful Norfolk wherry. It also has Patrick Troughton (aka Dr Who) as Harry the Eel Man, which can't be bad.
Walther
Member
Yes, I agree.There is no such thing a "At the age when I might have read one"
I didn't discover S&A until I was in my mid-40s.
Colvic Watson
Well-known member
Our 9 and 5 year olds saw it at the weekend and loved it. The 9 year old was captivated and the 5 year old was terrified and enthralled in equal measure. I thought it was a great family film, superb first half but very clunky editing in th second half, like they'd been told by the studio to cut 20 minutes at all costs. As for being upset by them replacing an i with an a I can't see how that affects the film, so what?
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