Synopsis
This hand drawn animated film, based on the award winning graphic novel by Raymond Briggs, is an intimate and affectionate depiction of the life and times of his parents, two ordinary Londoners living through extraordinary events.
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Cast
- Jim BroadbentErnest Briggs (voice)
- Brenda BlethynEthel Briggs (voice)
- Luke TreadawayRaymond Briggs (voice)
- Roger AllamMiddle Aged Doctor (voice)
- Virginia McKennaLady of the House (voice)
- Peter WightDetective Sergeant Burnley (voice)
- Pam FerrisMrs Bennett / Aunty Betty (voice)
- Simon DayAlf (voice)
- Raymond BriggsRaymond Briggs (voice)
- June BrownErnest's Step Mother (voice)
Recommendations
- 90
Los Angeles Times
While time inevitably marches on, director Roger Mainwood has a splendid constant at his disposal in the pitch-perfect voice performances of Blethyn and Broadbent, who inhabit their hand-drawn characters with a vivid, fully-dimensional authenticity. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
It’s commonly thought that artists seldom make stories about happy, stable marriages because where’s the drama in that? Ethel & Ernest, a deeply affecting feature-length animated film, disproves that assumption by unfurling an emotionally rich story about the lifelong marital love affair between two kindly, modest people living in an inconspicuous corner of suburban England. - 80
Screen Daily
Ethel & Ernest is, at its heart, a fond character study. - 80
Time Out
The animation is beautifully old-fashioned. - 80
The Telegraph
The backdrop to this very English marriage – soot and grit and survival, and that basenote of touching bafflement – means all the tears are earned. - 75
The Seattle Times
Suggesting a matchup between Archie Bunker and Gracie Allen, Ethel & Ernest is a sweet British memoir/cartoon about an ordinary couple who survive the Blitz along with their growing son. - 60
Empire
A charming animation with funny — if samey — moments and a quality voice cast. - 60
The Guardian
It’s an engaging film, but it leaves you with a feeling that there might be a deeper, darker, more specific story yet to be told.
