Agatha (film)
| Agatha | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Michael Apted |
| Produced by |
Jarvis Astaire Gavrik Losey |
| Written by |
Kathleen Tynan Arthur Hopcraft |
| Starring |
Dustin Hoffman Vanessa Redgrave Timothy Dalton |
| Music by | Johnny Mandel |
| Cinematography | Vittorio Storaro |
| Edited by | Jim Clark |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
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Release date
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9 February 1979 |
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Running time
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98 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $7,500,000 |
Agatha is a 1979 British drama thriller film directed by Michael Apted, starring Vanessa Redgrave, Dustin Hoffman and Timothy Dalton, and written by Kathleen Tynan. The Technovision film focuses on renowned crime writer Agatha Christie's famous 11-day disappearance in 1926.
The film opens as Agatha Christie (Redgrave) gets a silver cup engraved for her husband Archie, who receives the gift with utter disdain. The couple walks to a publicity event for Agatha’s new novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. They are tailed into the venue by American reporter Wally Stanton (Hoffman). The next morning, Archie demands a divorce, saying he loves his secretary Nancy Neele (Gregory).
That night, Agatha drives off from the house and gets into an accident. The next morning, the police find her wrecked car. The press flock to the accident scene and learn that Christie left a letter for her secretary, prompting speculation of suicide.
Agatha arrives by train in Harrogate and takes a cab to the Old Swan Hotel, where she books a room for a fortnight. She registers as Theresa Neele from Cape Town. In the lounge, another guest, Evelyn Crawley (Morse) notices Agatha’s ripped and muddy shoes. Agatha makes a note later to “use” Crawley.
The next day, Agatha begins receiving treatments at the Royal Baths. Meanwhile, the newspapers are publishing front page stories about Agatha’s disappearance. The police wonder why Archie is not helping with the search for his wife, but he has gone to Harrogate with Nancy for her slimming treatments. Meanwhile, Stanton interviews Agatha’s secretary. She reveals that Agatha left her a coded message in The Times advertisements..
The ad leads Stanton to the hotel in Harrogate. He makes a big show of checking in while Agatha is on the phone at the front desk. In the billiards parlor, Stanton helps Agatha make a winning triple bank shot. He introduces himself as Curtis Shacks Jr., an American seeking treatment for constipation. They spend the evening together, and he makes a pass at her, which she declines. In his room, he types up notes about her behavior.
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Wikipedia