Directed by Jane Campion
I regretted that with our parents’ lives spent almost entirely in feeding, clothing, sheltering us, we had little time to know and be friends with them.
One of the many wonderful things about the early stages of a new relationship is the pleasure found in discovering the things this other person brings to the table. Especially those things that they are passionate about. So it is with this film. I saw Jane Campion’s The Piano back in the day and loved it but never went on to explore her other work. An Angel at My Table is a film about New Zealand author Janet Frame’s life. It is based on Frame’s autobiography. It is also one of Kai’s favorites so I was excited to watch it with him. He also promised to tickle me if I started to fall asleep. It is a rather lengthy film having been originally produced as a TV miniseries but I only had to be tickled once.
The story of Frame’s life is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Campion has the patience to let it unfold at an unhurried pace and we are allowed to revel in the beauty of a childhood that is graced with love and affection if not wealth and material goods. She has the wisdom not to dwell on the awful parts giving us just enough of a glimpse to effectively illustrate how writing truly saved Frame’s life. And, she has the eye to captivate us with a lushness of detail - every scene is a visual delight that I just want to sink into. I had never heard of Janet Frame before. After seeing this film I am inspired to seek out her writing.