Florence Foster Jenkins, the 2016 period comedy drama starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, will air on BBC Two tonight, October 1, at 11.05pm. The biographical film, directed by Stephen Frears, tells the true story of a New York heiress renowned for her generosity and her dreadful singing voice.
Star-Studded Cast and Plot
The film's cast includes Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant as the lead pairing, joined by Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson, Nina Arianda, Stanley Townsend, Allan Corduner, and Christian McKay. The screenplay was co-written by Nicholas Martin and Julia Kogan.
The official plot states: "In the 1940s, New York socialite Florence Foster Jenkins dreams of becoming a great opera singer. Unfortunately, her ambition far exceeds her talent." The voice Florence hears in her head is beautiful, but to everyone else it is quite lousy. Her husband St. Clair goes to extreme lengths to make sure his wife never finds out how awful she truly is. When Florence announces her plans for a concert at Carnegie Hall, St. Clair soon realizes that he's facing his greatest challenge yet.
Production and Critical Acclaim
Florence Foster Jenkins was released in the UK on 6 May 2016, with filming taking place in Liverpool the previous year in 2015. Streep and Grant were spotted shooting the period drama in Liverpool's Drury Lane, which was transformed into 1940s New York City and Central Park West.
The film was a critical triumph, with Streep earning a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of the New York heiress, while the picture as a whole secured a Best Costume Design Oscar nomination. It also picked up four Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Performing respectably at the box office, Florence Foster Jenkins accumulated a worldwide total of $56 million against an estimated production budget of $29 million. Boasting an impressive 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the period drama proved a resounding success.
Critic and Audience Reactions
One critic remarked: "Director [Stephen] Frears has created a beautifully done film with good costuming, street scenes of old New York and first class performances." Another reviewer added: "Florence Foster Jenkins is an interesting film incredibly pleasant on the surface, and profoundly honest at its core."
Audiences are equally bowled over, with one fan writing: "A rare thing that delivers both drama and comedy, mostly thanks to the excellent central trio of performances. You start by laughing at the delusion and the squawk, but it does a great job of bringing you on FFJ's side by showing her genuine passion for music, so that by the end you are willing her to hit that note. Very sentimental but earns it."
Florence Foster Jenkins is on BBC2 at 11.05pm tonight.
