Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, a heartwarming period drama starring award-winning actress Lesley Manville, airs tonight at 6:45pm on Channel 4. The film is based on Paul Gallico's best-selling 1958 novel, originally titled Flowers for Mrs. Harris in the UK.
Plot and Setting
Set in the 1950s, the film follows Ada Harris, a widowed cleaning lady who has worked hard all her life. After unexpectedly receiving a war widow's pension, she decides to travel to Paris to fulfill her dream of owning a custom Dior gown. She falls in love with a scarlet dress and accidentally finds herself at the fashion house's 10th-anniversary show.
Cast and Reception
The cast includes Lesley Manville as Ada, Isabelle Huppert as Claudine Colbert, Lambert Wilson as Marquis de Chassagne, and Jason Isaacs as Archie. Released in 2022, the film has been widely praised, earning a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. One viewer called it "dazzling from start to finish while brimming with unparalleled hope." Another described it as "almost pure wish fulfillment fantasy, but delivered with confidence and style."
Book Series
Paul Gallico wrote three sequels: Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York (1960), Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Parliament (1965), and Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Moscow (1974). The British titles vary slightly: Mrs. Harris Goes to New York, Mrs. Harris MP, and Mrs. Harris Goes to Moscow. All feature the same protagonist, Ada Harris, on different adventures around the world.
