Shadowlands
Year: 1993
Director: Richard Attenborough
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Debra Winger, John Wood, Edward Hardwicke, Joseph Mazzello, Julian Fellowes, Roddy Maude-Roxby, Michael Denison, Peter Firth.
Set Locations:
Central England: Much of the filming took place in Oxford itself.
Shadowlands is a film, made in 1993, starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger. The screenplay was written by William Nicholson and it was directed by Sir Richard Attenborough. It is a biographical work centred on the life of author C S Lewis, famous for the Chronicles of Narnia, and his love for Joy Davidman.
The film is set in the 1950's and tells the tale of how the two met and their relationship grew. Joy's arrival radically altered the quiet life that C S Lewis had become accustomed to thanks to her outspoken and uninhibited manner. They got married. Although it was initially something of a 'convenience marriage' it grew into much more. Joy died four years later of bone cancer and the film portrays the depth of feelings and the test of faith that this brings out in C S Lewis, who is also noted as a prominent Christian author in addition to his more famous fictional works.
C S Lewis was a leading professor of English at Oxford University at the same time as his great friend J R R Tolkein, himself famous for The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and a number of other shorter stories. It is for this reason that scenes based in Oxford feature so often in the film. Oxford is home to the oldest University in England. As a result it boasts many magnificent and historic buildings, mostly built for and still connected to the University. One of these which has made a number of appearances in films as well as Shadowlands, is the Duke Humfrey's Library, part of the Bodleian Library in Oxford. This magnificent library is also used as Hogwart's Library in the Harry Potter series of movies.
The beautiful Christ Church Meadow, also in Oxford, can be seen in the film. The meadow is owned by the Christ Church but is open to walkers during the day time. Other Oxford locations in the film include Magdalen College, the Radcliffe Camera in Radcliffe Square and the Sheldonian Theatre.
During the film, Lewis and Joy stay at the Pengethley Manor Hotel at Pengetheley Park, near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire. The hotel offers 25 guest rooms and a fine restaurant, as well as conference and meeting rooms. The couple visit the hotel on their way to the Golden Valley, which is represented by Symonds Yat Rock in the Wye Valley.
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