GIDEON'S DAUGHTER (TV)
Summary
This movie is about two lost souls -- PR guru Gideon and free spirit Stella -- that forge an unlikely connection in late-1990s London. The program begins when agency employee Becca arrives to transcribe author William Sneath's stories for a book about the millennium and 1997's ascension to power of the New Labour party, following eighteen years of Tory rule. Sneath starts by recalling a film premiere party where he met up with widowed father Gideon and his sullen daughter Natasha. After Gideon and Natasha are ambushed by boisterous actress Diane, Gideon's girlfriend Barbara arrives. The next day, Gideon and his assistant Andrew meet with Nicholas Dent, a New Labour minister, who details some of Gideon's past PR achievements before pitching him on the construction of the Millennium Dome to be unveiled on the "most important night for a thousand years." Afterward, a couple on the street -- Stella and her ex-husband Bill -- attack Dent, angered that he hasn't yet delivered on a two-year promise to improve a poorly designed cycling lane that may have led to the death of their young son, Adam. Gideon attends a demonstration at the site of Adam's death where he first flirts with Stella, afterward giving her a lift to a Tube station. Later, Gideon attends Natasha's end-of-term assembly, borrowing Stella's videocamera to tape the event. After Natasha sings a pointed song about Georges Simenon's suicidal daughter, Gideon meets with Natasha, who has decided to leave school and head to the South American jungle to work for a conservation group protecting jaguars.
Next, Gideon and Barbara attend yet another formal party where some guests buzz about the proposed Millennium Dome. Leaving the party abruptly, Gideon heads to the twenty-four-hour grocery store where Stella works, returning her camera. When Stella's break comes, she and Gideon head to the back of the store, where Stella shows off the guinea pigs she raises while Gideon discusses his job. Back in the present, Sneath tells the story of a guinea pig escaping and the "great Gideon Warner, on all fours, looking for a rodent." Sunday morning, Gideon has sex with Barbara before a phone call from Andrew alerts him to the death of Princess Diana. As locals flood the city with flowers in tribute to Diana, Gideon further discusses with Natasha her now-finalized South American plans. Later, Gideon meets with his publicity team, intentionally having it interrupted by a pre-arranged phone call from Stella. Gideon meets with Stella and the two eat at a less-than-popular, out-of-the-way Indian restaurant. They take a walk before Gideon decides to skip an important briefing. They head back to Stella's spartan apartment, where they talk about their childhoods. Gideon also talks about his early days in PR and why Natasha has been so angry with him since the cancer death of his wife and her mother. Eventually, Gideon and Stella get intimate, causing him to show up late to his afternoon meeting with media tycoon Badalamenti. At the meeting, Badalamenti privately accosts a lovestruck Gideon for being late and aloof, but is actually impressed, thinking Gideon to be just what he needs. Later, Gideon drives Natasha to meet her friends, as the sullen girl remains silent, before Gideon pleads with his daughter to not go to South America. In the present, Sneath discusses the power that a child has over its parents.
Later, on the day of a big meeting with the government, Gideon walks the desolate countryside with Stella before attending the rehearsal of a church choir. There, Stella is haunted by remembrances of the day her son died. As Stella cries in the street, she talks about trying to "not let go," and Gideon consoles her. Later, Natasha relents in going to South America and, now elated, a "high" Gideon pitches some great, impromptu ideas for the Dome project. Sneath notes how the less Gideon listened, the more people were impressed with him, while no one realized something was amiss. Meanwhile, Natasha quits speaking with Gideon, angered at being forced to stay in Europe to attend the University of Edinburgh. Eventually, Barbara notices Gideon's new state and suggests they have a "pause" in their relationship. As Gideon and Stella's relationship escalates, his relationship with Natasha deteriorates. Eventually, Gideon decides to promote the "best food in London," the Indian eatery he first went to with Stella, throwing another red carpet event. The stunned guests -- including Badalamenti -- wonder why Gideon would promote a restaurant on the outskirts of London, as Gideon longingly waits for his daughter to arrive. Gideon retreats into the kitchen, where Sneath finds him and learns of Gideon's current condition. Gideon travels to Edinburgh, looking for Natasha after hearing news reports of young women being killed in the Scottish city. Unable to find her, he eventually locates her watching some stand-up comedy. Meeting outside, a frazzled Gideon and his daughter finally reunite and she says she's forgiven him. Gideon and Stella then decide to start a new life together, with Natasha promising to stay in touch. Sneath concludes his book stating that Gideon and Stella simply "vanished," as did Natasha. However, he thinks he once saw Natasha on the street, "looking radiant."
Details
- NETWORK: BBC America
- DATE: March 25, 2006 Saturday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:34:02
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:88676
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Judith McHale); Drama; Romance; London, England
- SERIES RUN: BBC America - TV, 2006
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Peter Fincham … Executive Producer
- David M. Thompson … Executive Producer
- Kathryn Mitchell … Executive Producer
- Nicolas Brown … Producer
- Stephen Poliakoff … Director, Writer
- Adrian Johnston … Music by
- Bill Nighy … Cast, Gideon Warner
- Miranda Ricahrdson … Cast, Stella
- Emily Blunt … Cast, Natasha Warner
- Robert Lindsay … Cast, William Sneath
- Ronni Ancona … Cast, Barbara
- Tom Hardy … Cast, Andrew
- Tom Goodman-Hill … Cast, Nicholas Dent
- Joanna Page … Cast, Diane
- David Westhead … Cast, Bill
- Samantha Whittaker … Cast, Becca
- Kerry Shale … Cast, Badalamenti
- Daniel Mendoza … Cast, Badalamenti's Spokesman
- Cate Fowler … Cast, Council Leader
- Michael Fitzpatrick … Cast, American Producer
- Graham Cull … Cast, Hospital Stranger
- Julia Malewski … Cast, School Compere
- Jason Manford … Cast, Comic
- Bobby Bragg … Cast, Miller
- Rebecca Bridges … Cast, Young Natasha
- Leonard Dalrymple … Cast, Sneath's son
- Jennifer Highham … Cast, Girl Playing 'Richard III'
- Natasha Alexander … Cast, Gideon's Wife
- David Annan … Cast, Gideon's Father
- Shane Allan … Cast, Teenage Gideon
- Baily Scougall-McCurry … Cast, Young Gideon