Enid Blyton Biopic on BBC 4 - 'Enid'

[Tony Summerfield]

There is a brief trailer of the BBC film Enid on the BBC4 Website.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks, Tony. Those who haven't looked at the Message Board may like to know that someone named Maisie has posted with the news that there is to be a preview and Q&A session of BBC's Enid on September 25 at 18:30 pm (6:30 pm) followed by a Q&A at 8:00 pm at Princess Anne Theatre, BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London. Helena Bonham Carter, Dennis Lawson and Matthew Macfadyen will attend. Details of how to book tickets can be found here.

[Lucky Star]

Thats interesting, I saw that on the front page. I might go if I'm off.

[Fiona1986]

I don't know if I am going to like this biopic. I hope the entire piece isn't as dark (visually and topic wise) as the trailer. I know they were going to focus on some of the darker issues but I hope they don't paint her as a mean, nasty woman.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I was trying to find when this programme will be shown, but I couldn't find any time or date. Do we know yet, Tony?

[Wayne Pyer]

I don't know if I am going to like this biopic. I hope the entire piece isn't as dark (visually and topic wise) as the trailer. I know they were going to focus on some of the darker issues but I hope they don't paint her as a mean, nasty woman.

I'm with Fiona here. I've got a nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach about this.

I was hoping that this was going to be a fair and even story of EBs life, but in that 'taster', carter did not smile once and showed her to seem non feeling like and almost robotic.

We all know EB had faults and flaws, just like everyone else, but i hope the are going to portray parts of her good nature as well and have not used this as a vehicle for the character assassination squad again.

Please let it be good.

[Rob Houghton]

I actually thought the trailer was pretty promising, and quite dramatic. It has made me look forward to seeing the full film even more. We all know that Enid wasn't a paragon of virtue ( who is?! ) but most of us still love her writing and choose to believe in the legend that is Blyton. True fans of Blyton (or film stars or singers for that matter) tend to love what they do despite all their faults.

I think that the darker sides of Enid's life actually make her a more interesting, well-rounded character. I love the way her private life was in reality quite dark, and yet her public life was handled so expertly by her and those around her that hardly any of the 'scandal' leaked out. That's part of what makes Blyton so interesting to me. It's an aspect that was already quite well explored in the documentary 'Sunny Stories' with Maureen Lipman (much more Blyton-like than Bonham-Carter, if you ask me!).

I'm kind of glad that Blyton is getting an adult approach from the film makers.

[Ming]

Is this the trailer? The BBC4 website isn't allowing me to view it from their website.

If this is the one, then I must say I am impressed with it. Helena Bonham Carter doesn't look very like Enid though - she has a much more square jaw than Enid. Maureen Lipman in that case seemed more accurate, but I have no doubt at all that HBC will make up for it with her superb acting!

Repeating my earlier request, someone please record it!

[Wayne Pyer]

I understand what your saying Robert and Ming. I just think the trailer could have shown EB in possitive private moments as well.
This makes me worry that they are showing her negative points and non of the possitives. Only time can give us that answer.
You are quite right though, it is very exciting and gave me butterflies in my stomach.

Ps, Ming. That is the right clip and i also admire HBCs acting talents.

[Belly]

I think that Helena BC is more beautiful than EB was (although I don't mean to put EB down). Helena has a unique and striking beauty but as others have said also a good actress so unlike Angelina Jolie, for example, this beauty doesn't get in the way as it were and distract.

I think the costumes look wonderful and it looks like they have tried to interpret Blyton in a realistic way capturing her single mindedness and strength of character, how she could enchant children with her magic as well as her less pleasant character traits.

[Enikyoga]

I am looking forward to seeing Helena Bonham Carter’s Biopic, though I am not sure whether it
will be screened beyond the British shores due to some BBC copyright restrictions. However, I
have written to Public Broadcasting System TV (the American BBC-affiliate) requesting them to
also co-screen it in the U.S. Probably, that is how some of us will be able to see it this end. Let
me also hope that this Biopic leads to a full cinema Enid Blyton movie. In 1992, BBC biopic was
made about Beatrix Potter and 14 years later in 2006 a movie was made about Beatrix Potter
titled “Miss Potter.” Let us hope that this Blyton biopic goes in the same direction...Maureen
Lipman was fantastic in her role as Enid Blyton at Green Hedges.

[Moonraker]

I have serious misgivings of this production. In my experience, television companies, in their search for ratings, usually spice up drama-documentaries, as often a person's real life doesn't make gripping television. I only hope that this company hasn't fabricated or exaggerated Enid's life too much in their quest to make a gripping programme.

I also worry for Imogen and Sophie. I would hate to see my Mother portrayed in a television programme as anything other than the wonderful lady that she was.

I can't remember to what extent Tony's and Anita's knowledge of the script is. I am looking forward to watching it, but my reservations are real.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I've only had a very quick flick through the script so can't really comment (in any case, it wouldn't be fair for anyone who has read the script to say too much before the programme is screened). Tony and I saw a number of scenes being shot on our visit to the film set but everything is filmed out of order so it was difficult to get a feel for the film as a whole.

Anita

[Tony Summerfield]

I have a copy of the script, but as Anita says, I think at this stage it would be wrong for me to comment on it in any way. As I said in an earlier post, Helena Bonham Carter kindly signed it for me and also added her own version of the Enid Blyton signature which you can see her doing in the clip, it was also signed by Ramona Marquez (Outnumbered) who plays the young Imogen.

I haven't seen the film myself, but I know that Imogen has (I was originally going with her, but health problems prevented me from going) and she was so impressed by it that she went back to see it again. She tells me that it is a very well-made film and Helena as Enid is brilliant. What I find very impressive is that they made this 90-minute film in just over two weeks.

As far as the screening date is concerned, all we know is that it is part of BBC4s Autumn programme.

[Julie2owlsdene]

Well if Imogen approves of this drama, then I think we're all going to be in for a great treat. I'll be recording it anyway so I can watch it over and over again.