Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble
| Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Screenplay by | Christopher Lofton |
| Directed by | James Keach |
| Starring | Jane Seymour Keith Carradine James Keach |
| Theme music composer | Charles Bernstein |
| Country of origin | United States Canada |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Cinematography | Roland Smith[1] |
| Editor | Heidi Scharfe |
| Running time | 115 mins[2] |
| Production companies | Catfish Productions Hallmark Entertainment Distribution Company[3] |
| Original release | |
| Network | Showtime |
| Release | April 23, 2000 |
Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble is a 2000 American television film starring Jane Seymour and directed by James Keach. It depicts the life of British actress and abolitionist Fanny Kemble, who sees first-hand the horrors of slavery when she marries an American plantation owner. Her published diaries in the form of personal accounts are shown to influence the British government's decision to withhold support of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Keith Carradine co-stars as Fanny's husband Pierce Butler, with Keach, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Colin Fox also appearing.
It first aired on the American television network
Plot summary
Set in the nineteenth-century, the film depicts the real-life story of British actress and abolitionist Fanny Kemble. When Kemble leaves her successful acting career to marry American lawyer and slave owner Pierce Butler, she becomes horrified by the treatment of the enslaved people. Her efforts to improve the lives of her husband's slaves result in their eventual divorce and the loss of access to her two daughters. Fanny later publishes her journals and their first-hand accounts of slavery, helping influence the British government's decision to withhold support of the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
Cast
- Jane Seymour as Fanny Kemble
- Keith Carradine as Pierce Butler
- James Keach as Dr. Huston
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Joe
- Colin Fox as John Quincy Adams
- Francois Klanfer as Daniel Webster
- Eugene Byrd as Jack
- Sharon Washington as Psyche
- Peter Mensah as Quaka
- Gerard Parkes as Charles Kemble
- Bernard Brown as Sam Swift
- Rick Demas as Brutus
- Arlene Duncan as Harriet
- Lili Francks as Aunt Jerusalem
- Janet-Laine Green as Elizabeth Sedgwick
- Catherine Hayos as Julia
- Kayla Perlmutter as Young Sarah
- Brett Porter as Owen Parker
- Jackie Richardson as Daphnie
- Richard Yearwood as Habersham
Production
In 2000, it was reported that
One of their goals was to depict several different types of enslavement.[5][6] Seymour described her character as "a strong, willful woman [who] fought against being enslaved by the man she fell in love with and married. When she saw slavery on his plantation, she fought against that, too."[7] Actor Keith Carradine, one of Keach's good friends, was cast as Fanny's husband.[8] Keach also directed, yet another such collaboration between him and his wife.[6] The film was shot mostly in Canada.[9]
Reception
On April 23, 2000, Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble premiered on the American television network
The historical accuracy of the film has also been a source for complaint. In his book Echoes of War: A Thousand Years of Military History in Popular Culture, Michael C. C. Adams cited Enslavement as an example of a movie that claims historical accuracy while "gratuitously and radically distorting" the truth.[14] The Seattle Times negatively reviewed the film for "exaggerating and sensationalizing" Kemble's life,[9] while Michael Kilian of the Chicago Tribune criticized the portrayal of John Quincy Adams as a racist. Kilian did however commend it for depicting the "horrors of slave life on a sea island plantation [as] every bit as compelling as those contained in the journal Kemble kept and later published in England during the Civil War – a book that helped turn British public opinion against recognition of the South."[15]
Despite its negative reception, the film received several nominations. Composer
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0253348296.
- ^ "Showtime: Enslavement: The True Story Of Fanny Kemble". Showtime. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
- ^ "Enslavement The True Life Story of Fanny Kemble". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- The Record. North Jersey Media Group. Archived from the originalon March 7, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2013. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d King, Susan (April 21, 2000). "'Fanny Kemble,' Jane Seymour's labor of love". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
- ^ Tribune Company. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ McCabe, Bruce (April 23, 2000). "A woman ahead of her times". The Boston Globe. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2013. (subscription required)
- Trinity Mirror. May 6, 2000. Retrieved October 7, 2013. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c Berson, Misha (April 23, 2000). "'Enslavement' takes some liberties with abolitionist Fanny Kemble's tale". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
- CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
- MediaNews Group. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
- New York Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- Tribune Company. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ISBN 0813122406.
- Tribune Company. Archived from the originalon March 9, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2013. (subscription required)
- ^ "Enslavement: The True Story Of Fanny Kemble". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
- ^ "5th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards 2000 Nominees & Winners". Art Directors Guild. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
- ^ "Black Reel Awards (2001)". IMDb. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
