My Family & Other Animals [2005] [DVD]

I’m a huge fan of The Durrells, the popular ITV series now four seasons long, so I approached this earlier production of the family (2005) with some dread, wondering if I might regret the purchase of the DVD. But I needn’t have worried. Although terribly short (only 88 mins.), it’s delightful.All the family members are here of course. Larry has his books and condescension, Leslie his guns and dead birds, Margo her swimsuits and teen sex appeal, Gerry his insects and animals, and Louisa (Mrs. Durrell) her children and maternal instincts to protect them.Then there’s the Greeks on Corfu. Spiro, the taxi driver who more or less adopts the Durrells, taking them under his wing. And Theo, the local zoologist who takes Gerry in particular under his own wing, accompanying him on his expeditions of discovery in the countryside, watching tortoises mate or a fight to the death between a lizard and praying mantis. Corfu is alive, bursting with life in the bright sunshine. Gerry is in heaven, finding his path in life at the tender young age of 12. He will go on to have a long life as a zoologist (like Theo), a wildlife presenter (like David Attenborough), a conservationist (like Jane Goodall), a zoo curator on the island of Jersey, and a writer of 37 nature books. Would he have done all these things had he never left England? Of course we can never know, as there are no alternate histories in reality. But there is no doubt Corfu inspired and fired his imagination. And the beauty of this film (among its many beauties) is that we witness him coming of age before our eyes. We know what his history will be and see here the very beginning of it.And it’s a history told by him in print as an adult looking back, the title of his life story both perfect and typical of his understated, self-effacing sense of humour. On Corfu he discovered a menagerie of beautiful animals and insects, but also a certain beauty in his own family, as each sibling was so distinctive in outlook and desires. So too of course his loving, eccentric mother, Louisa. Gerry’s animal kingdom was all inclusive, humans in it, not detached from it. He writes with tenderness for all of it, an emotion reflected here in this fine film. The narration or voiceover is his own (read by a narrator), looking back at his youth in the 1930s in that bright, exotic Agean world.In this production, just as in the current Durrells ITV series, a key challenge for Mrs. Durrell is how to get an education for young Gerry. He can read but writes poorly, his spelling atrocious. Maths are a mystery, history something ancient, irrelevant. Politics are for all the troublemaking adults in the world. Animals and insects are real, vital members of the living world, not just illustrations in books. He’s in touch with what’s important, he feels. Thus his local menagerie grows: birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, lizards, scorpions, snakes, turtles, mice, rabbits and a donkey. He spends hours watching them, jotting down notes about them, lost in the world of their lives.Larry hates the smell of the animals. Leslie loves animals as prey and target practice only. Margo is interested in boys and the curves and power of her own anatomy, not the shapes and bodies of insects. While Louisa is fed up with bird droppings. The world seems stacked against Gerry’s passion. But no. Theo exists, proof that at least one adult in the world understands what’s important. And naturally Theo will become advisor, guide, mentor and friend to the young budding zoologist. The Durrell children have no father. He died before they departed Bournemouth for Corfu in 1935. So Gerry barely knew him. Into that emotional void steps Theo, so their relationship is quite special. Had the film been longer this relationship could have been more fully explored. But we see what it is and why it’s important.Spiro, the taxi driver, is important too — to the entire family. He lived in Chicago for some years and learned to speak English well. He also idolises the English for some reason, saying that if he weren’t Greek he would choose to be an English gentleman, although who knows if this is said truly or by way of flattery? The Durrells certainly look at him as if it’s flattery. Larry hates England for its wet weather and condescendingly calls it Pudding Island. Shooting is easier for Leslie in the open air on Corfu. English boys are spotty and boorish compared to Margo’s handsome, admiring Greek lads. Gerry, as stated, is in paradise. As for Louisa, local life may be culturally and linguistically confusing and challenging, but it’s more fun than Britain ever was.Tutors are brought in for Gerry. The first one, George, is a literary friend of Larry’s. He’s learned, bookish, nerdy. Gerry isn’t bothered. He cares not a fig for any English kings and queens. Maths are boring. In fact, it’s all quite tedious. George, frustratingly, gets almost nowhere with him. But the job has some compensations. Gerry is useless but Margo is beautiful, especially when viewed half naked in her revealing swim suits. George can’t keep his eyes and mind off her. But as often happens in this strange life, Margo looks right through him. George who? Oh, is that his name? He’s English, not Greek. He’s nothing. Or nothing to her. Pale skin, not dark and tanned. Not masculine.George won’t do, Mrs. Durrell decides. So another tutor is brought in — another Englishman. This one is named Peter, but he’s no timid nerd like George. No, far from it. He fancies himself an alpha male, so the sparks of passion are predicable when he first lays eyes on Margo. Trouble brews from the get-go. Margo (aged 18) is too young to sense true danger and Peter is too old, perhaps 30, to care. So later on they will be compromised and Peter dismissed. So, as usual, Gerry will be unteachable.War is coming. A rabid dog named Hitler has broken free of the civilising leash. He was caged for a while, imprisoned for hate speech and sedition. But Germany in those days, unlike now, was tolerant of hatred. In fact, its national myths of superiority were built on it. The Germans were special, they were better. But they weren’t. It was all a big disastrous lie they swallowed. They were stupid. They were bitter. They lost the last war in 1918 but could not admit defeat. No, we were cheated. We were tricked. We’ll do it again and triumph this time. But in 1939, just like in 1914-18, their stupidity remained. And arrogance. And these things in tandem would cause much suffering.Lousia knew it. Almost everyone knew it. Would her children be safe in Greece? They would not, she concluded. England is cold, wet, dreary. But England is home. England is stubborn, proud, resistant. England is safe and secure, or safer and secure than crazy Europe. Do I hear an echo in my own head of Brexit when I write this paragraph? Perhaps. Britain’s current national disaster has historical precedents. Suspicions take a long time to die. France was the enemy for centuries. Germany became the new enemy. And the Russian bear was never a cuddly one. So Louisa chose British isolation for safety.On the boat back to England in 1939 Gerry asks his mother if he will have to go to school once they are back home. Yes, he will. The film ends on the deck of that ship with this voiceover by Gerry:“Back in England Mother insisted I went to school, despite my protestations that I liked being half-educated. You were so much more surprised at everything when you were ignorant.”

Love Corfu and love this film about their time on the island in the 1930’s.The people they met and characters they invited over from the UK. Truer to the book than the TV series if that’s important to you?

None of the recent exploitations of the Durrell family's adventures in Corfu quite matches the 1987 BBC mini series for capturing the spirit of the book, but this single drama from 2007 (also BBC) makes an off beat and unusual comedy from and off beat and unusual family.

Excellent film, great cast, good effort on getting the main bits of the book. Too short tho. And the incidental music is frikkity rubbish. Otherwise would of been 5*.

A very enjoyable film covering the period of Gerald Durrells life when he was living with his mother and siblings in Corfu together with his burgeoning naturalist interest, Good ensemble cast kept the film moving a good pace, a film that if not seen place do its worth it.

After watching the re-run of the TV series which I enjoyed I decided to buy this DVD which is an earlier version and enjoyed this one even more

A very nice short vignette of the young Gerald Durrell's life and family, fairly true to his books, as I remember them.

Enjoyable