Feb. 19, 2021|United Kingdom|99 Min.|n/A
Genre: Drama
Description: The 2021 film *To Olivia* explores the profound grief of losing a child, a challenging theme for any movie to address. It focuses on the early married life of actress Patricia Neal and children’s author Roald Dahl, whose seven-year-old daughter Olivia passed away in 1962 from encephalitis caused by measles. Despite its good intentions, the film struggles to navigate the sensitivity of the subject, leaving the audience walking on emotional eggshells.
The narrative suggests that the tragedy brought the family closer, inspiring Neal to develop greater emotional depth in her acting and enabling Dahl to accept constructive feedback on his work. This reportedly led to key improvements in his 1964 classic, *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*. However, the film also hints that Olivia’s death may have intensified Dahl’s descent into bitterness and prejudice.
One tangible outcome of the tragedy was Dahl’s later advocacy for vaccination. In 1962, a measles vaccine did not exist, a fact highlighted in the film’s postscript. The story implies that Dahl’s legacy could still serve as a powerful tool in combating anti-vaccination movements today.
Keeley Hawes portrays Neal as a glamorous yet grounded actress who embraces life in the English countryside, tolerating her husband’s erratic behavior. Hugh Bonneville plays Dahl with warmth, though the portrayal may soften some of his harsher traits. When tragedy strikes, Dahl retreats into despair, while Neal seeks solace in her career, eventually heading to Hollywood to star opposite Paul Newman in *Hud*.
Overall, *To Olivia* attempts to honor a painful chapter in the lives of its real-life subjects, but its execution remains uneven, leaving viewers to grapple with the raw emotions it evokes.
Cast director: John Hay
Cast actor: Hugh Bonneville, Keeley Hawes, Sam Heughan, Michael Jibson, Sam Phillips, Bobby O’Neill, Darcey Ewart
Original name: To Olivia