Synopsis
Siblings Maisie and Tony, along with their mother, gather for their sister Eileen's wedding. It is a joyous occasion, but through flashbacks, it becomes clear that the family was not always happy. Their father was physically abusive to his wife and left the children emotionally traumatized. As a result, the children have grown into unhappy adults, looking for love they didn't receive when they were young.
Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) is a 1h 24min drama feature film by Terence Davies. Siblings Maisie and Tony, along with their mother, gather for their sister Eileen's wedding. Selected for Los Angeles Film Awards (2025).
Key facts
Crew
Trailer
Stills
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to write one.
Festival History
- Los Angeles Film Awards 2025
- Sundance Film Festival 1992 generic
- Independent Spirit Awards 1990 generic
- Cannes Film Festival 1988 generic
- Locarno International Film Festival 1988 generic
Releases & classifications
| Theatrical | Denmark | November 16, 1988 |
| Theatrical | France | November 16, 1988 |
| Theatrical | Sweden | November 16, 1988 |
| Theatrical | Italy | November 18, 1988 |
| Theatrical | Belgium | February 9, 1989 |
| Theatrical | Finland | February 17, 1989 |
| Theatrical | United States | July 28, 1989 |
| Theatrical | Japan | December 9, 1989 |
| Theatrical | United Kingdom | March 23, 1990 |
| Classification | United Kingdom | 15 |
| Classification | United States | PG-13 |
Full credits
| Director | Terence Davies |
| Cast | Freda Dowie (Mother), Pete Postlethwaite (Father), Angela Walsh (Eileen), Lorraine Ashbourne (Maisie), Dean Williams (Tony), Sally Davies (Eileen as a child), Susan Flanagan (Maisie as a child), Nathan Walsh (Tony as a child), Michael Starke (Dave), Debi Jones (Micky), Vincent Maguire (George), Marie Jelliman (Jingles), Antonia Mallen (Rose), Anne Dyson (Granny), Jean Boht (Aunty Nell), Chris Darwin (Red), Andrew Schofield (Les), Pauline Quirke (Doreen), Carl Chase (Uncle Ted), Alan Bird (Priest), Matthew Long (Mr Spaull), Frances Dell (Margie), Roy Ford (Priest), Terry Melia (Military Policeman), John Thomalla (Military Policeman), John Carr (Registrar), John Michie (Soldier), Jeanette Moseley (Barmaid), Ina Clough (Licensee), Bill Moores (Pubgoer (uncredited)), George Moss (Pubgoer (uncredited)) |
| Screenplay | Terence Davies |
| Producer | Jennifer Howarth |
| Executive producer | Colin MacCabe |
| Cinematography | Patrick Duval, William Diver |
| Editing | William Diver |
| Sound | Colin Nicolson |
| Costumes | Monica Howe |
Additional data: TMDB.
Source: Cinémathèque québécoise, linked catalogue data (CC BY 4.0)
