'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' - Jim Broadbent Goes on an Inspiring Journey in Touching Movie

Jim Broadbent in ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’. (Courtesy of Quiver Distribution)

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry official trailer and release date — Jim Broadbent in ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’. (Courtesy of Quiver Distribution)

Returning after a successful run directing the award-winning mini series ‘Normal People’, director Hettie Macdonald comes with ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, a feature film, telling the sweet and inspiring journey of an elderly man who sets off on a journey to meet a dying old friend. The film is based on the 2012’s Rachel Joyce novel of the same name.

The film stars Academy Awards winner Jim Broadbent, Penelope Wilton, Earl Cave, and Linda Bassett.

Release Date

Directed by Hettie Macdonald, ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ opens in select US theaters and on VOD on September 20, 2024.

Synopsis

‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ is the story of an unremarkable man who sets off on a remarkable journey. Harold lives a life without purpose until he learns an old friend is dying and vows that in walking across England to see her, his journey can keep her alive. Based on the 2012 New York Time sand Sunday Times bestseller of the same name, this heartfelt and original take on the coming-of-age narrative will resonate with audiences of all ages.

Recently retired, Harold Fry is well into his 60s and content to fade quietly into the background of life. Harold’s life with his wife Maureen is uneventful and their marriage frozen, due to an unspeakable conflict relating to the absence of their son, until one day, Harold learns his old friend Queenie is dying. He sets off to the post office to send her a letter and decides to keep walking all the way to her hospice, 450 miles away. A story of rediscovery and transformation, ‘Harold Fry’ is an uplifting reminder that you’re never too old to take a chance, and that kindness is less rare than you think.

Reviews

Deborah Ross in a The Spectator review praised lead actor Jim Broadbent’s performance, writing, “Broadbent is a wonder, so real and sincere it doesn’t feel like acting. He can do in a single reaction shot what might otherwise take 20 script pages, and Wilton equals him.”

Brian Viner in a Daily Mail review also praised the performance, writing, “It’s a very well-crafted adaptation of a story that on the page struck me as mildly mawkish, but on screen is propelled so expertly by Broadbent and the marvelous Penelope Wilton that the mawkishness rarely surfaces.”