Taglines: Did she or didn’t she?
My Cousin Rachel movie storyline. After the young boy Philip is orphaned, he is adopted by his older cousin Ambrose, who raises him as a son on his large estate in Cornwall. Despite societal beliefs of the necessity of motherhood, Philip grows up with a nearly complete absence of women in the household, before Ambrose leaves the estate for the sunnier climate of Florence.
A young man, Philip is left with his godfather Nick Kendall, and learns through correspondence that Ambrose has met his widowed cousin Rachel in Florence, and they have wed. The Kendalls express surprise that Ambrose has become interested in women, though Philip found the absence of female companionship natural.
Later, Ambrose begins sending letters indicating distrust of the medical care he is receiving in Florence. Concerned, Philip travels to Italy, only to be informed Ambrose has died and Rachel has left. Though Ambrose’s will left the entire estate to Philip pending his next birthday, Philip is convinced Rachel is guilty of murder and threatens her friend Rinaldi with revenge.
My Cousin Rachel is a 2017 romantic drama film written and directed by Roger Michell. It is based on the 1951 novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. The film stars Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Iain Glen, Holliday Grainger, and Pierfrancesco Favino. Its plot is about a young man in Cornwall who meets the widow of his older cousin, suspecting her of being responsible for his death.
My Cousin Rachel was released in the United States and United Kingdom on June 9, 2017, by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Weisz received positive reviews for her performance as the title character. My Cousin Rachel grossed $2.7 million in North America and $6.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $9.2 million. In its first weekend, My Cousin Rachel made £638,000 in 467 U.K. theatres, performing strongly in independently owned outlets. By July 3, My Cousin Rachel made £2.27 million in the U.K. In the U.S., it made $954,000 from 523 theatres in its first weekend.
Principal photography began on April 4, 2016, and lasted through the spring in England and Italy. With production designer Alice Normington, Michell selected filming locations in South Devon, Oxfordshire and Surrey, combining shots to create an idealistic setting. In Surrey, photography took place at West Horsley Place, a 16th-century building owned by Bamber Gascoigne. Michell said they selected the house for “the spirit of the place”, which he described as “so alive and raw”. The Flete estate in Devon was used for beach and riding scenes and shots of cliffs.
About the Story
In the 1830s, a young orphan named Philip is adopted by his older cousin Ambrose, who raises him as a son on his large estate in Cornwall. Despite societal beliefs of the necessity of motherhood, Philip grows up with a nearly complete absence of women in the household, before Ambrose leaves the estate for the sunnier climate of Florence to pursue better health. Now a young man, Philip is left in the care of his godfather Nick Kendall, and learns through correspondence that Ambrose has wed their widowed, distant cousin Rachel in Florence.
Later, Ambrose begins sending letters indicating distrust of the medical care he is receiving in Florence. Concerned, Philip travels to Italy, only to be informed Ambrose has died and Rachel has left. Though Ambrose’s will left the entire estate to Philip pending his 25th birthday, Philip is convinced Rachel is guilty of murder and threatens her friend Rainaldi with revenge.
Philip returns to Cornwall, and later learns Rachel has followed. She arrives at the estate, and, while he vows to confront her, he meets her in her boudoir, and he becomes infatuated by the older woman’s beauty as they share tea. They accompany each other on riding excursions, and, no longer suspecting her of foul play, he throws an accusatory letter on a campfire.
The two cousins conflict over Rachel’s intentions to return to Florence and live independently, but Rachel indicates she is not angry with him, and they kiss. Rachel also reveals that Ambrose had fallen out of love with her after she had a miscarriage. Their relationship grows deeper and more affectionate.
Rachel stays for Christmas celebrations. Nick learns that she drastically has overdrawn her accounts and warns Philip that Rachel was notorious in Florence for her extravagance and lust. Despite this, Philip intends to turn over much of the estate’s wealth to Rachel, as soon as he can legally dispose of it after his 25th birthday, as she was left with very little from Ambrose’s estate.
His birthday arrives and he comes to her room at midnight—the moment of his inheriting his estate—and he gives her a bag of inherited jewelry and a string of very expensive pearls. She draws him willingly to bed. The following morning she reads the will he wrote giving her his entire estate and she goes to his lawyer to confirm the intent.
When she returns, he meets her in the wood (in a special spot they shared) and they have sex again, but this time she is clearly unwelcoming of the intimacy. At a dinner with friends, Philip declares he and Rachel are engaged, but Rachel fervently denies this. In private, she tells him she had sex with him merely as a form of thanks, and does not return his feelings, that she views him just as a young, immature boy. They get into a violent argument, after which Rachel professes fear of him.
Sometime after, Philip falls ill. As he recovers, he becomes suspicious of Rachel again and starts refusing her “special herbal tea,” which she also made for Ambrose. One day, he suggests that she ride along the same sea path that he used to ride and from which you can see seals sunning themselves down below, on rocks; once, Phillip nearly died in a riding accident on that path. She’s excited by the opportunity to see the seals, and leaves on horseback, Phillip watching her go.
He and Nick’s daughter, Louise, begin searching through Rachel’s belongings for incriminating evidence, only to find out that Rainaldi was gay and was not having an affair with Rachel as everyone’s believed. Philip begins to re-think if he’s misjudged Rachel, and realizes that he directed her to the path upon which he had the accident. He sets out in search of her, but finds that she indeed has had a fatal accident while riding on the same cliff-side path he directed her toward.
My Cousin Rachel (2017)
Directed by: Roger Michell
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Louis Suc, Austin Taylor, Iain Glen, Holliday Grainger, Tim Barlow, Deano Mitchison, Andrew Knott, Poppy Lee Friar, Katherine Pearce, Tristram Davies
Screenplay by: Roger Michell
Production Design by: Alice Normington
Cinematography by: Mike Eley
Film Editing by: Kristina Hetherington
Costume Design by: Dinah Collin
Set Decoration by: Barbara Herman-Skelding
Art Direction by: David Ackrill
Music by: Rael Jones
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sexuality and brief strong language.
Distributed by: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release Date: June 9, 2017
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