The Family Way Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

The Family Way Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 23, 2020

John and Roy Boulting's "The Family Way" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with music producer Chip Madinger; vintage promotional materials; and an archival episode of The Armchair Theatre. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The newlyweds

The Boulting brothers’ The Family Way is a prime example why the British are known for their great sense of humor. They are a little quiet now because they aren’t allowed to be as witty and cheeky as they once were, but they have a cinematic legacy that will always reveal their true nature. And don’t worry. The pendulum will swing back and one day they will be making films like The Family Way again. It is inevitable because the type of humor that makes this film so special is part of their identity. It is as subtle as a brick through a window, but somehow still very elegant and absolutely brilliant.

All of the action takes place in the Greater Manchester area, where Jenny (Hayley Mills) and Arthur (Hywel Bennett) are about to get married. It has not been easy or cheap, but the wedding preparations have been completed, and the couple has also purchased tickets for a very exciting honeymoon trip. So, it is only a matter of time until they officially begin a new chapter in their story.

After a day of wild celebrations, the newlyweds return home, which is where Artur lives with his parents, and begin preparing for the fireworks. They have received plenty of helpful instructions from Jenny’s parents and more than enough encouragement from Arthur’s parents because everything that should happen on their wedding night is supposed to happen the right way. So, they bid everyone a lovely goodnight and then prepare for romance.

But despite a lot of bed-shaking, the fireworks fail. In the days and weeks ahead, they pretend that all is good and as a couple they can’t get enough of each other, but eventually Jenny reveals to her mother that Arthur has not touched her, and she is still very much the virgin she was while she was single. An emergency meeting between the two families is then convened, and proper strategies discussed to fix a problem that could ruin their public reputation. But how do you fix a problem if you don’t know where it is -- with Jenny or Arthur. Meanwhile, Arthur’s brother, Geoffrey (Murray Head), decides to step up and at the right time tells Jenny that he is willing to fill in for her husband.

The original screenplay -- a collaboration between Bill Naughton (Alfie), Roy Boulting, and Jeffrey Dell (Man in a Cocked Hat -- is an absolute stunner. It takes a number of very delicate issues and then places them in a series of hilarious situations that basically make it utterly impossible to get offended. Keep in mind that these are the type of issues that even today make the two sexes extremely nervous and often actually suspicious of each other, so to have them in a ‘60s context where the humor has to be completely organic and yet ‘proper’ is pretty remarkable.

What surprises the most, however, is the fact that the film refuses to play it safe regardless of the delicate situations that emerge as Arthur and Jenny look for their miraculous fix. (And why would it? You can’t fix a crisis if you do not know what started it in the first place, can you?) It simply ploughs through them and delivers a ton of great laughs.

The supporting cast includes a brilliant John Mills, Marjorie Rhodes, John Comer, Wilfred Pickles, Avril Angers, Liz Frazer, and Barry Foster.

Cinematographer Harry Waxman, who worked on such cult hits as Flash Gordon and The Wicker Man, was brought in to lense the film.

The soundtrack features original music by Paul McCartney. A beautiful track written and produced by Tim Rice and sung by Murray Head titled “Someday Soon” can be heard as well.

The Family Way Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Family Way arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The release is sourced from a very beautiful recent 2K restoration, but I suspect that when it was encoded the gamma levels were not set properly. Your player will almost certainly do an adjustment that will hide the discrepancy, so I assume that most viewers will not be able to tell at all. The rest looks really, really good. A few darker areas reveal minor fluctuations in terms of depth and occasionally clarity, but they are part of the original cinematography. Delineation remains pleasing throughout the entire film. Density levels are solid, so if you view your films on a larger screen the technical presentation should meet all of your expectations. Image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no distracting large cuts, damage marks, dark spots, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Family Way Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

When the current master was prepared the audio was fully remixed, this much is clear. Indeed, there are no signs of age-related imperfections and stability is outstanding. Paul McCartney's score is gentle and often quite soothing, so dynamic intensity is modest. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.

The Family Way Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Poster and Image Gallery - vintage promotional and production materials for The Family Way.

• Trailer - vintage trailer for The Family Way. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• The Armchair Theatre: Honeymoon Postponed (1961) - presented here is an episode of The Armchair Theatre written by Bill Naughton, and then adapted for the stage as All in Good Time (1963). Its cinematic adaptation, The Family Way, came three years later, in 1966. In English, not subtitled. (53 min).

• The McCartney Way - in this new program, Chip Madinger discusses the original soundtrack that Paul McCartney created for The Family Way. Mr. Madinger is the co-producer of The Family Way soundtrack reissue. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

The Family Way Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Mills should have earned his Oscar with The Family Way, not Ryan's Daughter. He is astonishing as the aging father who can't figure out why his son isn't quite like him, and this is just one of many reasons you should seek this special film. I thought that its sense of humor was incredible, particularly during the 'difficult' situations, and yet the Boulting brothers did not conceive it as a straightforward comedy. StudioCanal's release is sourced from a strong 2K master. If you decide to pick it up for your collection, please keep in mind that it is Region-B "locked". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.