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Butley Details

1976

60
from 309 members

Starring	Alan Bates, Jessica Tandy, Georgina Hale, John Savident
Director	Harold Pinter
Genres	Drama

Butley

This adaptation of Simon Gray's BUTLEY was part of the American Film Theatre series, conceived in the 1970s by producer Ely Landau and meant to be shown theatrically just like a play, with tickets sold in advance. Alan Bates stars as Ben Butley, a bitter and repressed English literature professor at a British university. Taking place during the course of one day in Butley's office, the acerbic professor's harsh exterior is torn down bit by bit as his world crumbles around him when he learns, nearly simultaneously, of his wife's intent to divorce him, his live-in homosexual lover's infidelities, and a hated colleague's success. Grounded by Mr. Bates' absolutely brilliant performance, BUTLEY is at once a very funny and tremendously moving film.

Starring	Alan Bates, Jessica Tandy, Georgina Hale, John Savident, Richard O'Callaghan, Oliver Maguire
Director	Harold Pinter
Studio	IND-DVD LTD
Run time	DVD: 2 hrs 5 mins
Certificate
Genres	Drama
Language	DVD: English
Released	Production year: 1976 To Rent: DVD: 05 Jul 2004

Critic's review of Butley
View all critics' reviews (2)
- "...Alan Bates' stage triumph has been superbly recreated on the screen with added excellence of Harold Pinter's topnotch film directorial debut."
- 12434
- - Variety
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 13:00
Most helpful member's review of Butley
View all members' reviews (8)
- - 6
  - 1
  A Veritable Feast
  
  Brilliant film in which Alan Bates gives a searing performance as an English Lecturer on Self-destruct mode. Similar to Glengarry Glen Ross in that its set in ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 77182
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Kris Schroder
  - London
  - 02 Mar 2005 at 08:45
Most recent members' reviews of Butley
View all members' reviews (8)
- - 0
  - 0
  Brilliant and annoying
  
  Alan Bates plays Butley to perfection as a slob with a wicked sense of humour who seems to poison every relationship. The film is claustrophobic as it's ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 813583
- - a customer
  - Exeter
  - 22 Sep 2009 at 20:49
- - 0
  - 0
  BUTLEY
  
  Alan Bates makes it all worth seeing. Great performance.
  
  Report this review
- 664535
- - a customer
  - Cirencester
  - 26 Nov 2008 at 02:05
- - 0
  - 0
  Customer Review
  
  It's a testament to Simon Gray's skillful writing that he has produced a character so undeserving of sympathy, yet one who elicits so much.
  
  ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 580397
- - a customer
  - UK
  - 23 Jun 2008 at 15:22
View all members' reviews (8)
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Rating breakdown

309 Member ratings

100	29
90	15
80	46
70	43
60	43
50	31
40	33
30	22
20	29
10	18

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- Butley
  
  This adaptation of Simon Gray's BUTLEY was part of the American Film Theatre series, conceived in the 1970s by producer Ely Landau and meant to be shown theatrically just like a play, with tickets sold in advance. Alan Bates stars as Ben Butley, a bitter and repressed English literature professor ...