A butler who sacrificed body and soul to service in the years leading up to World War II realizes too late how misguided his loyalty was to his lordly employer.
Rule bound head butler Stevens' (Sir Anthony Hopkins') world of manners and decorum in the household he maintains is tested by the arrival of housekeeper Miss Kenton (Dame Emma Thompson), who falls in love with him in pre-World War II Britain. The possibility of romance and his master's cultivation of ties with the Nazi cause challenge his carefully maintained veneer of servitude.—Keith Loh <[email protected]>
Approximately a quarter century in the lives of James Stevens (Sir Anthony Hopkins) and Sarah Benn née Kenton (Dame Emma Thompson), called Sally in the most casual of circumstances, is presented. The bulk of their story takes place in the first few years after their meeting in the 1930s when Mr. Stevens, who has worked this entire period as the butler at Darlington Hall in Oxfordshire, hires Miss Kenton as the new housekeeper for Lord Darlington's (James Fox's) stable of servants. The story focuses on their relationship as co-worker servants, with Mr. Stevens' position as head of the manor servant staff. An epilogue of sorts is also presented in the 1950s after a twenty year separation and a seven year period of non-correspondence, where Mr. Stevens, still at Darlington Hall working as butler for its new owner, retired American Representative Jack Lewis (Christopher Reeve), goes to visit now separated Mrs. Benn where she now lives in Clevedon in the west country to ask her to return to service at Darlington Hall. Representative Lewis bought the manor following Lord Darlington's death, his life, which eventually was mired in scandal regarding his geopolitical work before, during, and after the war. That relationship between Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton is dictated largely by Mr. Stevens' priority on what he sees as proper decorum in their work, which results in him largely hiding his emotions from everyone, while Miss Kenton, who still does her job as good as any housekeeper, wants Mr. Stevens to come out from that decorum which may make him an even better butler. As feelings start to develop between the two, that wall of decorum that Mr. Stevens has built may prevent anything from happening, especially fraternization between staff has largely been frowned upon by both of them as a disruption to the household.—Huggo
It is the late 1950s and, due to the death of Lord Darlington (James Fox), Darlington Hall has just been bought by Jack Lewis (Christopher Reeve), an American. On the staff of the hall is the head butler, James Stevens (Sir Anthony Hopkins). Through his eyes we see the what took place in the hall over the last twenty-five years or so, including the lead-up to World War II, Stevens' undying devotion to his job and master and his relationship with the housekeeper, Miss Kenton (Dame Emma Thompson).—grantss
During the 1930s, James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) serves as a proper English butler to the doltish Lord Darlington (James Fox). Stevens is so dedicated that he forgoes visiting his father on his deathbed in order to serve, and overlooks Darlington's Nazi sympathies and growing anti-Semitism. Twenty years after his employer's death, Stevens tries to reconnect with Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), Darlington's head housekeeper, and begins to regret his loyalty to his former master.—FilmsNow
In 1958 postwar Britain, Mr James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins), the butler of Darlington Hall, receives a letter from Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), who worked with him as housekeeper during the years prior to the Second World War.
Lord Darlington (James Fox) the Earl of Darlington, has died a broken man, his reputation destroyed by his prior to Second World War support of Nazi Germany. His stately country manor has been sold to a retired American Congressman, Mr. Lewis (Christopher Reeve). The manor was huge and did not receive a buyer (as nobody wanted a manor belonging to a "traitor") and the plan was to break it up and sell the stone for 5000 pounds. But Lewis stepped in and saved the estate at the auction, by buying the best art pieces of the manor and the manor itself.In her letter, Kenton reveals that her marriage has failed and that she is nostalgic for the days when she worked at the house.
Stevens, now one of the few remaining servants from the Darlington era, goes to visit Miss Kenton, to persuade her to return to service. Stevens takes permission from Lewis, who allows him the use of his precious Daimler. Steven says that the manor is woefully understaffed, and Kenton would make a splendid addition before the arrival of Lewis' family from the states.
Flashback to the 1930's when Kenton arrived as housekeeper. At the time, Darlington Hall was frequented by many politicians of the interwar period, men who decided important affairs of state while there. Stevens, loyal and perfectionist, calm and efficient, had to manage the household so that the servants seemed almost invisible, and he took great pride in his skills and his profession.Stevens interviewed Kenton and explained that there were to be no gentlemen callers and no consorting with the rest of the staff.
He clashed with Miss Kenton, his equal in the household hierarchy, but displayed only understated irritation with her and others. Indeed, his utter focus and emotional repression were most fully displayed when his own father Mr William Stevens (Peter Vaughan), was also employed at the manor as an employee. Stevens refuses to acknowledge that his father, now an under-butler, is no longer able to perform his duties. Stevens takes exception when Kenton addresses his father by his Christian name, but Kenton defends saying that it is normal custom for under butlers to be called by their first name.
Kenton points out Stevens Sr. failings to Stevens on multiple occasions, and on one Lord Darlington himself saw sweat from Stevens Sr falling into the tea he was serving the guests. Stevens only accepted the issue when Stevens Sr. tripped and fell flat on the ground while serving tea to Darlington and his guests.Darlington tells Stevens that the upcoming conference is crucial for the fate of Europe and asks him to remove Stevens Sr. from the serving staff. Stevens Sr. reacts badly when he is assigned to cleaning duties at the manor.
As the conference begins, Stevens finds his father collapsed with his cleaning tools in one of the service corridors of the manor. The doctor tells Stevens that his father is dying.Displaying total professionalism, Stevens carries on as his father lies dying during Darlington's conference of like-minded fascist-sympathizing British and European aristocrats including French Ambassador Dupont D'Ivry (Michael Lonsdale) and Lewis.
Lord Darlington used his influence to broker the policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany, based on his belief that Germany had been unfairly treated by the Treaty of Versailles following World War I. Darlington proposes allowing the rearmament of Germany, saying that a strong Germany is in Europe's favor.He irritated Congressman Lewis, one of the dignitaries at a conference, who argued in favor of the foreign policy being conducted by "professionals" rather than by "gentlemen amateurs".While Stevens was attending guests at dinner, Kenton informs him that his father passed away.
Miss Kenton was equally efficient and strong-willed but warmer and less repressed. Relations between the two eventually warmed and Kenton even teased Stevens. She catches him reading a romance novel, which he explains is to improve his vocabulary, asking her not to invade his privacy again.It becomes clear that she had fallen in love with him, and perhaps he with her, though his feelings are left ambiguous. She tried to break through the wall, but Stevens' coldness was too formidable.
After reading the work of Houston Stewart Chamberlain, Lord Darlington commanded that two German-Hebrew maids should be dismissed, considering their employment inappropriate. Stevens carried out the order, but Miss Kenton almost resigned in protest, fearing that the girls would have to return to Germany. Her own need for employment caused her to avoid following through. Darlington later regretted his decision and asked Stevens to reinstate the maids, but they could not be located.Later Stevens is unable to answer an aristocratic guest's questions on global trade and politics, which the aristocrat claims to demonstrate the lower classes' ignorance and inability to govern themselves.
Finally, Kenton struck up a relationship with co-worker Tom Benn (Tim Pigott-Smith) and married him, leaving the house just before the outbreak of World War II. Before her departure, she insulted Stevens, clearly out of distress that he had never expressed any emotional interest in her, but he still refused to be moved. When she cried in frustration, the only response he could muster was to call her attention to a domestic task.
Lord Darlington's godson, journalist Reginald Cardinal (Hugh Grant), arrives on the day of a secret meeting at Darlington Hall between the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain (Frank Shelley), and the German ambassador, Joachim Von Ribbentrop (Wolf Kahler). Appalled by his godfather's role in seeking appeasement for Nazi Germany, Cardinal tells Stevens that Darlington is being used by the Nazis, but Stevens feels it is not his place to judge his employer.
Darlington eventually died a broken man, his reputation destroyed after he had been denounced a traitor in the Daily Mail.En route to meeting Kenton in 1958, Stevens is mistaken for the gentry at a pub. Doctor Carlisle, a local GP, helps him refuel the Daimler and deduces that he is actually a manservant, asking his thoughts about Lord Darlington's actions. Denying having even met him, Stevens later admits to having served and respected him, but Darlington confessed that his Nazi sympathies had been misguided and naive.
Stevens declares that, although Lord Darlington was unable to correct his error, he is attempting to correct his own. He meets Kenton, who has separated from her husband and runs a boarding house on the coast. She and Stevens reminisce that Lord Darlington died from a broken heart after suing a newspaper for libel, losing the suit and his reputation, and Stevens mentions that Cardinal was killed in the war.
Kenton, now Mrs Benn, declines to resume her position at Darlington Hall, wishing to remain near her pregnant daughter and, despite years of unhappiness, thinking about going back to her husband. Stevens supposes they may never meet again, and they part fondly but are both quietly upset, Miss Kenton visibly tearful as her bus pulls away.
Stevens returns to Darlington Hall, where Lewis asks if he remembers the old days, and Stevens replies that he was too busy serving. The two men free a pigeon from the house, and it flies away, leaving Stevens and Darlington Hall far behind.
