SHADOWLANDS
Shadowlands Movie Review
Shadowlands Movie Poster
SHADOWLANDS (1994)
Cast
Anthony Hopkins as C. S. Lewis
Debra Winger as Joy Gresham
Edward Hardwicke as Warnie Lewis
John Wood as Prof. Riley
Directed by
Richard Attenborough
Written by
William Nicholson
Drama, Foreign, Romance
Rated PG
125 minutes
| Roger Ebert
January 7, 1994 |
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For many years his life has followed the same comfortable patterns. He is a teacher and a writer, a pipe-smoking bachelor who lives in his booklined Oxford home with his brother. From his children's books, his science fiction and his pop theology, he has gained a following, and he gives comforting talks about man's place in God's plans. Then the most extraordinary thing takes place. He falls in love.
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"Shadowlands" is the story, based on fact, of an autumnal romance involving the British writer C. S. Lewis and a divorced American woman named Joy Gresham. They met after she wrote him an admiring letter; their correspondence led to her first visit to England, with her young son. Lewis received her as a courtesy, and was so settled in his lifelong professorial routine that he hardly knew what to do when it became clear, even to him, that he was in love.
"Shadowlands" has found two perfect actors to play this unlikely couple, Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger. He is shy sometimes to the point of being tongue-tied; he nods and hems and haws and looks away, and retreats behind formulas of courtesy. She is more direct, an outspoken woman who sometimes surprises him by saying out loud what they have both been thinking, but that he would never have said. She sees at a glance the comfortable rut he is in - the dinners at his college dining hall, the evenings in front of the fire, reading while the wireless provides classical music from the BBC. She isn't out to "catch" him. It's more that he discovers he cannot imagine her going away.
Their courtship is an odd one. He issues invitations lamely, as if sure she will not accept. He is so terrified of marriage that he has to couch his proposal in "practical" terms - if he marries her, she will not be forced to leave Britain. She has to negotiate the clouded waters of university politics, the annual dinners of the college head, the curiosity and pointed questions of his nosy colleagues. When it comes to sex, he hasn't a clue, and she talks him through it: "What do you do when you go to bed?" "I put on my pajamas and say my prayers and get under the covers." "Well, then, that's what I want you to do right now, except that when you get under the covers, I'll be there." Lewis has been confident in his writings and lectures that he knows the purpose of suffering and pain: It is God's way of perfecting us, of carving away the wrong parts, of leaving a soul ready to enter heaven. But when Joy contracts cancer, when she finds herself in terrible pain, he finds he is not at all sure of his theory. And, facing the possibility that they will be parted, together they create an idea of human life on earth that comforts him more than his theories.
"Shadowlands," directed by Richard Attenborough, based on the stage play by William Nicholson, is intelligent, moving and beautifully acted. It understands that not everyone falls into love through the avenue of physical desire; that for some, the lust may be for another's mind, for inner beauty. Anthony Hopkins, who last year in "Remains of the Day" gave a brilliant performance as a closed-off English butler who was afraid to love, here provides a companion performance, of a buttoned-down English intellectual who surprises himself by finding the courage to love.
Debra Winger, not afraid to look less than her best in early scenes (although her beauty glows later on in the film), is no less extraordinary: She projects a quiet empathy in creating Joy Gresham, a woman who has fallen in love with Lewis through his writings. Her character goes through a series of delicate adjustments as she meets him and realizes he is not as contented as he thinks. She believes that making one another happier is one of their purposes on earth.
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Through the Shadowlands: The Love Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman: Brian Sibley
Book
Through the Shadowlands: The Love Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman Paperback – July 1, 2005
by Brian Sibley (Author)
At first glance, they were an unlikely couple: C. S. Lewis, a distinguished author and Oxford scholar, and Joy Davidman, a Jewish-American divorcée, converted Christian, mother of two, and former Communist Party member. But together they walked through life's challenges, persevering despite having their faith tested in the face of suffering and death. This amazing true story reveals the many events that occurred in the lives of two astounding Christians to bring them together and spark their love for each other. Readers will experience both their tender moments and the darkest hours where faith was tested and shaken to its very foundations. More than a biography and more than a love story, this is a moving tribute to a couple whose faith, hope, and love grew through adversity. Previously published as C. S. Lewis Through the Shadowlands
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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3.0 out of 5 starsAn absorbing introduction to Lewis and Davidman's life together
By FaithfulReader.com on August 4, 2005
Format: Paperback
Of the making and reading of books about C.S. Lewis there seemingly is no end. But readers new to Lewis's life will likely appreciate this re-release, retitling, and re-jacketing of THROUGH THE SHADOWLANDS: The Love Story of C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman.
However, reader be warned: the subtitle is a bit misleading. Aside from a brief introduction set after Joy's funeral, the story of their relationship doesn't begin until page 77. Those who have read biographies of C.S. Lewis may wish to skip to this point, since Brian Sibley spends the early pages telling the story of Lewis's childhood, his time as a professor at Oxford and with the Inklings, and his publications. Although it's a good recap of Lewis's life, some of the observations are vague, such as allusions to sexual encounters Lewis had in his youth (mentioned without any further explanation) or the mysterious relationship Lewis developed with a Mrs. Moore and her daughter. Readers likely will want to consult other Lewis biographies and commentaries for more in-depth information.
Once Sibley gets down to the business of the relationship between Lewis and Helen Joy Davidman, things begin to pick up. Davidman, a Jewish convert to Christianity and a divorcee with two young sons, David and Douglas, is a complicated, fascinating person as viewed through Sibley's eyes. Compellingly, he sketches out her childhood years with an authoritarian father who alternately demanded his children respond to commands given on a whistle and then repeatedly slapped them about the face when they disobeyed. Joy was, as Sibley describes her, chubby, nearsighted, and overprotected by her mother. She loved animals, and became increasingly rebellious at home under the domineering influence of her father.
Her solace was books, and Davidman later became a poet, novelist and teacher --- and interestingly enough, a member of the Communist party. Delight in George MacDonald books such as PHANTASTES and THE BACK OF THE NORTH WIND led her to the fantasy novels of Lewis, which would eventually, Sibley explains, point her toward religion and, of course, a marriage to Lewis.
Sibley chronicles in detail Davidman's difficult marriage to the alcoholic philanderer and novelist Bill Gresham and her own maturation as a mother and a writer. It's with this background that he begins the description of her correspondence with Lewis, starting in 1950, their subsequent meetings and relationship, through her diagnosis with cancer and eventual death.
Adeptly, Sibley shows how Lewis is left with his previous writings on pain, suffering, and faith, and the inadequacies of his own words in the face of his grief. "Many of Jack's admirers would have been deeply shocked if they had known that he had even entertained such doubts, or admitted such fears," writes Sibley. Lewis's doubts and sorrow eventually led to
A GRIEF OBSERVED, one of his bestselling books. Sibley's account of the couple's time together, Lewis's response to Davidman's death, and his own acceptance of his illness and approaching demise make the last hundred pages of THROUGH THE SHADOWLANDS an absorbing read.
Sibley does an excellent job smoothly transitioning between excerpted materials and quotes, and his own narrative. However, one of the most serious faults of the books is its lack of crediting specific source material. Although the acknowledgments list the publications Sibley draws from, individual excerpts and quotes are not footnoted or endnoted. For anyone who is already a devotee of all things Lewis, this oversight means they cannot go off on the delightful tangents of extended reading inspired by specific citations. Since this book was originally released in 1985 as C.S. LEWIS: THROUGH THE SHADOWLANDS, it's disappointing that subsequent reprintings haven't included some revision to address this shortcoming.
This might be best read by readers who are newcomers to the life of C.S. Lewis and who desire an overview of his life and marriage, rather than by those already familiar with the numerous books about Lewis's life. With Lewis's THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE making another transition to the big screen in 2005, this will serve as a good introduction to Lewis and Davidman's life together.
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3.0 out of 5 starsThrough The Shadowlands
By AK on July 13, 2005
Format: Paperback
Millions are familiar with the two movie versions and the theatrical drama Shadowlands. Even more people than that have read CS Lewis and will soon see the start of the Narnia saga on the big screen. To gain a greater appreciation of his work and be able to view further depths hidden inside the profound writings that have helped uncounted scores of Christans find their way, read this book. In a manner that almost reads like a novel itself, the author recounts how both Lewis and Joy became the people so adeptly portrayed by Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger. You will see how much they truly loved each other. Even if you are not fan of CS Lewis, it is an incredible romance that will give hope to many who have spent their lives looking for, yet not finding, love.
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5.0 out of 5 starsa gift to the bereaved
By Dione Anderson on November 27, 2005
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I am buying this book again because I gave my last copy to a friend whose son had been killed. I found this book to be the most comforting book I read when my own son was killed. I almost find that strange beause reading lewis has never comforted me but reading ABOUT lewis and his crisis of faith during his loss helped me deal with my own grief.
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4.0 out of 5 starsLoved this book
By C. Moon on October 13, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
AFter watching the movie which I believe was called "Shadowlands", I was anxious to learn more about Jack and Joy. I found "Through the Shadowlands" on Amazon, and ordered it. Although this is a non-fiction book, using the writings of both plus recollections of many friends, I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in C.S. Lewis, his literary as well as his spiritual life. Joy Davidman is also a fascinating person, just about the opposite to Mr. Lewis. The book arrived in good time, and was brand new, as listed.
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4.0 out of 5 starsVery detailed and extensive
By Teresa Affleck on December 14, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
My book club and I read Through the Shadowlands a year ago. Some of us thought there was not enough description of Lewis and Davidman's romance. I agreed, but I loved the extensive back-story of the two marvelous people and how they were shaped before they even met.
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5.0 out of 5 starsAwesome book!!!!!!!!!
By Ransom Lewis on October 13, 2009
Format: Paperback
This was a fantastic book about CS Lewis and his wife Joy. It is all about their lives and then how they met and fell in love. The condition of the book was very good as well. And the cover itself was beautiful!
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5.0 out of 5 starsA great book
By Marion Hurt on August 18, 2010
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This book was a great addition to our church library where we have many of C S Lewis' books. Gives an interesting perspective on his own writings.
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5.0 out of 5 starsIf you've read A Grief Observed, you should definitely read this.
By Kevin Gardner on July 29, 2014
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Thoroughly amazing book. I'd heard of "Jack" Lewis' and Joy Davidman's relationship from bits and pieces, as well as from A Grief Observed, but this book gave me a much clearer understanding of the pairs' trials and strength of their love.
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