THE GHOST OF GREVILLE LODGE is another British ghost story aimed at young audiences. Apparently based on a novel, it's an entirely derivative work about a troubled young man who comes to stay at an ancestral home and soon finds himself dreaming memories of past events from half a century previously.
The story has much in common with the likes of MOONDIAL, FROM TIME TO TIME, TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN, THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE, and THE CHILDREN OF GREEN KNOWE, and dare I say it, is a bit of a rip-off. Everything feels derivative and familiar. Even worse, it's also a very cheap film that looks like it was made for TV, although the IMDb doesn't indicate that this was so.
The big surprise here is that THE GHOST OF GREVILLE LODGE turns out to be not bad, despite all the problems. The plot keeps you watching and the social and class issues raised remain interesting. The historical milieu is particularly of interest, but one of the best things about the production is the setting of Chavenage House in Gloucestershire. This old building has plenty of atmosphere and ends up a character in itself. Casting wise, the film is adequate, hugely benefiting from the presence of a pair of old timers, George Cole and Prunella Scales, who make a nice double act. This might not be the best of its type, but it's an amiable timewaster all the same.
The story has much in common with the likes of MOONDIAL, FROM TIME TO TIME, TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN, THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE, and THE CHILDREN OF GREEN KNOWE, and dare I say it, is a bit of a rip-off. Everything feels derivative and familiar. Even worse, it's also a very cheap film that looks like it was made for TV, although the IMDb doesn't indicate that this was so.
The big surprise here is that THE GHOST OF GREVILLE LODGE turns out to be not bad, despite all the problems. The plot keeps you watching and the social and class issues raised remain interesting. The historical milieu is particularly of interest, but one of the best things about the production is the setting of Chavenage House in Gloucestershire. This old building has plenty of atmosphere and ends up a character in itself. Casting wise, the film is adequate, hugely benefiting from the presence of a pair of old timers, George Cole and Prunella Scales, who make a nice double act. This might not be the best of its type, but it's an amiable timewaster all the same.