Adventure in the Hopfields (1954)

“Here now, what about this old tin teapot.. That’s a very different cup of tea.” – Sam Hines

Number of Times Seen – 1 (17 Mar 2019)

Brief Synopsis – A young girl goes on a quest to replace her mother’s favorite porcelain ornament that she accidentally shattered.

My Take on it – This is a film that I knew nothing about before seeing it and actually found the title to seem a bit strange yet decided to see what it was all about regardless.

This is actually an enjoyable film even though nothing really happens in it.

The story moves along at a nice pace, but it’s “simple” premise makes things a bit bland along the way since the viewer expects something more important to happen along the way.

They manage to transport the viewer back to a very innocent and simple time and place and we get to see how people lived in such towns and villages.

The young girls quest to earn some money to buy her mother a new “dog” is shown nicely and things do seem quite realistic despite the blandness of it all.

The film does succeed in trying to show how innocent an existence these people were living and we get to see some nice examples of the kind of lifestyles these people lived as they did all they could in order to make a small and sufficient living in the countryside for themselves and their families.

The climax of the film is the one part where things move a bit faster and they are able to show in that short scene how even in “simple” parts of the world, there can be bullies who will disrupt the quiet way of life that these people seek.

Bottom Line – Pretty mediocre story that doesn’t accomplish much but still is enjoyably to watch unfold. This film is able to transport us back to a very innocent time and place and see how life was like back then. Not much really happens in this story as the young girl moves from place to place trying to find a way to earn enough money to buy a new “dog” for her mother. The innocence of the story is very prevalent throughout and we get to see the simple lifestyle of these people who do all they can to make a small living for themselves in the countryside. The climax stands out among the rest of the film due to the way that they show how bullying can affect things even in a “simple” world.

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – All copies of the film were thought to be lost until an American film fan found a copy in a rubbish skip outside a Chicago television studio. He sold it to a UK enthusiast who showed it for the first time in fifty years on 8 March 2002 in the village hall at Goudhurst, Kent where it was originally filmed. (From IMDB)

Rating – BAFTA Worthy (6/10)