For the book by Russell Hoban, see Turtle Diary (novel).

Turtle Diary
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Irvin
Screenplay byHarold Pinter
Based onTurtle Diary
by Russell Hoban
Produced byRichard Johnson
Starring
CinematographyPeter Hannan
Edited byPeter Tanner
Music byGeoffrey Burgon
Distributed byRank Film Distributors[1]
Release date
  • 29 November 1985 (1985-11-29) (UK)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2.2 million

Turtle Diary is a 1985 British film directed by John Irvin and starring Glenda Jackson, Ben Kingsley, and Michael Gambon. Based on a screenplay adapted by Harold Pinter from Russell Hoban's novel Turtle Diary, the film is about "people rediscovering the joys of life and love".[2] The film contains elements of romance, comedy, and drama and has been described as a romantic comedy.[3]

Plot

Two lonely Londoners – Neaera Duncan, a children's author (Glenda Jackson), and William Snow, a bookstore assistant (Ben Kingsley) – find common ground when visiting the sea turtles at London Zoo. Independently, each perceives that the turtles are unnaturally confined, and they hatch a plan with the assistance of zookeeper George Fairbairn (Michael Gambon) to smuggle them out and release them into the sea.

Their release of the turtles is a metaphor for their escape from their inhibitions.

Cast

  • Glenda Jackson as Neaera Duncan, a "Popular children's author … fearing her creative talents have evaporated, [who] escapes into the dreamy world of sea turtles seeking inspiration in their beauty and grace."[4]
  • Ben Kingsley as William Snow, "a humble assistant in a bookstore where he, too, dreams of the turtles."[4]
  • Richard Johnson as Mr. Johnson, a neighbor of Neaera Duncan
  • Michael Gambon as George Fairbairn, the zookeeper charged with caring for the turtles
  • Jeroen Krabbé as Mr. Sandor, a neighbor of William Snow
  • Rosemary Leach as Mrs. Charlie Inchcliff, Williams Snow's landlady
  • Eleanor Bron as Miss Neap, a neighbor of William Snow
  • Harriet Walter as Harriet Simms, a colleague of William Snow at the bookstore
  • Nigel Hawthorne as the publisher of books by Neaera Duncan

Harold Pinter has a cameo role as a man in the bookshop where William and Harriet work.

Production

The film was made by United British Artists.[5]

Critical reception and analysis

In his 1985 review of the film for The Sunday Telegraph, David Castell observes that Pinter's screenplay concentrates on developing dialogue and plot, leaving clues for the actors to convey their characters' subtle emotional and psychological development: "It is hard to think of two actors better matched to play Pinter than Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley. They milk every nuance, point up every missed beat and relish each irony and repetition in the script… Turtle Diary is a fine film that charts movingly the unnoticed despair of everyday lives, the sufferings of those who endure loneliness in silence."[2] The Washington Post gave the film a positive review, describing it as a "quietly optimistic chamber comedy by Harold Pinter, whose script is delicately acted by Ben Kingsley and Glenda Johnson as two lonely Londoners living lives of quiet desperation and all that."[6]

The film grossed $2.2 million on its American theatrical release. It was one of the most successful films from United British Artists.[5] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 11 critics' reviews are positive.[7]

Home video

The film was released on videocassette in 1985 by Vestron Video. The film has not been released on DVD.

Notes

  1. ^ "Turtle Diary (1985)". BBFC. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b Castell, David (1 December 1985). "Review of Turtle Diary". Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 22 March 2009 – via HaroldPinter.org.
  3. ^ Canby, Vincent (14 February 1986). "SCREEN: 'TURTLE DIARY,' WITH PINTER SCREENPLAY". The New York Times. p. C8. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Turtle Diary (1985)(VHS): Editorial reviews: Product Description". Amazon. Retrieved 6 April 2009. Critically hailed as a mini-masterpiece, TURTLE DIARY is the enchanting film of people rediscovering the joys of life and love. … Outside of their chance meetings at the aquarium, they have little in common, but an inspiration to free the captive turtles starts a bond that gives their lives a new outlook. The 'turtlenappers' are about to set their own spirits free.
  5. ^ a b Vagg, Stephen (2 February 2026). "Not Quite Movie Star and Forgotten British Mogul: Richard Johnson". Filmink. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  6. ^ Brown, Joe (28 February 1986). "'Turtle Diary': Gleaming Lament". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  7. ^ "Turtle Diary". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 7 October 2021. Edit this at Wikidata