Downton Abbey has made it to the big screen, and the results are delightfully predictable.
The film begins just as any fan of the TV show would expect: by treating viewers to glimpses of the inner workings of the British estate, upstairs and downstairs, while the iconic theme song plays. Thank goodness nothing has changed.
Downton Abbey doesn’t seem to have skipped a beat since 2015, and it resurrects itself with the same charm that it held during the show’s six-season run. The film, which picks up where the show left off, beat out both Brad Pitt’s Brad Pitt movie and Rambo: Last Blood starring Sylvester Stallone over its opening weekend.
Maggie Smith and other actors in the Downton Abbey franchise may carry much more limited or niche star power, but when the film can offer something unique — an escapist trip full of historical, not present, drama — none of that matters.
With neither prominent celebrities nor the action-violence of many box office hits Downton Abbey still dominated, raking in a $31 million opening weekend in the United States and Canada. Americans appear to be ready for some lighter fare and they’ll enjoy it with some British tea.
The film will likely be underappreciated by those who haven’t watched the show, and adored by those who have. Despite the often melodramatic soap opera-style of the series, the biggest drama here is a coup of the household servants against the royal servants who have tried to usurp their duties during a visit by the king and queen. (This may matter little to viewers who don’t understand the iron grip Mrs. Patmore holds over the kitchen or the butler Mr. Carson’s commitment to his principles.)
There is (spoiler alert)a briefly resolved assassination attempt that seems poised merely to give Tom Branson, the radical socialist turned upper-class son-in-law, something to do. But that’s not the only character arch Tom enjoys, and he, like everyone else, gets a happy ending.
Downton Abbey has all of the best qualities of the characters that fans have come to know and love, though the movie seems too eager to remind you that it’s doing its job. Lady Violet Grantham spits out zingers like she needs them to breathe, and Isobel characteristically can’t resist the urge to retort. (“Will you have enough clichés to get you through the visit?” Violet asks, to which Isobel responds, “If not, I’ll come to you.”) Cue the chuckles throughout the theater.
The film’s self-awareness would be off-putting if it weren’t so satisfying. Does it let old relationships flourish while introducing new ones that fans had hoped would arrive? Of course. No one is pretending the film’s raison d’être extends beyond fan service. In fact, it’s winking at the audience all the way.
In the closing moments, when the characters gather at one last glittering fete to celebrate the king and queen, Lady Cora Crawley says to her husband, “I love our adventures.” As the residents of Downton whirl around the room, Lord Grantham responds, as if turning toward the audience, “But isn’t it fun when they’re over?”
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