An Englishman returns after nine years abroad and tells strange stories of the tiny people of Lilliput, the giants of Brobdingnag, the flying island Laputa and the Houyhnhnms, a race of inte... Read allAn Englishman returns after nine years abroad and tells strange stories of the tiny people of Lilliput, the giants of Brobdingnag, the flying island Laputa and the Houyhnhnms, a race of intelligent horses.An Englishman returns after nine years abroad and tells strange stories of the tiny people of Lilliput, the giants of Brobdingnag, the flying island Laputa and the Houyhnhnms, a race of intelligent horses.
- Won 5 Primetime Emmys
- 11 wins & 15 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the only screen version of Jonathan Swift's 1726 novel "Gulliver's Travels" to adapt all four of its parts.
- GoofsWhen Dr. Bates is tearing pages from Gulliver's journal and throwing them on the fire the pages change position between shots.
- Quotes
Emperor of Lilliput: Good plans, boys, but I don't think we should actually murder him. You were so keen on killing Mother last year and now I miss her dreadfully. You're both too impulsive!
- ConnectionsFeatured in That's Showbusiness: Episode #8.11 (1996)
All the villains are equally well cast: James Fox, Edward Fox, Peter O'Toole, Warwick Davis, John Standing, etc. Despite the fact that most of them are either tiny people or giants, they are 100% believable in everything they do and their motivations are very clear e.g. the Lilliputians' unremitting suspicion of Gulliver, Grildrig the (giant) dwarf's hatred of him for usurping his position as court jester, Dr. Bates' attempt to have Gulliver proved insane so he can marry Mary.
Mary Steenburgen is great as Mary Gulliver (another 17th Century English character with an American accent but never mind). She is a deeply tormented character because she has been waiting nine years for her husband to return home and when he finally does, he is talking about tiny people, giants, a flying island and talking horses! Mary, despite the strong fantasy element in the story, is a very believable character.
The special effects are breathtaking especially when you consider that it was filmed on a television scale at a time when CGI was in its infancy. It looks very realistic when we see a 6 foot tall man walking through a city filled with people who are 6 inches tall.
The cameos are great as well: Omar Sharif, Richard Wilson, Sir John Gielgud, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ned Beatty. All great actors who create a strong supporting cast that complement Danson's superb acting ability.
The Houynhnhms and the Yahoos are probably the most effective element of the story on the satire side of things: a society of talking horses who do not possess any of the vices that humans have while the Yahoos are primitive, disgusting humans who mate forcefully and appoint their leader depending on how disgusting he is. Gulliver and Mistress' study of them is also very well done and displays the differences and similarities between humans and Yahoos.
The best version of "Gulliver's Travels" by far and one of the best mini-series ever.
- GusF
- Jun 5, 2005
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- The English Programme - Unit 56: Gulliver's Travels
- Filming locations
- Monserrate Palace, Sintra, Portugal(Balnibarbi palace)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 33 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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