Two dying men, one hospital ward, zero patience for sentimentality — Frears makes cancer devastatingly funny.
Acting
Wisdom's dramatic turn shatters his comedy typecasting completely.
Direction
Frears' early TV work, already refusing easy emotional beats.
Writing
Dialogue so sharp you'll laugh at death itself.
Director
Stephen Frears
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Adapted from R.F. Delderfield's 'A Long Way to Go,' this was Frears' second feature-length TV drama after establishing himself at the BBC.
Wisdom's casting was deliberate against-type; he'd spent 30 years as Britain's beloved slapstick clown, making his dramatic deterioration here genuinely shocking to contemporary audiences.
GB
