In a small post-war British town, a stolen pig becomes the unlikely centerpiece of a story that skewers class ambition, rationing scandals, and society’s absurd social structures in A Private Function (1984). Directed by Malcolm Mowbray in his feature debut and scripted by Alan Bennett, this film takes a satirical swipe at 1940s Britain with a charm that few comedies have since matched. But what gives this delightfully oddball caper its staying power? It stars the late Maggie Smith in a role that captures her comedic brilliance, alongside Michael Palin in a wickedly eccentric story.
Before diving into the escapades of Gilbert and Joyce Chilvers, let’s take a moment to remember Maggie Smith. Fearless, witty, kind-hearted and blessed with a razor-sharp humor, Smith has gifted us with some of cinema’s most iconic performances. While younger audiences know her as Professor Mcgonagall or the Dowager Countess of Downton Abbey—Violet Grantham, who famously declares, “My dear, a lack of compassion can be as vulgar as an excess of tears”—a line that resonates beyond her fictional estate. Her work with Laurence Olivier on stage made even him tread carefully, aware of her scene-stealing prowess, and she has shone on screen in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Lady in the Van, California Suite and more. In A Private Function, she teams up with Michael Palin to deliver a gem that balances laughs with a scathing look at post-war society.
Written by Alan Bennett, this is his first film screenplay. Bennett, already a master of British theater, brings his knack for nuanced, understated humor here in full force, crafting a script with an edge as sharp as the characters’ motives. The story follows Gilbert Chilvers (Palin), a timid chiropodist, and his ambitious wife, Joyce (Smith), who’s on a mission to elevate the couple’s social standing, come what may.
And what if all it takes to climb the social ladder is a fat (pardon, PC alert: plump), illegal pig? A pig named Betty, to be exact. Smuggled in by some of the town’s elite, including a scheming doctor and a suspicious meat inspector, Betty is destined to become the pièce de résistance of an elite banquet. That is, until Gilbert stumbles upon her and decides to steal the pig to impress his wife. But don’t be fooled into thinking it was easy! The pig, it turns out, didn’t like being “kidnapped,” and, in a moment of unscripted slapstick, ended up in Palin’s lap.
Making a movie with a live pig sounds fun in theory—until the pig refuses to behave. Betty was, in fact, three different pigs, each with a distinct personality, and all prone to causing trouble. As actors later recalled, an unfortunate intern had been dubbed the “bucket boy” and spent his days managing the pigs’ “mishaps.” And one of the pigs even required makeup due to differing skin tones, sending the makeup team running around the set with foundation.
Handmade Films, funded by former Beatle George Harrison originally to help produce Monty Python movies, took a chance on this quirky script. Harrison, who loved Bennett’s wit, even recorded a small voice cameo.
The cast of A Private Function reads like a who’s who of beloved British talent. Maggie Smith’s Joyce is an ambitious yet deeply human character, fallen from a well-to-do family’s tree, torn between duty and social climbing, while Palin’s Gilbert is adorably meek, embodying that stiff-upper-lip humor that only a Monty Python alum could pull off. Their chemistry is electrifying, with Smith’s exasperated eye rolls perfectly complementing Palin’s unassuming naivete and adoration.
Source: IMDB
One of the film’s most memorable scenes features Joyce where the town butcher smashes the door in, right before she could enter the store. The butcher’s shop is closed, no more meat left for the Chilvers. Smith’s reaction is pure magic—a sequence of shock, rage, shame and heartbreak. It is this talent for layering emotions that makes her a joy to watch, and her performance, filled with delicious realism, stands alongside other roles Bennett penned for her, like her episode on Talking Heads and The Lady in the Van.
On the surface, A Private Function is a comedy about a pig heist. But peel back a layer, and it’s a sharp social critique of post-war Britain, where ambition and desperation often led people to extreme measures. The film dives into the class tensions of the era, illustrating the absurd lengths people will go to for social status, even if that means skirting the law. Bennett’s characters—social climbers, bureaucrats, and the occasional black-market schemer—reflect the class and power games of a recovering Britain, and resonate with today’s audience as well. There’s no better symbol of the absurdity of social status and British resilience than a pig dolled up in a dress and hat, trying to evade the local investigator (played by the great Jim Carter). And in the hands of Bennett and Mowbray, these themes never feel heavy-handed but rather are woven into the fabric of the story, masked by charm and humor.
Michael Palin, known for his work with Monty Python, brings a lovable meekness to Gilbert, whose desire to please Joyce often leads him into trouble. Joining the leads is a stellar supporting cast, including the late Richard Griffiths, whose turn as a sensitive accountant is both endearing and hysterically funny. Griffiths later gained fame in Harry Potter, but his role here showcases his knack for blending comedy with warmth. Alison Steadman plays his wife, bringing her own sharp humor to the mix. Pete Postlethwaite, another powerhouse talent, appears in an early role, while Liz Smith as Joyce’s elderly mother, constantly used as Joyce’s go-to excuse, steals every scene with her oblivious honesty. Smith’s late-blooming career, which took off in her 60s, is a testament to the power of persistence – a great source of motivation and hope whether you are an actor or not.
If you are looking for a film that offers laughs, wit, and a touch of history, A Private Function delivers. With Bennett’s brilliant dialogue, and the offbeat directorial debut of Malcolm Mowbray, it is a hidden gem that reminds us how humor can reveal the quirks and complexities of the human experience. And through it all, we remember Dame Maggie Smith, a towering figure in cinema and on stage, whose work continues to inspire laughter, admiration and the courage to be our honest, true selves.
So, why not take an hour and a half to watch a post-war British town go to absurd lengths over a pig? Just don’t expect blue-eyed Betty to behave.
A Private Function is available to watch on The Criterion Channel and can be purchased on Prime Video.
~ by Dora Endre ~
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