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The Spongers is a British film of genre Drama directed by Roland Joffé with Christine Hargreaves
The Spongers (1978)
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Add to a movie listThe Spongers is a 1978 television play by Jim Allen which was directed by Roland Joffé and produced by Tony Garnett. First broadcast on 24 January 1978 on BBC 1, it was originally screened as part of the Play for Today series
Set against the backdrop of Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, the play depicts a single mother's struggles as welfare cuts affect the poor and disabled. The derogatory term 'spongers' is used by British tabloid press to describe people who are dependent on welfare support, however the play presents the case of a family who really need the help of welfare support. The title sequence shows the title of the play, 'The Spongers', superimposed over a picture of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, denoting them as 'the real spongers' as Royal finances are paid by British taxpayers. For example, the Queen's official expenditure increased by £200,000 from £32.1m in 2010-11 to £32.3m in 2011-12.
Synopsis
Pauline (Christine Hargreaves), a recently separated single mother-of-four, receives a visit from a bailiff regarding her rent arrears. She is given 15 days to address the issue, yet the bailiff values Pauline's furniture and possessions. This upsets Pauline's daughter, Paula, who has Down's syndrome, and she is comforted by her Auntie Gertie. Meanwhile nearby, Councillor Conway (Bernard Atha) watches preparations for Jubilee celebrations.Actors
Christine Hargreaves
(Pauline)
Bernard Hill
(Sullivan)
Ina Clough
(Deputy Director of Social Services)
Roger Sloman
(Presenting Officer at Tribunal)
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Suggestions of similar film to The Spongers
There are 21 films with the same actors, 13 films with the same director, 60579 with the same cinematographic genres, to have finally 70 suggestions of similar films.If you liked The Spongers, you will probably like those similar films :
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, 1h43Directed by Roland Joffé
Origin France
Genres Drama, Biography, Historical, Romance
Themes Cooking films, Politique, Political films, Histoire de France, Films about royalty
Actors Gérard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Timothy Spall, Julian Glover, Tom Stoppard
Rating65%
The film takes place in 1671. In the prelude to the Franco-Dutch War, a financially struggling Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé is visited by King Louis XIV for three days of festivities at the Château de Chantilly.. The prince wants a commission as a general, and spares no expense in order to impress the king. In charge of organizing the event is François Vatel, Master of Festivities and Pleasures in the prince's household. Vatel is a man of great honor and talent, but of low birth. As the great Condé is prepared to do anything in his quest for stature, the tasks assigned to Vatel are often menial and dishonourable. While Vatel tries to sustain dignity amidst the extravaganza he is meant to orchestrate, he finds himself in love with Anne de Montausier, the king's latest lover, who returns his affections. However, due to their incompatible social standing and the rigid hierarchy of the court, continuing the liaison is clearly impossible. The movie ends with Vatel realizing that he is nothing more than a puppet in the hands of his superiors, bought and sold like a piece of property: he consequently commits suicide. Vatel throws himself on his sword because the roast was not sufficient to feed several unexpected guests, the clouds dulled the fireworks display and he lacked confidence that there would be enough fish for the morning meal. Anne de Montausier is grief-stricken upon hearing the news but she must not speak of it. In doing so, she flees the court quietly and no one ever knew about her and Vatel.
The Forgiven (2018)
, 1h55Directed by Roland Joffé
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Historical
Themes Films about racism
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Rating60%
En 1994, à la fin de l'apartheid, Nelson Mandela nomme l'archevêque Desmond Tutu président de la commission de la vérité et de la réconciliation : aveux contre rédemption. Il se heurte le plus souvent au silence d'anciens tortionnaires. Jusqu'au jour où il est mis à l’épreuve par Piet Blomfield, un assassin condamné à perpétuité. Desmond Tutu se bat alors pour retenir un pays qui menace de se déchirer une nouvelle fois.
You and I (2011)
, 1h40Directed by Roland Joffé
Origin Russie
Genres Drama, Thriller, Romance
Themes Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film, Lesbian-related films
Actors Mischa Barton, Shantel VanSanten, Anton Yelchin, Charlie Creed-Miles, Bronson Pinchot, Helena Mattsson
Rating45%
The film is about Janie Sawyer, an American teenager who is forced to live in Moscow because of her father's job. Janie is trying to escape her lonely life in Moscow through her deep love of music and the internet. Janie and Lana Starkova meet on a fansite for the pop-band t.A.T.u. Trapped in a small Russian town, Lana wants desperately nothing more than to flee her mundane life causing the two girls to develop an instant connection through their love of t.A.T.u.'s music. The two girls adapt one of Lana's poems into a song and post it on the internet. t.A.T.u.'s manager hears the song being played by a corrupt music producer and he loves it. He later contacts the girls, instead of the producer, hoping they will allow t.A.T.u. to record the song without the producer. Janie and Lana's relationship then becomes the catalyst for a series of adventures through both the rock bottom and highlights of Moscow's society.
City of Joy (1992)
, 2h12Directed by Roland Joffé, Paul Verhoeven
Origin France
Genres Drama
Actors Patrick Swayze, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, Art Malik, Pauline Collins, Iftekhar
Rating65%
Hasari Pal (Om Puri) is a rural farmer who moves to Calcutta with his wife (Shabana Azmi) and three children in search of a better life. The Pals do not get off to a very good start: They are cheated out of their rent money and thrown out on the streets, and it's difficult for Hasari to find a job to support them. But the determined family refuses to give up and eventually finds its place in the poverty-stricken city.
There Be Dragons (2011)
, 2h2Directed by Roland Joffé
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Biography, Historical
Themes Films about religion, Political films
Actors Charlie Cox, Wes Bentley, Dougray Scott, Unax Ugalde, Olga Kurylenko, Golshifteh Farahani
Rating56%
Le film raconte l'histoire d'un journaliste espagnol contemporain, Robert, qui essaye de renouer des relations avec son père mourant, Manolo. Ce dernier a participé à la guerre civile espagnole. Le journaliste découvre, petit à petit, à travers son travail de recherche sur la vie de son père, que ce dernier était un ami intime de Josémaria Escriva, avec qui il a eu des relations compliquées. Manolo s'est engagé pendant la Guerre d'Espagne, et est tombé amoureux d'une jeune Hongroise, Ildiko. Celle-ci le rejette et se lie à un chef de la Milice, Oriol. Manolo devient jaloux et s'engage sur les chemins de la trahison. Le début du film se déroule à Rome ; ensuite, une grande partie de l'action se passe en Espagne et la scène finale, très émouvante, à la frontière entre l'Espagne et Andorre.
Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
, 2h7Directed by Roland Joffé
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Historical
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films, Aviation films, Political films, Arme nucléaire
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Rating64%
In September 1942, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers General Leslie Groves (Paul Newman) who oversaw construction of the Pentagon is assigned to head the ultra-secret Manhattan Project, to beat the Germans in building an atomic bomb.
The Mission (1986)
, 2h6Directed by Roland Joffé
Origin United-kingdom
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The film is set in the 1750s and involves Spanish Jesuit priest Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons) who enters the South American jungle to build a mission station and convert a Guaraní community to Christianity. The Guaraní community above the perilous Iguazu Falls has tied a priest to a cross and sent him over the falls to his death. Father Gabriel travels to the falls, climbs to the top, and plays his oboe. The Guaraní warriors, captivated by the music, allow him to live.
The Killing Fields (1984)
, 2h18Directed by Roland Joffé
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, War, Biography, Historical
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Rating77%
In the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh during May 1973, the Cambodian national army is fighting a civil war with the Khmer Rouge, a result of the Vietnam War overspilling that country’s borders. Dith Pran, a Cambodian journalist and interpreter for The New York Times, awaits the arrival of reporter Sydney Schanberg at the city's airport but leaves suddenly. Schanberg takes a cab to his hotel where he meets up with Al Rockoff (John Malkovich). Pran meets Schanberg later and tells him that an incident has occurred in a town, Neak Leung; allegedly, an American B-52 has bombed the town.
The Scarlet Letter (1995)
, 2h15Directed by Roland Joffé
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Historical, Romance, Western
Themes Films about sexuality
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Rating53%
It is 1667 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and an uneasy truce exists between local Puritans and their neighbours, the Algonquian. Chief Metacomet (Eric Schweig) succeeds his father Massasoit as head of the latter just as a new colonist, Hester Prynne (Demi Moore) arrives overseas from England. As Hester waits for her husband - who is due to follow shortly after - she falls for a young minister, Arthur Dimmesdale (Gary Oldman). When it emerges that Roger Prynne has likely been killed by Native Americans, they become inseparable lovers.
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, 1h36Directed by Roland Joffé
Origin USA
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