Produced two years ago for German television, this latest adaptation of “The Shell Seekers” bears a more-than-passing resemblance to the recent Oscar nominee “Atonement,” and not just because both feature Vanessa Redgrave as a woman reminiscing about her war-torn past. It’s also a pure (if decidedly uneven) melodrama, with the central character seeking a measure of redemption — in this case, by bequeathing the happiness that has mostly eluded her to the next generation. Pic fits with Hallmark’s three-hankie brand and showcases Redgrave in another nifty role.
Based on Rosamunde Pilcher’s novel, the story takes place in the 1980s and features Redgrave as Penelope Keeling, the daughter of a renowned artist (Maximilian Schell, seen in flashback). Penelope is recovering from a heart attack, which has prompted her three kids to covetously circle her, realizing that selling grandpa’s paintings could leave them financially secure –sentimental value be damned.
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After her brush with mortality, Penelope also begins reflecting on her life, looking back on a loveless marriage to one soldier and her fling with another during WWII. In the process she travels to the Mediterranean and bonds with a young woman, Antonia (Stephanie Stumph), whose own budding romance offers a glimpse of the passion Penelope briefly tasted but never fully enjoyed.
It’s all pretty standard stuff — especially with “Atonement” as an inevitable, overshadowing comparison — and Penelope’s avaricious offspring border on cartoons. Redgrave nevertheless delivers a fine, flinty performance, and the melancholy ending caps it with a satisfying exclamation point.
Tellingly, an Emmy-nominated version of the book starring Angela Lansbury was produced by the Hallmark Hall of Fame nearly 20 years ago, whereas this project follows a delayed, slightly circuitous path to cable. Take it as a sign that for TV networks, finding commendable telepic fare continues to grow harder.
