Displaying items by tag: Philippa Lowthorpe

H IS FOR HAWKE

UK, 2026, 109 minutes, Colour.

Clare Foy, Brendan Gleeson, Lindsay Duncan, Denise Gough, Josh Dylan, Sam Spruell.

Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe.

This film is a biography, based on a memoir by scientist and academic, Helen McDonald. The main action takes place in 2007.

While H is for Hawke, it also is for Helen and it is also a letter for Hunter. In the beginning of the film, Helen is on her way to Cambridge University and contacts her photojournalist father to say that she had seen two hawks in-flight. This will become important for her because, as she goes to lunch with a friend, she receives a phone call to say that her father has died. Her father is played by Brendan Gleeson and he will appear in many of the flashbacks in Helen’s memories.

Helen is played by Clare Foy, well-known for her appearance in the series, The Queen. Helen is a very serious young woman, interest in science, interested in her students, walking them to a pub and explaining the history of the area. But, we realise that she is emotionally devastated by the death of her father, becoming more and more depressed. She has been offered a prestigious position in Berlin, she delays, taking refuge in purchasing a goshawk, a hunting hawk, living quietly at home with it, spending hours patiently training it, eventually achieving some success but finding a powerfully strong bond with her hawk, Mabel.

For audiences who enjoy nature, many scenes of the countryside, many scenes with the birds, the hawk, flying, predatory, hunting – which draws some criticism when she leads a seminar, the audience testing her about life and death cycles, animal cruelty, nature red in tooth and claw…

What brings greater humanity to audience appreciation of Helen are the many scenes of flashbacks with her father, genial, usually with coat and tie no matter what commission, photographing bridges over the Thames, sharing an exhilaration with his daughter. Her mother, Lindsay Duncan, is sympathetic and there is her brother, the organising of the father’s funeral and, ultimately, her eulogy.

Given the events shown here in 2007, Helen being very much depressed, very much the recluse, it is surprising to find that she did have the energy and peace of mind to actually write a memoir and to serve, some decades later, as a producer of this film.

1. The title, H also for Hunter, and H for Helen? A memoir?
2. 2007, Cambridge, the university colleges, chapels, the academic world, the accommodation? The musical score?
3. The portrait of Helen McDonald, 2007, science, academic achievement, fellowship, prospects to go to Berlin, the group and taking them to the pub, the historical lecture on the way? Phone call to her father, her looking at the Hawks and describing them to him? Her friendship with Christina, going out for the meal, the phone call, her father’s death?
4. The personality of Helen, introverted, love signs, love of nature, devotion to her father? Love for her mother? Relationship with her brother and her niece – especially to the visit to see Mabel?
5. The impact of her father’s death, sadness, a strong bond with her father, the memories, the flashbacks, as a little girl, later looking through the photo archive with him, the expeditions with him, the origin of the Thames? The effect of the memories on her, British, stiff upper lip, internalising the grief, not manifesting it to others?
6. The personality of her father, large, boisterous, wearing the tire, the camera, jumping out of the car as an accident scene, taking risks, laughing, encouraging his daughter, in his wife visiting Cambridge, looking at the books and smelling them, a larger-than-life character?
7. The personality of her mother, loving, devoted, concerned? Her brother, his family?
8. The later diagnosis of depression, Helen and dealing with depression, seclusion, clothes, leaving the house untidy, forgetting appointments, interaction with the faculty, her prospects in Berlin?
9. Her friend with the Hawks, visiting him, arranging the buying of the Hawke, the argument with the man, her choice? The sequences of training the Hawke, naming her Mabel, in the house, on Helen’s wrist, food, calling her, Christina’s visit, the destruction, Mabel and her flight, success? How her taking to her friend, the various stages of her flying, hunting, killing the rabbit, returning? The sense of achievement, and companionship for Helen?
10. Going to the functions, with Mabel, the polite conversations? Christina reminding her of the seminar, her speech, formal, the interjection, the criticism of hunting, persistence and criticism, Helen’s reaction, replies, nature, hunting, survival, death for everyone?
11. The preparation for the funeral, the meeting with the undertakers, laughing and the themed coffins? Her agreement to do the eulogy?
12. Steve, a good friend, the house, finding Helen on the floor with Mabel, reviving her, cleaning up, encouraging her?
13. Helen, getting help, talking, understanding her situation?
14. The eulogy, the slides, her affirmation of her father, tears, the response of the family and congregation?
15. The aftermath, admitted depression, living with her grief, the experience with Mabel? Letting her go for six months, Helen’s future – and the fact that she wrote a memoir and was a producer on the film?