He's an alcoholic, fresh out of rehab. and the pairing of Ralph Fiennes as Bernard Lafferty, her trusted butler and confidante is quite interesting. A mere six years later, he was inheriting her fortune. An earlier miniseries, Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke, had been aired by CBS in February 1999 to less critical acclaim than the later Balaban film. Doris Day (Susan Sarandon) meets Bernard Lafferty (Ralph Fiennes) for the first time. If we for example, compare this to the mediocre Lauren Bacall version, which does not portray Lafferty as human, rather as a murderous bottom-feeder. A portrait of Lord Longford, a tireless British campaigner whose controversial beliefs often resulted in furious political debate and personal conflict. Empty 8-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 HBO In the case of Doris Duke and Bernard Lafferty, little is known but much is imagined. Set in 1930s Shanghai, where a blind American diplomat develops a curious relationship with a young Russian refugee who works odd -- and sometimes illicit -- jobs to support members of her dead husband's aristocratic family. In 1987, Doris Duke, considered the wealthiest woman in the world, hires Bernard Lafferty, who lists Elizabeth Taylor and Peggy Lee as former employers on his résumé, as her majordomo. The icy and mercurial Duke fires her butler for serving a chilled cantaloupe; the agency sends Lafferty, formerly household staff to Liz Taylor and to Peggy Lee. Check back often for new releases and additions. Dominick Dunne and Calvin Trillin are seen briefly in cameo appearances as board members. Tobacco heiress Doris Duke (Susan Sarandon) develops an unlikely friendship with her butler, Bernard Lafferty (Ralph Fiennes). Let our editors help you find what's trending and what's worth your time. In mid-1800s England, Oscar is a young Anglican priest, a misfit and an outcast, but with the soul of an angel. During the production of Bernard and Doris, Pony Duke and Jason Thomas, the authors of Too Rich: The Family Secrets of Doris Duke (1996), threatened Balaban with a suit for copyright infringement. He assures Doris, who immediately suspects the truth, he is capable of performing his duties without any problems. What the movie does provide is a rare indulgence in long, quiet scenes between the leads, which serve both as a showcase for the actors and a reminder as to how undercooked the script is. [4], 2006 television film directed by Bob Balaban, Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film, Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie, Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Miniseries or a Movie, Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie, Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Female Actor - Miniseries or Television Film, "Controversy follows Doris Duke, new biopic", "Very Rich, and Very Different From You and Me", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bernard_and_Doris&oldid=1012884680, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Dominick Dunne, Thomas J. McGrath, Gene Parseghian, Henry Schleiff, Calvin Trillin as Board Members, Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special (Hugh Costello, nominee), Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Alex Wurman, nominee), Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie (Mauricio Rubinstein, nominee), Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes in a Miniseries or Movie (Joseph G. Aulisi and Autumn Saville, nominees), Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyles in a Miniseries or Movie (Robin Day and Milton Buras, nominees), This page was last edited on 18 March 2021, at 21:23. Sympathetic look loosely based on the relationship between tobacco heiress, Doris Duke (1912-1993) - think Duke University - and her shy butler, Bernard Lafferty. Sympathetic look loosely based on the relationship between tobacco heiress, Doris Duke (1912-1993) - think Duke University - and her shy butler, Bernard Lafferty. You don't fuck me, you don't steal from me. . Doris encourages him to tone down his severe dress and wear brighter colors. For reasons unknown, these HBO movies never seem to look very good on DVD, and Bernard was another mediocre transfer.. Sharpness was up and down, though the movie usually offered good delineation. Watchlist Added Bernard and Doris is a 2006 film directed by Bob Balaban. He explains a six-month gap in his employment history was due to "health issues," a euphemism for time spent in rehab to deal with his addiction to alcohol. He's an alcoholic, fresh out of rehab. I got lots of laughs from it, but also saw how much Bernard just wanted to do was take good care of Doris until she died, which he did. Bernard And Doris The story of Irish butler Bernard Lafferty, who inherited the fortune of tobacco heiress Doris Duke after working as her loyal servant for years. Sympathetic look loosely based on the relationship between tobacco heiress, Doris Duke (1912-1993) – think Duke University – and her shy butler, Bernard Lafferty. Watch Bernard and Doris starring Susan Sarandon in this Drama on DIRECTV. So what do you want from me? ", to which Bernard answers, "I want to take care of you, Miss Duke.". I told Pony not to go." As a boy, even though from a strict Pentecostal family, he felt God told him ... See full summary ». You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. In order to humor her—and to indulge his own proclivities—Bernard wears her makeup, jewelry, and haute couture and begins to affect a more feminine demeanor. With a wine cellar to die for, Bernard falls off the wagon. The film premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival on October 17, 2007 and was broadcast by HBO on February 9, 2008. With a wine cellar to die for, Bernard falls off the wagon. As much as Bernard and Doris is a love story, then, it is also a study of the difficulties of class and sex, the ways that both complicate and sometimes damage intimacy. Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes deliver riveting performances in this intimate 'HBO Films' drama that tells the hypothetical story of these two disparate characters who went on to form the unlikeliest of friendships. Doris begins to take Bernard with her on her world tours and convinces him to pierce his ear. With a wine cellar to die for, Bernard falls off the wagon. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? However there was a tenderness and relationship which seemed to have developed between the two. The teleplay by Hugh Costello is a semi-fictionalized account of the relationship that developed between socialite heiress and philanthropist Doris Duke and her self-destructive Irish butler Bernard Lafferty later in her life. RATING 7 / 10. Her feelings for her son's tutor becomes a complex web of unrequited love. This FAQ is empty. Too extreme, and probably unrealistic.Yes, Ms. Duke did apparently have a very unusual life, but we see her here, as Sarandon plays here, she also enjoyed and cherished life. Can he pull himself together when Doris needs him? However, their situation slowly evolves into a more emotionally intimate but non-physical relationship as Doris returns from a plastic surgery center one evening, drunk and on painkillers, and is aided by Bernard who stays with her through the night. Doris teaches Bernard about horticulture, especially the care of orchids, and he takes control of the operation of her various households during her frequent long absences. Written by Stream new movie releases and classic favorites on HBO.com or on your device with an HBO app. Stream Bernard and Doris (HBO) on HBO Max. The first time his sexuality is questioned is when he peers at Doris's much younger lover playing the piano in his underwear. Can he pull himself together when Doris needs him? In 1987, Doris Duke, considered the wealthiest woman in the world, hires Bernard Lafferty, who lists Elizabeth Taylor and Peggy Lee as former employers on his résumé, as her majordomo. One can see why HBO would gamble on such a modest pickup based on the names attached. In the greenhouse, Doris flirts with him, telling him belly dancing is a form of seduction and then performing a dance for him. Sympathetic look loosely based on the relationship between tobacco heiress, Doris Duke (1912-1993) - think Duke University - and her shy butler, Bernard Lafferty. We see her working fervently on her orchids, all the foundations she was passionate about, and her general intelligence. Title: Sympathetic look loosely based on the relationship between tobacco heiress, Doris Duke and her shy butler, Bernard Lafferty. Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke-Wikipedia According to the NY Daily News, "Balaban says his movie is quite different from the TV flick (whose makers optioned the book title) and that he had nothing to do with IMDB.com's posting." The story of the twilight years of tobacco billionairess Doris Duke and her relationship with her gay butler, to whom she left her entire fortune. [3], Brian Lowry of Variety called the film "a not-very-compelling two-character piece with showy moments for Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes but not much else to recommend it . Bernard and Doris, Balaban explained, was entirely based on public records. It is possible to achieve your goals. Based largely on the book The Richest Girl in the World by Stephanie Thomas and a series of Vanity Fair articles by Bob Colacello, it also listed the Duke-Thomas book in the credits. The icy and mercurial Duke fires her butler for serving a chilled cantaloupe; the agency sends Lafferty, formerly household staff to Liz Taylor and to Peggy Lee. He gradually becomes Duke's gay alter ego as she romps through life sleeping with young men, making shrewd decisions quickly, managing her fortune and orchids as Lafferty manages her New Jersey estate. Lafferty became the maître d' at The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. Bernard and Doris dxvdtpa013; … Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. A soldier recounts his relationship with a famous political prisoner attempting to overthrow their country's authoritarian government. Lafferty emigrated to the United States to live with his aunt in Philadelphia around 1980. However, Taft encourages Doris to hire a live-in nurse. For Sarandon, Doris is a slightly less shrewish version of the evil queen she just played in Enchanted, while Fiennes is a model of restraint . Doris suffers a stroke, and Bernard returns to take full control of her life. Rather than dismiss him, as she always has done with employees who displeased her in the past, Doris has him committed for more rehab at her expense despite his having consumed large amounts of her expensive, vintage wines. In 1987, a middle-aged Irish butler fresh out of rehab arrived on the doorstep of tobacco heiress Doris Duke. I have read the biography "Too Rich, the story of Doris Duke", and this film seems by far, more accurate and even amusing (as life often is). Viewers are then told that he died from complications related to his alcoholism three years later. Bernard tentatively informs her that he "swings in the other direction." As Bernard moves in, the viewer can quickly tell he is a little neurotic, first putting portraits of his former employers, Taylor and Lee, in his bedroom, then informing the rest of the staff he is now "Miss Duke's eyes and ears" and demanding they listen to him. 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