Directed by David Evans Music by Malcolm Lindsay | Written by Gwyneth Hughes Cinematography Matt Gray | |
Produced by Joey Attawia
James Burstall
Julie Clark
Amanda Jenks
Jake Lushington Starring Timothy Spall
Brenda Blethyn
Rebekah Staton | ||
Mysterious Creatures is a 2006 British Indie drama, directed by David Evans, and starring Timothy Spall, Brenda Blethyn and Rebekah Staton. It is a true story of a married couple struggling to cope with the demands of their daughter who suffers from Aspergers Syndrome.
Contents
Plot
It is November 2004, and Bill and Wendy Ainscow are struggling to cope with the demands of their daughter, in her 30s and who has Autism. In a desperate attempt to escape, they posted a suicide note to a newspaper and ingested a variety of sleeping pills, walking together into the ocean in the hopes of committing suicide. On this tragic day, Bill lost his life, however Wendy was rescued, leading her to live her life caring for her daughter alone, with no state help, leading her to a second unsuccessful suicide attempt.
The struggles came also from the fact that Lisa refused help to control her condition, and had an addiction to spending money which her parents didn't have on designer shoes and cuddly toys, which would lead to violent outbursts if her demands were not met. Bill had also previously been in prison for stealing £50,000 to pay for his daughter's obsessions.
After the second unsuccessful suicide attempt, both women went on to live the rest of their lives, albeit apart.
Cast
Production
The film was shot on location in London, United Kingdom and Los Cristianos, Spain.
Critical reception
Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have so far all been favourable, however as this is an Indie movie, no professional reviews exist yet.
Accuracy of events
Both Lisa and Wendy were interviewed in depth by the writers beforehand to gain a thorough understanding of the events leading up to Bill's suicide and the following events. Wendy has since seen the movie, and was reportedly very moved by the depiction, however Lisa has declined to see the previews when offered.