The Unexpected Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is a tender love story that older adults will appreciate, reminiscent of Richard Farnsworth in The Straight Story.
When British retiree Harold Fry learns that Queenie, a past friend, is dying, he begins a very unexpected journey—on foot.
“Tell her,” he says into the phone, “Harold Fry is coming.”
And with those words, Harold begins.
In wholly unworthy shoes and no gear beyond a light jacket, he sets out to walk the 474 miles from Kingsbridge to Berwick Upon Tweed. In other words, this elderly man has determined to walk from south-west England to England’s northernmost town.
His wife’s response at his news? “Harold! Have you been drinking?”
But Harold’s life needs this walk and more. He’s a man ruined by grief in a marriage also ruined by grief. As he walks, things don’t grow more cheerful or resolved. No. The walk carries him into the place he ought to go: the painful cause of his and his marriage’s ruination.
Beloved Jim Broadbent plays humble Harold with sincere respect. We believe his understated performance. Broadbent is a familiar character actor whose credits include movies from Iris to Paddington Bear. Dame Penelope Wilton plays wife Maureen with her typical sharpness. This stage actress, with her long career beginning in 1969, is commonly now recognized for her role in Downtown Abbey.
British director Hettie Macdonald is known for TV dramas like Law &Order UK and Doctor Who. The film is based on a 2012 debut novel by British radio writer Rachel Joyce, who won multiple awards, including New Writer of the Year in 2012, for this story.
The film captures a profound sense of spiritual presence. Someone is alive and at work. How else do you explain the play of light and the rise of hope? (Amazon Prime Video)
About the Author
Cynthia Beach authored the 2024 novel, The Surface of Water, and the writing book, Creative Juices for Writers. She co-directs Scriptoria Workshop with Newbery-winner Gary Schmidt. In 2025-6, she will serve as Artist in Residence in Dundee, Scotland.