Waterland

Carter's Notes

This film departs from the book on which it's based in various ways, the most unfortunate being that it moves the present-day story from England to Pittsburgh. One can only assume this was supposed to appeal to an American audience, but the story is so deeply soaked in the Fens of East Anglia that this trick robs the film of its soul.

None of this is to take away from Stephen Gyllenhaal's direction and the acting of Jeremy Irons and the cast, but I chose to place the music firmly in England, so that even the present-day scenes are largely scored with a hint of World War I Britain, including choir and mechanical instruments of the period.

Lena Heady

Sinead Cusack and Jeremy Irons

Film Info

Directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal
Written by Graham Swift (novel) and Peter Prince
Produced by Patrick Cassavetti, Ira Deutchman, Katy McGuinness, Nik Powell, Stephen Wooley

Composed by Carter Burwell
Music Editor: Kevin Lane
Recorded and mixed at Edison Recording, New York City

Starring Jeremy Irons, Sinead Cusack, Ethan Hawke, Grant Warnock, Lena Headey, John Heard

Released September, 1992