Hay Fever (1984)

Set in 1920s England, an eccentric actress (Penelope Keith) and her novelist husband (Paul Eddington) and their spoiled grown up children (Phoebe Nicholls, Michael Siberry) each invite a guest down for the weekend. Chaos ensues. Based on the 1925 play by Noel Coward and directed by Cedric Messina. The family at the core of Coward's play are a collection of rather self absorbed shallow upper class "artistic" Brits. The humor in the play, if done correctly, comes in their obliviousness that they're quite obnoxious. If not done properly, they come across as charmless snobs. The problem here is not with Coward's play but the actors (save one) who seem to be content just twittering away "clever" dialog and bon mots and let the dialog do the work for them. Particularly egregious is Penelope Keith who babbles away with such artificiality (however intended) that what should be an amusing performance comes across as posing. It's the kind of role that Maggie Smith could slip in her pocket and walk away with. The one actress who gets it right is Patricia Hodge whose droll deliveries indicate the direction it should have gone. With Benjamin Whitrow, Joan Sims, Susan Woolridge and Michael Cochrane.