Directed by:
Peter GreenawayScreenplay:
Peter GreenawayCinematography:
Sacha ViernyComposer:
Michael NymanCast:
Joan Plowright, Juliet Stevenson, Joely Richardson, Bernard Hill, David Morrissey, Vanni Corbellini, Trevor Cooper, Ian Talbot, Edward Felix Pole Tudor (more)Plots(1)
Three generations of women who share the same name -- 63-year-old Cissie Colpitts (Joan Plowright), her daughter Cissie Colpitts II (Juliet Stevenson), and granddaughter Cissie Colpitts III (Joely Richardson) -- have all discovered the same way of dealing with their marital problems. The senior Cissie has drowned her husband Jake (Bryan Pringle) in the bathtub, her daughter sent her spouse Hardy (Trevor Cooper) to a watery grave in the ocean, and the youngest Cissie sent her husband Bellamy (David Morrissey) down in a swimming pool. Needless to say, local coroner Henry Madgett (Barnard Hill) has some questions about this sudden rash of drownings among the Colpitts husbands, and again all three women respond in the same way: they promise to sleep with Henry in exchange for recording the deaths as accidental (though none of the Cissies make good on this promise). When the local gossip mill begins working overtime about this sudden rash of water-related deaths, Henry's teenage son Smut (Jason Edwards) comes to the aid of the Cissies and organizes a tug-of-war, with he and the Colpitts women on one side and the doubting townspeople on the other (and, of course, a river in the middle). (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Soundtracks
The Piano
Original Music from the Film
Label: Virgin
Year: 1994
Country: UK
Format: CD
Length: 15:37
1. | THE PIANO: The Heart Asks Pleasure First / The Promise (Edit) | Michael Nyman | 03:11 |
2. | THE PIANO: Big My Secret | Michael Nyman | 02:53 |
3. | DROWNING BY NUMBERS: Trysting Fields | Michael Nyman | 03:28 |
4. | DRAUGHTSMAN'S CONTRACT: The Garden Is Becoming A Robe Room | Michael Nyman | 06:05 |
The Essential Michael Nyman Band
Label: Argo
Year: 1992
Country: Germany
Format: digital, CD
Length: 01:06:49
1. | THE DRAUGHTSMAN'S CONTRACT: Chasing Sheep Is Best Left To Shepherds | Michael Nyman | 05:07 |
2. | An Eye For Optical Theory | Michael Nyman | 04:18 |
3. | The Garden Is Becoming A Robe Room | Michael Nyman | 06:10 |
4. | A ZED & TWO NOUGHTS: Prawn-watching | Michael Nyman | 02:30 |
5. | Time Lapse | Michael Nyman | 03:56 |
6. | DROWNING BY NUMBERS: Fish Beach | Michael Nyman | 02:56 |
7. | Wheelbarrow Walk | Michael Nyman | 02:36 |
8. | Knowing The Ropes | Michael Nyman | 05:46 |
9. | THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER: Miserere Paraphrase | Michael Nyman | 07:09 |
10. | Memorial | Michael Nyman | 11:21 |
11. | MAKING A SPLASH: Water Dances: Stroking / Synchronising | Michael Nyman | 10:44 |
12. | PROSPERO'S BOOKS: Miranda | Michael Nyman | 04:16 |
The Essential Michael Nyman Band
Label: Argo
Year: 1992
Country: USA
Format: CD
Length: 01:06:49
1. | THE DRAUGHTSMAN'S CONTRACT: Chasing Sheep Is Best Left To Shepherds | Michael Nyman | 05:07 |
2. | An Eye For Optical Theory | Michael Nyman | 04:18 |
3. | The Garden Is Becoming A Robe Room | Michael Nyman | 06:10 |
4. | A ZED & TWO NOUGHTS: Prawn-watching | Michael Nyman | 02:30 |
5. | Time Lapse | Michael Nyman | 03:56 |
6. | DROWNING BY NUMBERS: Fish Beach | Michael Nyman | 02:56 |
7. | Wheelbarrow Walk | Michael Nyman | 02:36 |
8. | Knowing The Ropes | Michael Nyman | 05:46 |
9. | THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER: Miserere Paraphrase | Michael Nyman | 07:09 |
10. | Memorial | Michael Nyman | 11:21 |
11. | MAKING A SPLASH: Water Dances: Stroking / Synchronising | Michael Nyman | 10:44 |
12. | PROSPERO'S BOOKS: Miranda | Michael Nyman | 04:16 |
Drowning by Numbers
Label: Caroline Records
Year: 1988
Country: USA
Format: CD, LP, digital
Length: 44:37
1. | Trysting Fields | Michael Nyman | 03:28 |
2. | Sheep And Tides | Michael Nyman | 01:44 |
3. | Great Death Game | Michael Nyman | 02:20 |
4. | Drowning By Number 3 | Michael Nyman | 03:30 |
5. | Wheelbarow Walk | Michael Nyman | 02:12 |
6. | Dead Man's Catch | Michael Nyman | 02:31 |
7. | Drowning By Number 2 | Michael Nyman | 06:12 |
8. | Bees In Trees | Michael Nyman | 02:13 |
9. | Fish Beach | Michael Nyman | 02:28 |
10. | Wedding Tango | Michael Nyman | 03:59 |
11. | Crematorium Conspiracy | Michael Nyman | 02:38 |
12. | Knowning The Ropes | Michael Nyman | 03:18 |
13. | Endgame | Michael Nyman | 08:04 |