Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

 

Keeping this one short and sweet.

This week I headed out for a solo movie night to check out the early release of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.  While a rather late viewing for me since I normally take in a matinee, I was happy to see a good size and engaged crowd.  This is one of those films I was both looking forward to and dreading at the same time due to the absence of the late Dame Maggie Smith. While definitely felt, I’m happy to report writer Julian Fellowes and director Simon Curtis once again deliver the Downton experience I was hoping.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale lands us in 1930 and once again Mary (Michelle Dockery) is facing a public scandal and the family faces financial troubles, while both upstairs and downstairs grapple societal change and moving into the future.  Nothing new for anyone familiar with the series and the films but that’s a large part of why this film works.

The Grand Finale is comfort food for the soul, steeped in nostalgia and the familiar. Returning to Downton is a safe hug I didn’t realize I needed. All the main actors and characters return, bringing all the wit, charm, humor, and heartfelt emotions the series and franchise is known for. 

I hated on Mary and her BS (she always gets on my damn nerves). Reveled in Edith’s coming into her own like a house on fire. Cheered Tom (Allen Leech) being the voice of reason and laying the smack down on Hugh Bonneville’s Lord Grantham. Delighted in Lady Merton’s (Penelope Wilton) dogged determination to push the bounds of propriety in the new world order. Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess while gone is certainly not forgotten and her presence not only remains but is beautifully honored. 

And so on and so forth.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is a beautifully written and directed two-hour 3-minute love letter to and from the crew to the fans. A simple story expertly distilled in focus on characters, relationships, and their interplay.  A perfect ending and goodbye for all that’s come before, with enough wiggle room for a new future. I laughed, I cried, I left completely satisfied. 

Be sure to stick around for the first few minutes of the closing credits.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale gets a 10 from me.

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