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Bernard and Doris
- Director: Bob Balaban
- Writer: Hugh Costello
- Producer: Amy J. Bailey; Bob Balaban
CGiii Comment
Seriously accomplished acting...and arching character development.
Loyalty to the boss and bottle...sympathy for the poor little rich bitch - the conflicts are deep and unsubtle - a case of knowing what side of the bread is buttered.
Fiennes is captivating. Sarandon, bemusing.
No trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Sympathetic look loosely based on the relationship between tobacco heiress, Doris Duke (1912-1993) - think Duke University - and her shy butler, Bernard Lafferty. The icy and mercurial Duke fires her butler for serving a chilled cantaloupe; the agency sends Lafferty, formerly household staff to Liz Taylor and to Peggy Lee. He's an alcoholic, fresh out of rehab. He gradually becomes Duke's gay alter ego as she romps through life sleeping with young men, making shrewd decisions quickly, managing her fortune and orchids as Lafferty manages her New Jersey estate. With a wine cellar to die for, Bernard falls off the wagon. Can he pull himself together when Doris needs him?
Cast & Characters
Susan Sarandon as Doris Duke;
Ralph Fiennes as Bernard Lafferty;
Peter Asher as First Butler;
Don Harvey as Security Guard;
Chris Bauer as Chef;
Monique Gabriela Curnen as Paloma;
Marilyn Torres as Nancy;
Nick Rolfe as Ben;
James Rebhorn as Waldo Taft;
Dominick Dunne as Board Member;
Thomas J. McGrath as Board Member;
Gene Parseghian as Board Member;
Henry S. Schleiff as Board Member;
Calvin Trillin as Board Member;
Kunnath P. Namboodiri as Swami