Director Gero Erhardt. Production 1999. Cast: Susanne Uhlen, Bernd Herzsprung.
Ellen Parry´s peaceful family life is ruined at a stroke when her famous cousin Bridget comes back to the small coastal resort from London to spend the summer in her parents' old house. Bridget, an attractive writer of self-help books, seeks refuge in the countryside to lick her wounds because her boyfriend has been unfaithful to her.
Ellen's daughter Vanessa is immediately impressed by their famous relative, especially when Bridget encourages her to go and study archaeology in London - and even offers Vanessa a room in her elegant town house. Despite Ellen's misgivings, Vanessa moves up to London. Now Ellen feels deserted and misunderstood, and she sinks into a period of depression. For all these years her only concern was the welfare of her family - now the house is empty.
Her husband James is at a loss how to help her out of this state of mind, particularly since he has problems of his own - his small, high-class boat-builder's yard is in serious difficulty now that a wealthy client has refused to take a vessel constructed especially for him. Meanwhile Bridget, who constantly needs to assure herself that she is attractive, chooses James Parry as the latest object of her desire. She applies all her energy to the task of seducing her cousin's husband. She doesn't even flinch from exploiting the awkward financial situation James is in, constructing a sophisticated web of intrigue. She aims to engineer a split between Ellen and James by making false accusations about each of them. Ellen suddenly sees the storm clouds gathering, threatening to destroy her marriage and the happiness of her family.
Part Two: The year is 1947 and the Carey-Lewis family is trying to come to terms with life in post-war Britain. After Grandpa Carey Lewis’ body is found in the woodshed, the discover that the family solicitor Jarvis had sold all family stocks and shares and fled to Rio with the proceeds. Diana and her daughter Loveday now have no means to maintain Nancherrow. Loveday refuses to sell the house, sacrificing her attempts to hang on to husband Walter.
