Five reasons why Tom Jones will steal your heart | Masterpiece

Tom JonesIt’s not what you might think!

Some of you might be scratching your head thinking this is a biopic of “What’s Up, Pussycat?” crooner Tom Jones. While some of you may be anticipating another twist on an old lovable rogue story. But what screenwriter and executive producer Gwyneth Hughes discovered when she set out to adapt Henry Fielding’s 1749 novel was “the most fantastically funny, joyous and romantic escapade ever.”

Hughes’ adventurous, modern adaptation channels the novel’s optimism. “Fielding thought it was a wonderful world with wonderful people, and the young men and young women were wonderful.” One of those women, heiress next door and Tom’s true love, Sophia Western (Sophie Wilde), defies expectations. Hughes said: “You might think, ‘Oh, she’s going to be pink and fluffy and simple and awful, but she’s not. She is incredibly adventurous, fiery and quick-witted. Sophia knows what she wants and she goes for it. As for our hero, Hughes said: “Tom is an innocent, a child of nature, just the perfect young boy. He’s 19, so of course that’s a bit silly. Give him time to find his way to the real Tom, the adult Tom he’s going to be.

The net result? “It’s full of sunshine. Bad things happen, sad things happen, but not many! And it’s just beautiful, colorful and romantic. »

It’s the original romantic comedy

When she first read Tom Jones, Hughes was surprised to discover that it might be the first-ever romantic comedy! According to Hughes, it hits all the classic rom-com beats: “There’s a lot of bad timing, where people come in and see something they don’t understand, and people leave just before something important happens. not happen. And people change at different rates, so they fall in love, fall in love again, at different times and in different places. And there are a lot of comedic misunderstandings. Because otherwise you’d get there in five minutes, right? There must be these challenges, these misunderstandings and these temptations to go in other directions.

Tom Jones is funny

In his adaptation of Tom Jones, Hughes found endless humor in his source material. “It’s a bit wild and English, and exactly what you’d expect from a great English classic, only happier in a way, because it’s the 18th century. Some of the humor is quite broad Henry Fielding was a playwright, a man of the stage, so a lot of things are acted out in a very funny way, people act like idiots, but there’s also a lot of witty observational comedy. , about what characters and families are.

And Hughes promised rich, rich comedy throughout Tom’s journey, “particularly when he arrives in London and begins to mingle with those society ladies, the principal of whom is brilliantly played by Hannah Waddingham, who just take that part, the fox, and run away with it!

He found his ideal Tom Jones, Solly McLeod

Finding the main production man proved to be much more difficult than expected. Hughes described what they were looking for as follows: “He must be absolutely gorgeous, only 19 or 20, sunny, charming, handsome, catnip for women, and also virtuous, and you must love him. Tom must look like the village cricket captain. They interviewed almost 100 young actors but none of them were Tom. “I just thought they all looked a little angsty and a little young and modern, and like they’d been up all night writing poetry.” But then they saw newcomer Solly McLeod’s tape and found their village cricket captain. According to Hughes, “He’s tall and handsome, but there’s an innocence about him, something about the way he physically looks and the way he acts, where I buy that he’s a lovely young man who doesn’t just can’t pull it together. , to grow any more. And I said, ‘That’s it, this is my Tom.’ Hire him.

Tom Jones Stars Hannah Waddingham

When it came to playing the role of wealthy and influential seductress Lady Bellaston, the production needed someone willing to be vulnerable and exposed, even while acting mean and misbehaving. They also needed someone very funny who would have to work hard to endear themselves to the public. Between Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)! “It’s a fantastic role, and she’s just breathtaking in it.” said Hugh. “I think what Hannah loved was the scale and the costumes and the kind of craziness and sexiness of it all. She loved it all, but she also loved the vulnerability. She said that “She took the part because she liked it to show Lady Bellaston’s vulnerability. It was exciting to have her, and she’s extraordinary. A goddess, truly.”