Mr Harvey Lights a Candle (2005)

By Peter McGinn

This is a gem of a movie. It follows Mr. Harvey, a teacher who almost seems to be stagnated as an educator, no longer relevant or interesting to his students. He and two other faculty lead a field trip, an annual trip to a cathedral, in this case Salisbury Cathedral. The bus trip opens him up to ridicule from the students as he misplaces a photo that means a lot to him. There is also a troubled young student in the mix to complicate matters. It seems like nothing good is going to come out of this class trip, until a revelation is shared, one that alters Their perception of Mr. Harvey. Another two students who were at loggerheads over race also face up to each other. Everyone is affected by this trip, some quite a bit, and one or two persons to an extent that is life changing. Timothy Spall is excellent, as always, and Celia Imrie is also impressive. Great little drama with touches of humor for balance.