The butler's memories of prewar England don't take into account that the lord of the manner was a rank fascist. There were many British who were sympathetic to the Nazis and wanted to emulate what the Germans were doing at the time. That part of the butler's memory has been suppressed, but the truth will out.

It is the late-1950s and, due to the death of Lord Darlington, Darlington Hall has just been bought by Jack Lewis, an American. On the staff of the hall is the head butler, James Stevens. Through his eyes we see the what took place in the hall over the last 25 or so years, including the lead-up to World War 2, Stevens' undying devotion to his job and master and his relationship with the housekeeper, Miss Kenton.

Wonderfully engaging, interesting and moving movie. The main plot is essentially the story of one man, Stevens, and his devotion to his job. Anthony Hopkins is superb as Stevens, capturing well the robot-like blinkeredness of a butler who believes duty, dedication and dignity are everything, at the expense of feelings and expression.

Around Stevens are spun a few other stories, making the movie quite multi-faceted. Among these, there's the history of the household, and Lord Darlington especially.

We have the build-up to WW2, showing just how it developed, and how many were sucked into appeasing Germany in the lead-up to it.

Then there's the relationship between Stevens and Miss Kenton, which provides some of the most emotional parts of the movie. It also provides some great "what if?" moments.

Nominated for eight Oscars in 1994, including Best Film, Best Director for James Ivory, Best Leading Actor for Anthony Hopkins and Best Leading Actress for Emma Thompson, unfortunately The Remains Of The Day did not win in any category.

I don't usually enjoy this kind of movie because they often seen contrived and strained. Perhaps you could say that about Remains of the Day but the performances are so good and the cinematography so stunning I have no problem overlooking the deficiencies.

Hopkins and Thompson are both at the top of their games in this movie. They take well written dialog and make it even better. To elicit sexual tension between 2 characters who are worlds apart in their perspectives on life takes real talent, even genius.

I've always been wistfully envious of the lives of those like Lord Darlington. The image of large, immaculate estates with elegant guests and flawless service resonates with me and my conception is perfectly recreated in exquisite detail.

The nefarious political "appeasement" that was a significant contributor to an expansive war is personalized here. Though well-meaning and sincere, the naivete of Lord Darlington and subsequent crushing damage it brought upon him is grindingly sad.

I've watched this movie over and over and never feel I'm wasting my time. Merchant-Ivory productions don't appeal to everyone, but this classic is worth-watching for even the most sour curmudgeon.