Synopsis

In post-World War I England, two unhappy married women place an advertisement seeking companions to share an Italian castle for April. Joined by a reserved young aristocrat and a difficult older woman, they escape their routines and slowly find renewal amid the villa's beauty. The holiday transforms their friendships, marriages, and understanding of themselves.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was originally made for British television in 1991, but its production values led to a theatrical release in the United States in 1992.

• The screenplay adapts Elizabeth von Arnim's 1922 novel, which was inspired by Castello Brown in Portofino. The castle was used as a filming location, giving the production the authentic setting missing from the 1935 adaptation.

• Castello Brown had no road leading to it, so equipment and furnishings had to be carried up the hill during production.

• Filming in Italy took place during an unusually wet May, with the schedule arranged around the limited sunny days.

• The film opened the 35th BFI London Film Festival on November 6, 1991.

• Enchanted April received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Costume Design. It also won Golden Globes for Miranda Richardson and Joan Plowright.