Synopsis

On a bitterly cold day in a small Scottish coastal town, recently widowed Frances prepares to leave for Australia with her young son. Her independent-minded mother arrives unexpectedly, forcing old tensions into the open. Around them, several strangers and friends experience moments of loneliness, companionship, young love, and quiet revelation as their separate lives briefly intersect.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was adapted from Sharman MacDonald's stage play, which premiered at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in January 1995 before transferring to London's Almeida Theatre later that year.

• Phyllida Law and Emma Thompson play the mother and daughter at the center of the story, and they are mother and daughter in real life. The film therefore gives their central relationship an unusually personal dimension.

• The story takes place over a single winter day and follows several loosely connected groups rather than one continuous narrative. This structure expands the play's theatrical ideas into a broader portrait of a community.

• Much of the production was filmed in the coastal Fife locations of Pittenweem, Elie, Earlsferry, and Crail, whose wintry landscapes provide much of the film's atmosphere.

• The film received the Best Film award at the 1997 Chicago International Film Festival.

• The score was composed by Michael Kamen, while the cinematography was handled by Seamus McGarvey.