Tess of the D'Urbervilles ★★½ 1998 Thomas Hardy's rural Victorian England is the setting for romantic tragedy. Tess Durbeyfield (Waddell) is a poor, naive 16-year-old who's unwillingly sent to work for the wealthy D'Urbervilles, whom her family believes are distant relatives. There, Tess becomes the target of wastrel Alec's (Flemyng) desires and he takes advantage of her. Several years later, Tess is now working as a dairymaid and falls in true love with Angel Clare (Milburn), but he can't accept her soiled past even though they've married. Heartbroken Tess falls deeper into hardship until Alec suddenly reappears in her life—and so does Angel. 180m/C VHS. GB Justine Waddell, Jason Flemyng, Oliver Milburn, John McEnery, Lesley Dunlop, Gerald James, Debbie Chazen;
Director:
Ian Sharp;
Writer:
Ted Whitehead;
Writer:
Richard Greatrex;
Cameo:
Alan Lisk. TV
