The Cement Garden
“Love knows no limits.”
After the death of her husband, the mother of Julie, Jack, Sue and Tom begins to suffer from a mysterious illness. Aware that she is going to have to go into hospital she opens a bank account for the children, so that they can be financially self-sufficient and will be able to avoid being taken into care by the authorities. Unfortunately she also dies and Julie and Jack (the older, teenage children) decide to hide her body in the basement so that they can have free reign of their household. Soon Tom has taken to dressing as a girl whilst Sue has become increasingly reticent, confiding only to her diary, meanwhile Jack and Julie sense an attraction developing for each other. However Julie's new beau, Derek, threatens to unearth the many dark secrets within this family as he becomes increasingly suspicious of Jack.
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Cast
11 people
Andrew Robertson
Jack
Also in
Gormenghast
The Blackheath Poisonings
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Julie
Known for
Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
Melancholia
Alice Coulthard
Sue
Known for
The Last Ship
Ned Birkin
Tom
No other roles listed
Sinéad Cusack
Mother
Known for
V for Vendetta
Eastern Promises
Hanns Zischler
Father
Known for
Munich
Black Island
Jochen Horst
Derek, Julie's Friend
Known for
Luther
Gareth Brown
William
William Hootkins
Commander Hunt (voice)
Known for
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Batman
Dick Flockhart
Truck Driver
No other roles listed
Mike Clarke
Driver's Mate
Andrew Birkin Director · Ian McEwan Author Edward Shearmur Composer
Worldwide gross $323K · United States release December 25, 1993 · Produced in France, Germany, United Kingdom
Box office
Worldwide gross
$322,975
Production
Laurentic Film Productions
Production
Torii Production
Production
ZDF
Production
Constantin Film
Production
Neue Constantin Film
Production
France · Germany · United Kingdom
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
Germany · February 17, 1993
Premiere · Berlin International Film Festival
United Kingdom · March 29, 1993
Theatrical
United States · December 25, 1993
Theatrical
Czechia
March 1, 1994 · Limited theatrical · Film clubs only
France
December 15, 1993 · Theatrical
Germany
February 20, 1993 · Theatrical
Netherlands
July 8, 1993 · Theatrical
September 2, 2004 · Physical · DVD
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