The unlikely sequel Helena Bonham Carter isn’t against making: “Wouldn’t it be good?”
The work of James Ivory has allowed for many of Britain’s greatest acting talents to blossom and begin their careers, with Hugh Grant, Daniel-Day Lewis and Helena Bonham Carter finding fame through breakout performances in his films. It has given birth to some of the most romantic Edwardian moments, with characters frolicking in poppy fields and secretly confiding in their doctors about being ‘an unspeakable of the Oscar Wilde sort’, which is also maybe the funniest way to come out. But Bonham Carter reflects on her work with Ivory for a different reason, pondering the potential for a future sequel to the love story.
A Room with a View, released in 1986, follows Lucy Honeychurch and her chaperon Charlotte Bartlett on a Tuscan holiday, finding their lives changed after meeting Mr Emerson and his son George, with Lucy struggling to return to her suitor in England.
It’s a classic case of romantic turmoil, with dreamy and heightened sequences as the characters pine and obsess over each other in the most Edwardian way possible, with the characters swimming naked in lakes, walking through fields of wheat and surprisingly, staying in many rooms without views. It’s enchanting and magical in its own warm, old-fashioned way, with lush landscapes and beautiful interiors that exaggerate its escapism. At best, we find it hard to relate to the romantic experiences we see on screen, but this particular film feels distinctly unrelatable.
Day-Lewis has a smug comeliness that simultaneously makes everyone swoon and hate him at the same time, and Bonham Carter is perfect in her state of overwhelming indecision and infatuation, understandably struggling with her predicament.
When asked about her work with Day-Lewis in the film, Bonham-Carter said, “We both sound like chipmunks! Our voices have dropped, centuries and octaves. Both of us. We’re like squee, we’re on helium. It would be good if we did a — we should do a sequel now. Wouldn’t it be good? Room With a View 2. [In a low voice] Both of us are talking down here. ‘Hello, Cecil.'”
While the idea is undoubtedly entertaining, I struggle to imagine a world in which this would happen, especially after Day-Lewis’ retirement from acting. But who knows, maybe Ivory would be open to the idea, with the director evolving his work over time and even penning the screenplay for the 2018 film Call Me By Your Name, which was Timothée Chalamet’s breakout role in the heartbreaking story of Elio and Oliver.
However, Bonham-Carter has had a long and varied career since the film, sharing some of the lessons she’s learnt since then, explaining, “Where do I start? I really didn’t know what I was doing then. I mean, at least now I know I don’t really know what I’m doing. But it’s OK not to know. I’m definitely better. The sad thing about acting and actresses and on film is that just as we’re getting interesting, and just when we are beginning to know what the hell we’re doing, then we’re usually put out to pasture, you know, like cows.”
While Hollywood has famously been unkind to women over the age of 35, many actors are hopeful that the times are changing and that more substantial roles are being offered to women of all ages. And with that being said, maybe we can expect a sequel to A Room with a View, and wouldn’t it be lovely if we did.
