Production
Development
In 2010, Sam Mendes had signed on to direct the film with
Focus Features developing.
Carey Mulligan was in talks to star as Florence Ponting.
[4] Shooting was delayed when Mendes'
Skyfall went into production and
Focus Features pulled out of development. In 2011, the film went back in to pre-production, this time with
Mike Newell directing and
Sam Mendes producing through his
Neal Street Productions banner with
StudioCanal and
BBC Films. Later, production ceased after pre-production over-ran and the producers got cold feet.
[5]
In February 2016, it was announced that
Saoirse Ronan was to play Florence Ponting.
[6][7] Elizabeth Karlsen and
Stephen Woolleyproduced the film under their
Number 9 Films banner.
[7] In May 2016, during the Cannes Film Festival, it was announced that
BBC Films would co-produce the film.
[8] In August 2016, Billy Howle joined the cast as the male lead.
[9] In October 2016, it was announced that Thorsten Schumacher's new film and TV outfit Rocket Science had come on board to complete international sales.
[10]
Filming
Principal photography began on 17 October 2016, on
Chesil Beach, Dorset, England. Other filming locations included London, Oxford and
Pinewood Studios in England.
Release
Lionsgate acquired the distribution rights for the United Kingdom in October 2016.
[11] On Chesil Beach had its world premiere at the
Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2017.
[12] Bleecker Street acquired the U.S. distribution rights in October 2017.
[13]
On Chesil Beach was released in the UK on 18 May 2018.
[14][2] Originally scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on 15 June 2018, the date was pushed up to 18 May 2018.
[15][16]
Critical Response
On
review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 69% based on 101 reviews, and an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "
On Chesil Beach presents a well-acted and solidly crafted adaptation of a small yet resonant story with deceptively rich subtext."
[17] On
Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
[18]
The Economist praised McEwan's screenwriting for having "deviated from the source material in effective ways".
[19] Owen Gleiberman of
Variety praise the cast and called the film a "romantic drama that gets so far into the mystique of its era that it takes you somewhere you’ve never been."
[20] Anya Jaremko-Greenwold of
FLOOD Magazine wrote that "while men might fail to recognize how intimidating the expectation of sex can be for women, it’s something McEwan’s novel (and the film, for which he wrote the screenplay) hinges upon with exquisite delicacy."
[21]
Writing for
IndieWire, Kate Erbland gave the a grade of "C+," saying, "After a strong start, the film’s middle section sags into the most benign of observations about Edward and Florence and the elements that have pulled them together. For a film that is so consumed with the burning complications of first, early love,
On Chesil Beach more resembles a wilted relationship, one that offers up no excitement about the future and little respect for the past."
[22] James Brotheridge from
Exclaim! gave the film a rating of 5/10 for its unsuccessful use of of layered timelines, saying, "Even if the editing is even keeled and the effort at bringing some filmmaking verve is appreciated, these moments wind up feeling disparate and the characters feeling emotionally stunted as presented here."
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