“Three suitors. One heart. A village full of gossip.”
Under the Greenwood Tree (2005) is a delightfully charming British period drama based on Thomas Hardy’s beloved novel, directed by Nicholas Laughland. Set in the picturesque countryside of Victorian England, the film follows Fancy Day (Keeley Hawes), a spirited and elegant schoolteacher who arrives in the quiet village of Mellstock—and promptly turns it upside down.
With her beauty and modern sensibility, Fancy quickly captures the attention of three very different suitors: the earnest and down-to-earth Dick Dewy (James Murray), the wealthy but awkward Mr. Shinar (Steve Pemberton), and the composed and intellectual Parson Maybold (Ben Miles). As each man offers her a different future, the village buzzes with gossip, expectation, and more than a little matchmaking mischief.
Meanwhile, tensions rise within the local church as tradition is challenged by change, symbolized by the replacement of the rustic choir with a modern harmonium—mirroring the larger struggle between the old ways and the new.
With its blend of rural romance, subtle humor, and social observation, Under the Greenwood Tree is a warm and faithful adaptation, anchored by Keeley Hawes’ radiant performance and the timeless charm of Hardy’s world.