Geraldine McEwan in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

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Winner of Three BAFTA Awards

Geraldine McEwan received the BAFTA Best Actress award for her portrayal of the Mother.

BAFTA Awards, UK

Best Actress [Geraldine McEwan] - winner

Best Drama Series/Serial [Phillippa Giles, Beeban Kidron, Jeanette Winterson] - winner

Best Film Sound [Kathy Rodwell, Malcolm Webberley, Aad Wirtz] - winner

Best Actress [Emily Aston, Charlotte Coleman] - nominated

Best Costume Design [Les Lansdown] - nominated

Best Original Television Music [Rachel Portman] - nominated

San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, USA

Audience Award Best Feature [Beeban Kidron] - winner

GLAAD Media Awards

Outstanding TV Movie - winner

Royal Television Society, UK

Best Actor: Female [Charlotte Coleman] - winner

Best Costume Design: Drama [Les Lansdown] - nominated

FIPA d'Argent  - Cannes

Best TV script Jeanette Winterson - winner

Jeanette Winterson's semi-autobiographical novel transfers wonderfully to the screen in this BBC adaptation (with a screenplay by Winterson). Read more...

Cast and Credits

.......the film belongs to Geraldine McEwan as Jess's mother. McEwan obviously relishes Winterson's script, and she creates a character who is monstrous, ridiculous, and surprisingly sympathetic. It's a difficult role to carry off, but McEwan succeeds. Her performance is the high point of this award-winning, provocative film.

Jeanette Winterson's semi-autobiographical novel transfers wonderfully to the screen in this BBC adaptation (with a screenplay by Winterson). Jess is the adopted daughter of evangelical Christians living in the northwest of England during the 1960s. Her mother wants Jess to be a missionary, but when she falls in love with Melanie, Jess begins to realize that there is more to life than church.

When Jess's mother begins to suspect the girls of "unnatural passions" she tries to destroy their relationship with the help of Pastor Finch (Kenneth Cranham) and his congregation. But their efforts--including a terrifying attempt at exorcism--only push Jess further away. Jess eventually understands that the only way to survive is to escape, and she sets her sights on a place at Oxford.

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is both a broad comedy and a moving coming-of-age story. Charlotte Coleman is perfect as the teenage Jess, attempting to reconcile her religious devotion and her adolescent passion, but the film belongs to Geraldine McEwan as Jess's mother. McEwan obviously relishes Winterson's script, and she creates a character who is monstrous, ridiculous, and surprisingly sympathetic. It's a difficult role to carry off, but McEwan succeeds. Her performance is the high point of this award-winning, provocative film. --Simon Leake

Full Cast and Crew for Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1990) (TV) Directed by

Beeban Kidron

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)

Jeanette Winterson also novel

Cast (in credits order)

Charlotte Coleman.... Jess

Geraldine McEwan.... Mother

rest of cast listed alphabetically

Mark Aspinall.... Ian

Emily Aston.... Small Jess

Sharon Bower.... Mrs. Vole

Cathryn Bradshaw.... Melanie

Kenneth Cranham.... Pastor Finch

Freda Dowie.... Mrs. Green

James Duggan.... Second fisherman

Pam Ferris.... Mrs. Arkwright

Peter Gordon.... William

Richard Henders.... Graham

Barbara Hicks.... Cissy

Celia Imrie.... Miss Jewsbury

Ken Kitson.... First fisherman

Maggie Lane.... First ice cream woman

Katy Murphy.... Mrs Virtue

Tania Rodrigues.... Katy

Norma Shebbeare.... Dust pan

Elizabeth Spriggs.... May

Tamar Swade.... Church pianist

David Thewlis.... Doctor

Sophie Thursfield.... Jess's real mother

Mandy Walsh.... Second ice cream woman

Margery Withers.... Elsie

Michael Jaimes.... Child in Hospital (uncredited)

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Winner of Three

BAFTA

Awards

Geraldine McEwan receives the BAFTA Best Actress award for her portrayal of the Mother.

Director, Beeban Kidron launches 'FilmClub'