WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS?

UK, 2009, 94 minutes, Colour.

Julia McKenzie, Sean Biggerstaff, Georgia Moffet, Rafe Spall, Richard Briers, Samantha Bond, Rik Mayall, Natalie Dormer, Warren Clarke, Mark Williams, David Buchanan, Siwan Morris, Helen Lederer, Hannah Murray, Freddy Fox.

Directed by Nicholas Renton.

A Miss Marple television movie – but she did not appear in the original story. While she does make an appearance, listens, analyses, comes up with solutions, the investigating couple, as in the novel and previous film versions, is a young man Bobby Jones and his friend, the rather pushy lady Frankie Derwent.

There are a great number of changes from the original novel and the previous versions. In fact, almost all the significant characters appear in the first 20 minutes. Which means that the basic plot, the main key elements from Agatha Christie, are highly simplified, characters are dropped, and alternate motivation brought out at the end.

Omitted from the original is the fact that Bobby Jones is a golfer, no golf in this film. And, compared with Will Poulter in the 2022 version, he is rather slight in character and behaviour. More than made up for by Frankie, Georgia Moffet. While he plays the organ, he does not live in a rectory with his father the Minister, does not play golf with the local doctor who is murdered, does not encounter the suspicious couple at the inquest, Roger Bassington does not guard the body at the foot of the cliff or change a photo, Bobby does not have a military background, does not go to London to set up a garage with his friend who helps in the search of the mental institution.

Frankie does crash her car, is taken in by the family, continues her investigations, is misled because of a character from China, a botanist, Evans, played by Father Brown’s Mark Williams. Daziell and Pascoe’s Warren Clarke is a bumptious investigator. And, for good measure, Richard Briers is the elderly Butler. Rafe Spall and Natalie Dormer have key roles. Rik Mayall is the doctor, played by Hugh Laurie in the 2022 version which he wrote and directed.

Audiences making comparisons with the novel will be disappointed and a touch bewildered. Otherwise, it is an Agatha Christie-like television film incorporating some of her elements.

1. Popularity of Agatha Christie stories? Miss Marple? The three actresses for Miss Marple?
2. Comparisons with the novel, change of situations, dropping of characters, compressing of plot, change of motivations, solution?
3. The setting, the cliffs, home, the finding of the body, Bobby, his reaction, the dying man’s question? With his mother, the inquest, the mysterious cousin present?
4. Bobby as a rather more retiring character, playing the organ, his injuries and reluctance to travel? The past friendship with Frankie, bonding with her, her forthrightness? Miss Marple, her arrival, the past connection with the family, memories of Bobby?
5. Frankie, going on, driving the car, crashing the car, gatecrashing the household, the butler helping her, Sylvia welcoming, Tommy and Dottie the strange presence, Roger at the piano, the commander and his presence, attraction to Sylvia, the doctor, seeming attraction to Sylvia, story about his wife, Moira? Frankie, investigating, the phone calls to Bobby?
6. Bobby, going to London, making enquiries, John Savage, Carstairs, the will? His coming to Castle Savage as the chauffeur?
7. Miss Marple, gatecrashing, saying that she was Frankie’s nanny, reassuring Frankie, explaining the direction of the crashed car? Her presence in the household, observing?
8. The household, Sylvia, the drugs, her erratic behaviour? Alienation from her children? Dottie, forthright, intruding? Tom, the snake, retiring? Roger, musician, allegedly teaching music? The commander and his background? Evans, from China, the orchids? The red herring with his name Evans? His being murdered?
9. The story of John Savage, his portrait, a harsh father? Relationship with Sylvia? The revelation about the past, Sylvia and her relationship with George, the children, the disappearance, marrying John, her unhappy life, the second group of children?
10. The doctor under suspicion, Bobby attacking him, to the Institute? The revelation of the truth, supplying drugs to Sylvia? Moira as his nurse, marrying her? Her suspicious and erratic behaviour, in the grounds, observed by Frankie? Her attraction towards Bobby? Frankie and the attraction towards Roger?
11. The issue of the Will, the background of China, the two brothers in China, the orphanage, Sylvia wanting the money to go to the orphans, reparation, for them to be happy?
12. The changing of the Will, the murder of John, Roger posing as John, the new gardeners signing, the importance of not having the maid as a witness, her knowing Roger?
13. The climax, Tommy shooting Roger, Miss Marple telling the story, Moira about to poison Sylvia, the syringe, the butler getting it and injecting it in Moira?
14. And the final revelation, the maid in Bobby’s house, her marriage, honeymoon, and her being Florrie Evans?