every once in a while , a film sneaks up on me and takes me completely by surprise .
i don’t necessarily mean in terms of quality ; rather , i’m referring to the mere knowledge of its existence .
usually i know what films are on the way a year in advance , but two weeks ago i had never heard of princess caraboo .
it has slipped rather quietly into limited release , and appears destined to slip out just as quietly .
that’s a shame , because princess caraboo is a delightful fable , romantic , gentle and very appealing .
what’s more , it’s surprisingly insightful and provides a sharp-witted lesson in english social history .
princess caraboo is based on an actual event in early 19th century england , involving a young woman ( phoebe cates ) who is found wandering the countryside .
apparently unable to speak any english , she is taken in by good-hearted gentlewoman mrs . worrall ( wendy hughes ) .
her banker husband ( jim broadbent ) is none-too-pleased about this strange houseguest , until the worralls begin to believe that the woman may be royalty from an east indian island , the princess caraboo .
this development inspires plans for a lucrative trading venture for mr . worrall , and an introduction into elite social circles for mrs . worrall .
however , local journalist john gutch ( stephen rea ) is not convinced that the woman is what she seems to be , and sets out to find out the truth about princess caraboo .
as a social satire and comedy of manners , princess caraboo is a winner .
it takes place in an era when it was common practice in england to jail vagrants and hang beggars , and that practice comes in for an obvious hazing .
but it is handled most effectively through the character of mr . worrall , a drunken womanizer whose bank is in deep trouble thanks to his corruption and ineptitude .
he is worse than one of the idle rich ; he is one of the actively odious gentry so eager to distance themselves from the lower class they think nothing of simply eliminating them , and since the house and money are all from mrs . worrall , he is a bit too close to them for comfort .
while hypocrisy is an easy target for ridicule , director and co-writer michael austin keeps the treatment too light-hearted to be heavy-handed .
he also takes a unique stab at the trendiness of the upper classes , as the princess becomes a ” sensation ” at court .
in one of the film’s best sequences , princess caraboo is the guest of honor at a party hosted by the prince regent ( a wonderfully foppish turn by comic john sessions ) , and the lords and ladies end up following her around in a thoroughly silly native dance .
it is then that princess caraboo shows how easily people are swept up in ” sensations , ” an idea that takes on a timeless quality ( and makes the film an interesting companion piece to the current quiz show ) .
social commentary aside , princess caraboo is simply an eminently enjoyable entertainment .
the performers are mostly delightful , particularly phoebe cates , who is radiant in a part that requires a gift for pantomime .
her supporting players are also appealing : wendy hughes as the patient and kindly mrs . worrall ; kevin kline as frixos , the worralls’ suspicious and superior greek butler ; stephen rea as the world-weary but ultimately romantic gutch .
only john lithgow is a disappointment , turning in a limp performance as a scholar who attempts to verify the princess’s identity .
the story twists and turns just enough so that the question of whether or not the princess is really a princess is always in some doubt , without becoming gimmicky .
it is unfortunate that the growing attraction between gutch and princess caraboo isn’t given more time to develop , because the potential seemed to be there .
when it finally does blossom , it seems too quick to be plausible .
princess caraboo is patient enough in establishing its sense of time and place that it might seem a bit slow to viewers seeking a fantasy romp .
still , it has both escapist and intellectual appeal , and is well worth seeking out .
it is the kind of film that makes my job its most rewarding–a hidden gem .