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[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/in_the_bleak_midwinter.jpg]]

->''"I'd always wanted to live my life in an old movie, sort of a fairytale, you know. Mind you, I suppose if you think that most fairytales turn out to be nightmares and a lot of old movies are crap, then that's what I did."''

''In the Bleak Midwinter'' (released in the United States as ''A Midwinter's Tale'') is a 1995 black-and-white film written and directed by Creator/KennethBranagh. Having just finished directing and starring in his epic adaptation of ''Film/MaryShelleysFrankenstein'' the previous year, and preparing to direct and star in his even more epic adaptation of William Shakespeare's ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' the following year, Branagh decided to spend the time he had in between directing but ''not'' starring in a not-so-epic original story of his own writing, and this is that little picture.

It centers on an out-of-work actor named Joe Harper (Michael Maloney), who is having a crisis and so decides to stage a Christmastime production of ''Hamlet'' directed by and starring himself, to raise money for a church in his hometown that is being threatened by developers. He gathers a [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits gang of loony cast- and crew-mates]] and HilarityEnsues.
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!!This film provides examples of:

%% * TheAlcoholic: Carnforth
* AuthorFilibuster: Nina's big speech to Joe when [[spoiler: he is about to leave before opening night.]] The fact that it is very transparently Branagh speaking actually work in its favor though, since it is a bit corny and cliched and works better coming from a writer who you know ''means'' it. Julia Swalha's tear-jerking delivery helps too.
%% * BerserkButton: Don't tell Tom that he doesn't have an agent.
%% If you telll him, then what happens? Explain your examples in full. CONTEXT is everything.
%%
%% * BetaCouple - Tom and Fadge
%% * BitchInSheepsClothing: When Nina comments on Henry having become a "sweetie", he calmly states that it is all a ruse to calm her down and stop her from messing up his performance.
%%
%% And who is the bitch in this example?
%%
* BreadEggsMilkSquick: The first line: "It was late November, I think, and I was thinking about the whole Christmas thing: the birth of Christ, ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', family murders..."
%% * CampGay: Terry
%% * {{Cloudcuckoolander}}:
%% ** Nina
%% ** Fadge
%% * EmbarrassingFirstName:
%% ** "Fadge"'s real name is Mildred.
%% ** "Carnforth Greville"'s real name is Keith Branch.
%%
%% And who finds their names embarrassing? Them? Their friends?
%%
%% * {{Jerkass}}: Henry is a jerk at first. Though there are hints that it might be just an act in the first place.
%%
%% To whom is he a jerk? What does he do or say?
%%
%% * LargeHam - In-universe, Joe and Tom frequently.
* MoodWhiplash: While Joe's breakdown scene ends with a heartwarming moment, it's still so sad that when a few seconds later we cut to a happy montage set to "Why Must the Show Go On?", the effect can be a bit jarring.
%% * MotorMouth: The witty banter practically flies by, and considering how funny some of it is, you'll miss a lot of jokes for laughing.
%%
%% Motor Mouth is a character trope. The example should mention characters that talk super fast.
%%
%% * OfficialCouple: Joe and Nina. Act surprised.
%% * ShipTease: There are a couple of moments that seem to hint at a romance between Molly and Vernon.
%%
%% Please describe at least one of those moments. ZCE are not allowed.
%%
* StylisticSuck: The production of ''Hamlet'' staged by an out-of-work actor Joe, directed by and starring himself. It's pretty pathetic, but the on-screen audience loves it.
* TalkingHeads: The heartbreaking scene where Terry tells Henry about his son goes on for several minutes showing only the two characters standing and talking. It doesn't become boring a single second.
* TitledAfterTheSong: In this case, the song is a famous English Christmas carol from a poem by Christina Rossetti. An acoustic arrangement of the Gustav Holst setting of the poem is a repeated musical theme throughout the movie.
%% * TrueCompanions: "We're with our family!"
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