Emma Thompson played Sally Kenton, the head housekeeper. Kenton was Stevens's peer in the hierarchy of the household. She also grew to love Stevens. Stevens, on the other hand, was already married - to his job.

I thought Anthony Hopkins gave an academy award winning performance and Emma Thompson's performance was not far behind. The other actors and actresses in the show were fine, but nothing special. To put my review in context, I saw HOWARDS END, where these two great stars last appeared together, and found it only mildly interesting. Here, their every scene was compelling.

I found the movie very peaceful and extremely serene. I am sure others will see the movie and think it depressing or get angry that Stevens was unable to break the chains that bound him. I found it a fascinating portrait of a person who made a commitment in life and stuck to it without (almost any) question forever. I suspect many monks are not even this dedicated.