Includes Sting as a working-class suitor, Sam Neill as a wartime lover, Ian McKellen as a high-ranking official, and a brief early appearance by Hugh Laurie . Critical Reception
Susan Traherne (earned a BAFTA nomination for the role). Charles Dance: Raymond Brock, her long-suffering husband. Tracey Ullman: Alice Park, Susan’s bohemian best friend.
Sir Leonard Darwin, a diplomat (won multiple critics' awards for his performance).
Today, it is often cited as one of Streep's most underrated 1980s roles , capturing a unique sense of national and personal melancholy. Plenty movie review & film summary - Roger Ebert