A Handful of Dust

A Handful of Dust

Year: 1988

Runtime: 118 mins

Language: English

Director: Charles Sturridge

RomanceDramaMoving relationship storiesPassion and romanceEnduring stories of family and marital drama

High‑society aristocrat Tony Last’s life unravels after he welcomes the charismatic John Beaver to his country estate. Beaver soon begins an illicit affair with Tony’s wife, Brenda, meeting her in a series of secret trysts in London. Oblivious to the betrayal, Tony is stunned when Brenda demands a divorce, prompting him to flee on a disordered quest for meaning in South America.

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Timeline & Setting – A Handful of Dust (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of A Handful of Dust (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1930s

The drama unfolds in the interwar period, highlighting the rigid expectations of English high society. Wealth, marriage, and social status steer the characters' choices amid changing norms. Travel to far-off places reflects the era's appetite for adventure and disruption of traditional life.

Location

Hetton Abbey, London, Brazil (Amazon) forest, California

Hetton Abbey embodies the Last family's aristocratic stability. The story moves from the tranquil countryside to a rented London flat used for Brenda's affair, and then to a perilous Amazon expedition where Tony's fate is sealed. The jungle settlement represents a stark departure from English propriety, illustrating how distance from home can trap a person in a new kind of captivity.

🏰 English estate 🌆 London life 🌿 Brazilian jungle 🗺️ Expedition

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:30

Main Characters – A Handful of Dust (1988)

Meet the key characters of A Handful of Dust (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Tony Last (James Wilby)

A reserved English country gentleman who cherishes Hetton Abbey. His life is defined by duty and stability, and he remains largely oblivious to Brenda's discontent. After his son's death and Brenda's betrayal, he confronts devastating choices that lead him toward captivity and a reevaluation of his values.

❄️ Drama 💼 Class 💔 Infidelity

Brenda Last (Kristin Scott Thomas)

Brenda is driven by discontent with rural life and a desire for social advancement. Her affair with John Beaver and her push for financial security reveal a pragmatist who weighs love against ambition. Her arc tracks her attempts to reshape her fate through marriage and influence.

❤️ Romance 💼 Class 😒 Jealousy

John Beaver (Rupert Graves)

A social climber and Brenda's lover, he manipulates the divorce settlement to extract money. His ambition and lack of scruple push Brenda toward greater vulnerability and eventually change the course of the Lasts' marriage.

💼 Class 💔 Affair 🧭 Manipulation

Mrs. Beaver (Judi Dench)

Beaver's mother, a calculating matriarch who influences her son's and Brenda's decisions. Her presence reveals how family ambition can steer a couple toward ruin.

💼 Class 🕊️ Influence 🎭 Drama

John Andrew Last (Jackson Kyle)

The Lasts' eight-year-old son, whose riding accident triggers Brenda's plea for divorce. His death becomes the catalyst that exposes the fragility of Tony and Brenda's marriage.

💔 Loss 🕊️ Family

Jock Grant-Menzies (Pip Torrens)

A friend of Tony's, who becomes Brenda's eventual husband after the collapse of the Last marriage. His role marks the social shifts following tragedy.

💼 Class ❤️ Romance

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:30

Major Themes – A Handful of Dust (1988)

Explore the central themes of A Handful of Dust (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Romance

The core conflict centers on a marriage strained by infidelity and unmet expectations. Brenda's affair with John Beaver destabilizes the Lasts' life at Hetton Abbey, while Tony's reactions reveal his struggle between duty and personal desire. The narrative explores how love can both sustain and devastate a life built on appearances.

💼 Class

Social status and material desire propel Brenda and Beaver, illustrating how wealth shapes choices and power dynamics. The aristocratic world surrounding the Lasts collides with pragmatic ambition, exposing vulnerabilities tied to lineage and money. Class pressures drive pivotal decisions with lasting consequences.

🔒 Captivity

Tony's journey ends up as a form of confinement in the jungle, where he is effectively controlled by Mr. Todd. The dream of rescue dissolves into a grim fate of dependence and isolation, underscoring the limits of escape when power is in another's hands. The theme contrasts physical captivity with Tony's psychological imprisonment.

⚰️ Loss

The death of John Andrew triggers a cascade of changes, shattering the family unit and recalibrating loyalties. Brenda's prospects shift toward remarriage, while Tony's absence leaves Hetton Abbey to relatives and memory. The narrative continually returns to how loss reshapes identity and choices.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:30

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A Handful of Dust Summary

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A Handful of Dust Summary

A Handful of Dust Timeline

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A Handful of Dust Timeline

More About A Handful of Dust

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A Handful of Dust (1988) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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A Handful of Dust (1988) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow