Growing up, I had always heard of the show “Downton Abbey.” My grandmother used to watch it when I was young, and I would catch brief glimpses of it from the hallway. It never really interested me; the accents sounded funny, and it just seemed boring. It wasn’t until the second film came out in 2022 that I finally understood what my grandma had found so interesting. I did some further research and found out that it wasn’t just a film; there was an entire television series and another movie as well. The show follows a wealthy British family, the Crawleys, as they navigate the changing world.
I went to the second film with my mom and fell in love with the costumes and the writing, so much so that as soon as we got home, I sat down in the living room and started binging the show. So, you can imagine my excitement when I heard that another movie would be coming out and that the Varsity Cinema would be showing it!
“Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” came out on Sept. 12 and, as the title suggests, is the end of the series. I’ll be honest, I was a bit disappointed to hear that the doors to Downton would be closing. However, after seeing the film, I think it was a fitting goodbye to such a fabulous show and wrapped up the lives of the characters very well.
The film, like many episodes of the show, follows the Crawley family as they navigate scandal within the family. While the Crawleys figure out how to save their family name, as well as their family home, the servants downstairs shift and take on new roles. This film, the third in the series, is set in 1930, and audiences can see the clear change in costuming and makeup. Creator Julian Fellowes has always dazzled me with his choices in costuming and makeup, and this film is no different.
There are also a lot of different topics that are tackled in this film, the main one being the news that the eldest daughter, Mary, is now a divorcee. Divorce in the 1930s was as scandalous as anything, so such a high-ranking family having a divorcee in their midst is bound to cause trouble. However, on top of everything, the family must also deal with the change that is coming as a result of the times.
Throughout its 15-year run on screen, “Downton Abbey” has starred the same actors, meaning Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery are once again gracing our screens in this film. The film was also filled with homages to the late Dame Maggie Smith, who played the witty matriarch, Lady Violet Crawley. I enjoyed every tribute they made to her throughout the film, whether it was just a small conversation about her character or just a glimpse of her portrait in the great hall. In fact, at the very end of the film, audiences see that they have dedicated the final film to Smith.
That wasn’t the only thing that wraps the series up beautifully, as the end credits include several vignettes of how the characters end up after the events of the film. Since Fellowes has stated that this is the last that audiences will see of Downton, I think this was a beautiful way to end the story. I loved seeing the brief glimpses into the lives of these characters that many, including myself, have grown to love.
Overall, I think that this really was a grand finale for the series, although I am sad to see it go. I highly encourage anyone to go see the film, even if they haven’t seen the show. It’s the kind of movie that draws someone in, and as soon as they’re home, they’re hooked. So if you have the time this weekend, remember that the Varsity is right across the street, and I encourage anyone to take a stroll over and get lost in the British countryside. The Varsity will be running “Downton Abbey: The Grande Finale” on September 24th at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., so please go and see it while it’s in theaters.
