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The Missionary

Play trailer Poster for The Missionary R Released Nov 2, 1982 1h 30m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 43% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Reverend Charles Fortescue (Michael Palin), a missionary, is called back to England after spending 10 years in an African village teaching to the natives. He learns his new assignment is to minister in a slum to prostitutes and the funding to coming from Lady Ames (Maggie Smith), a wealthy woman he met while sailing from Africa to England. Reverend Fortescue soon learns that the lady's money comes with a catch, she will only fund the mission is he agrees to spice up her dormant sex life.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Bob Thomas Associated Press The Missionary is a slice of English whimsy, often hilarious, sometimes merely outrageous. Nov 12, 2018 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Aug 22, 2005 Full Review Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice The Missionary probes the world, the flesh and the devil in fresh and funny ways. Feb 4, 2004 Full Review Brian J. Arthurs Beach Reporter (Southern California) Rated: 3/5 Oct 9, 2003 Full Review Jeffrey Westhoff Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) Rated: 3/5 Jun 10, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (34) audience reviews
Audience Member I really enjoyed this movie. Dame Maggie Smith is sooo sexy. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member The Missionary is a fairly risqué, quirky, VERY English comedy featuring Monty Python's Michael Palin as a Church of England missionary returned from Africa to marry his proper English bride when the bishop asks him to start a mission for prostitutes. He also is tempted by the wife of his benefactor, Maggie Smith. I loved the overall message of the film - don't be uptight about sex, forget about the class system, and stop being so "proper". Also, if you haven't seen Dame Smith in anything other than Downton (which has another nod with Highclere being featured as well) or Harry Potter, this might be a shock - she's an absolute dish, sexy as hell, and working it. The film generally is quite amusing, but some plot points don't really end up going anywhere and the main storyline ends up kind of thrown together at the end. The viewer is left deciphering a photo montage during the credits. A few more drafts of the script would have certainly helped. There are also obviously many racist jokes and references (especially in regards to Africans) and the general attitude towards women is pretty poor. These things add nothing and severely diminish what could have been a really clever, forward-thinking film. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Palin's script is not funny. Avoid. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Okay Python solo outing is more humourous than actually funny. In 1906, Michael Palin is recalled from Africa by the Bishop Of London to open a rescue mission for prostitutes. Along the way he becomes tangled in the affairs of a semi-senile aristocrat and his gold-digging wife as he attempts to find funding for his mission. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Delightfully funny period romp written by Michael Palin with great performances from Both Palin and Dame Maggie Smith. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member I had forgotten about this absolute Gem of a film - the cast list alone tells you it is good Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Missionary

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Reverend Charles Fortescue (Michael Palin), a missionary, is called back to England after spending 10 years in an African village teaching to the natives. He learns his new assignment is to minister in a slum to prostitutes and the funding to coming from Lady Ames (Maggie Smith), a wealthy woman he met while sailing from Africa to England. Reverend Fortescue soon learns that the lady's money comes with a catch, she will only fund the mission is he agrees to spice up her dormant sex life.
Director
Richard Loncraine
Producer
Michael Palin, Neville C. Thompson
Screenwriter
Michael Palin
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 2, 1982, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 22, 2017
Runtime
1h 30m