The History of Mr Polly 2007

Drama

Runtime

120 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Gillies MacKinnon

Made by

ITV

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The History of Mr Polly Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The History of Mr Polly (2007). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

After being dismissed from a draper’s shop where his father had apprenticed him, Alfred Polly finds it increasingly hard to secure another position. A telegram announcing his father’s death pulls him back to the family home, setting off a chain of decisions that will redefine his life. A bequest of £500 offers a glimmer of possibility, and a family friend, Mr Johnsen, urges him to invest in a shop—a notion Polly dislikes but cannot ignore. While wandering the countryside on a newly bought bicycle, he experiences a brief dalliance with a schoolgirl, Christabel, before he ultimately marries Miriam Larkins, one of his cousins. Fifteen years pass, and the couple runs a draper’s shop in Fishbourne, their home and work life punctuated by constant bickering and friction that erodes affection.

As the years wear on, Polly casts a shadow over his own happiness. While out walking in the country, he decides to end his life and plans to set his shop on fire to secure insurance money for Miriam. The plan goes wrong: he botches the arson, survives, and in a strange twist becomes a minor local celebrity after rescuing an elderly neighbour from the blaze. The episode leaves him with a sense of notoriety but deepens his restlessness. Unable to find peace at home, he leaves Miriam and accepts work as a handyman and ferryman for a rural innkeeper, hoping for a simpler, steadier life.

Yet this new circle brings new tensions. Polly discovers that the innkeeper’s open position is partly sustained because the innkeeper’s brother-in-law, Jim, is a heavy drinker who bullies other men into leaving. The clash with Jim escalates until a tragic moment: Jim drowns accidentally in a weir while pursuing Polly. Three years pass, and Polly returns to Fishbourne only to find Miriam now running a tea-shop with her sister, believing Polly has drowned. He re-enters the town and settles back into the life at the inn, where, despite the uncertainties of his past, he finds a measure of rough contentment in the familiar rhythm of work and small-town life.

The History of Mr Polly Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of The History of Mr Polly (2007) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Dismissal from his father's draper's shop

Alfred Polly is dismissed from the draper's shop where his father placed him as an apprentice, leaving him with no clear path forward. He finds it nearly impossible to secure another position, as his prospects seem uncertain and his sense of purpose wanes.

Draper's shop

Telegram of his father's death and return home

A telegram arrives announcing his father's death, prompting Polly to return to the family home. The news forces him to confront his lineage and consider what comes next for him and any inheritance.

Family home

Bequest and investment question

Polly receives a bequest of £500 and begins weighing his options for the future. A friend of his father, Mr Johnsen, urges investing in a shop, but Polly dislikes the idea and questions whether such a plan would suit him.

Youthful countryside romance

While riding in the countryside on a newly bought bicycle, Polly has a brief romantic misstep. This episode foreshadows the more conventional life he will later attempt with Miriam Larkins.

The countryside

Marriage to Miriam Larkins

Polly marries Miriam Larkins, a cousin, setting life on a course that will be tested by time and circumstance. The union promises stability but soon meets the strains of daily life.

Fifteen years later: Fishbourne draper's shop

Fifteen years pass and Polly and Miriam run a draper's shop in Fishbourne, but their marriage has descended into constant arguments. The routine of shopkeeping deepens their mutual dissatisfaction.

15 years later Fishbourne

Polly contemplates suicide

On a country walk Polly contemplates ending his life, weighed down by unhappiness and unresolved frustrations. The moment marks a turning point as he contemplates drastic measures to escape his life.

Country

Arson attempt and accidental salvation

Polly sets his shop ablaze, hoping the insurance payout will secure Miriam's prosperity. The plan backfires: he botches the arson, but instead of dying, he rescues an elderly neighbour and becomes a minor local celebrity.

Draper's shop, Fishbourne

Leaving his wife; joining a rural inn

Still unhappy, Polly leaves Miriam and finds work with a rural innkeeper as a handyman and ferryman. The position seems precarious and reveals the inn’s deeper, less welcoming dynamics.

Rural inn

Jim the bully reveals the inn's danger

Polly clashes with Jim, the innkeeper's drunken brother-in-law, who bullies other men to leave. The hostile atmosphere at the inn shapes Polly's choices and sense of safety.

Inn

Jim drowns in a weir

In the heat of a confrontation, Jim chases Polly and drowns accidentally in a weir. The death removes a key source of danger and alters the local power dynamics.

Weir

Three years later: Miriam's tea-shop; Polly returns

Three years later, Polly returns to Fishbourne to find Miriam operating a tea-shop with her sister, believing Polly has drowned. He re-enters life at the inn and begins to rebuild a sense of belonging.

3 years later Fishbourne

Polly finds happiness again at the inn

Polly settles back into the life at the inn and discovers a measure of contentment away from his earlier failures. He embraces a quieter, more stable existence, with a renewed sense of purpose.

Inn, Fishbourne

The History of Mr Polly Characters

Explore all characters from The History of Mr Polly (2007). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Alfred Polly (Lee Evans)

Alfred Polly is a restless drifter who struggles to settle into a conventional life after losing his apprenticeship. He is prone to impulsive decisions—investing in a shop he dislikes, flirting with a schoolgirl, and later fleeing his unhappy marriage—in search of purpose and happiness. His noblest acts emerge in moments of danger, such as the arson attempt and the accidental rescue that makes him briefly famous. Polly remains a curious blend of charm and self-doubt, never fully at home in any role.

🧭 Identity 💼 Ambition 🔥 Impulsiveness

Miriam Larkins (Anne-Marie Duff)

Miriam Larkins is Polly's wife, with whom he shares a life built on negotiation and conflict. The marriage deteriorates into relentless bickering, revealing how disappointment and mismatch can erode affection. Later, she operates a tea-shop with her sister, believing Polly is drowned, showing a capacity for resilience and new beginnings. Her arc traces the strains and persistence of loyal companionship in a changing world.

💑 Relationship 🏡 Domestic life ☕ Tea-shop

Jim (Richard Coyle)

Jim is the innkeeper's bullying brother-in-law, a volatile presence who embodies the dangerous male authority Polly resists. His drunkenness and aggression push Polly to seek a quieter life away from conflict. Jim's accidental death by drowning in a weir marks a turning point, transforming Polly's exile into a reputation for luck and sympathy. The character's demise catalyzes Polly's shift toward a more introspective path.

⚡ Conflict 🥃 Drunkenness 🪦 Tragedy

Christabel (Chrissie Cotterill)

Christabel is a schoolgirl with whom Polly has a brief dalliance during his early wanderings. The encounter hints at Polly's hunger for excitement beyond a dull apprenticeship. Her position in the story underscores the social expectations of youth and propriety in the village. The scene foreshadows Polly's restless nature that continues to guide his decisions.

💘 Forbidden Attraction

Young Polly (Jordan El-Balawi)

Young Polly appears at the start of Polly's story, highlighting the influences of his family and the early environment that shape his later choices. The sequence shows a boy grappling with duty, expectation, and curiosity, foreshadowing the restlessness that defines his life as an adult. The vignette contrasts with his later adventures and misadventures, signaling a lifelong pattern of yearning for more.

🧒 Youth 🧭 Destiny

The History of Mr Polly Settings

Learn where and when The History of Mr Polly (2007) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Early 20th century Britain

The story unfolds in a historical, rural British setting where small shops, bicycles, and local inns shape daily life. The era's conventions and limited opportunities help explain Polly's restlessness and the choices he makes. Across several years, the timeline tracks his ascent into minor celebrity after a rescue and his eventual return to stability in the inn.

Location

Fishbourne, England

Fishbourne is a quiet English village where Polly and Miriam run a draper's shop amid a close-knit community. The setting blends rural lanes with a country inn and local commerce, illustrating everyday life and social ties that frame Polly's choices. The landscape and village rhythms anchor the narrative, serving as both backdrop and catalyst for his fortunes.

🏡 Rural village 🛒 Small-town commerce 🌳 Countryside

The History of Mr Polly Themes

Discover the main themes in The History of Mr Polly (2007). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🗺️

Identity

Polly's core struggle is finding purpose after losing his apprenticeship. He drifts between work, romance, and risky schemes in search of a stable identity. His restlessness drives decisions—from investing in a shop he dislikes to pursuing brief affairs. The story uses Polly's journey to explore how a sense of self can be shaped, broken, and redefined by action and circumstance.

💼

Ambition

Polly is drawn into entrepreneurship, first by the idea of owning a shop and later by running a draper's shop with Miriam. The small-town economy frames success and failure as moral tests as much as financial ones. His flirtation with danger—arson and sudden fame—reveals how ambition can both empower and destabilize. The setting uses commerce as a lens on character and choices.

💔

Marriage

Polly's marriage with Miriam deteriorates into constant bickering and distance. The couple's friction highlights the cost of mismatched expectations and the search for personal happiness. Miriam's later life as a tea-shop owner shows resilience and the possibility of renewal beyond Polly. The storyline uses domestic life to examine loyalty, compromise, and the struggle to build a shared future.

🕊️

Redemption

A disastrous arson attempt backfires, but Polly's rescue of an elderly neighbour changes his standing in the community. The accidental fame suggests that redemption can arise from acts of crisis rather than deliberate virtue. Polly's subsequent return to a simpler life at the inn marks a turn toward contentment after years of upheaval. The arc explores how public perception and personal choices intersect to redefine a life.

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The History of Mr Polly Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of The History of Mr Polly (2007). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a quiet stretch of rural England, Alfred Polly feels the weight of expectations pressing down on the narrow lanes of his hometown. Trained in a draper’s shop that once belonged to his father, he watches opportunity slip through his fingers, each failed attempt at steady work deepening a sense of unfulfilled promise. The landscape—rolling fields, wind‑kissed hedgerows, and the occasional village tavern—offers a contrast to the cramped confines of commerce, hinting that a wider horizon might hold the answer to his restless yearning.

When a sudden inheritance arrives, the modest sum becomes more than a financial footnote; it is a quiet invitation to rewrite his story. Encouraged by a kindly family friend, Mr Johnsen, who suggests investing in a shop, Polly finds himself torn between the familiar pull of a trade he has long come to resent and the lure of an open road that promises unknown freedom. The tension between duty and desire is felt in every turn of the wheel as he pedals a newly‑bought bicycle through countryside lanes, each mile a silent meditation on the possibilities that lie beyond the familiar.

Amidst the pastoral scenery, Miriam Larkins, a cousin and steadfast presence, represents both a grounding force and a reminder of the life he could leave behind. Their connection hints at the complexities of love, family, and expectation that shape the small‑town tapestry. The film’s tone balances wistful melancholy with a gentle, almost pastoral humor, inviting viewers to contemplate the delicate dance between responsibility and the craving for something more.

The History of Mr Polly thus sets the stage for a journey that is as much internal as it is geographic. It asks what might happen when a man, caught between the safety of the known and the ache of the unknown, finally decides to follow the road that stretches toward whatever fate has quietly set aside for him.

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