Exposing the imperfections of domestic perfection

May 19, 2007|Matthew Gilbert, Globe Staff

There was "lifestyle" before Martha, believe it or not, and it wasn't a terrible mess of bad recipes, sloppy table settings, and impropriety. Mrs. Beeton was there for us more than a century before goddess-bot Martha Stewart turned homemaking into an art form. In her fat 1861 bestseller "Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management," Mrs. Beeton shared child-rearing tips and recipes with a very eager public.

But Mrs. Isabella Beeton was not "Mrs. Beeton." She was the 21-year-old wife of struggling publisher Sam Beeton, and she did not even know how to follow a recipe. The movie "The Secret Life of Mrs. Beeton," tomorrow night's "Masterpiece Theatre" at 9 on Channel 2, is more interested in the bright, ambitious woman behind the brand-name image, the one who knew how to cook up a marketable idea but not an edible souffle. And in the process of revealing the real Mrs. Beeton in both her tragedy and her glory, the movie becomes a surprisingly affecting reminder of the limitations of superficial domestic perfection.

Martha only went to jail; Mrs. Beeton was not so lucky. The bitter part of her tale is made clear from the start of the movie, when her ghost gives us a guided tour of her funeral at only 28. How did such a vital, attractive woman die so young? How has her husband, Sam , played with manic energy by JJ Feild, come to look so bedraggled? The movie goes back to their courtship and proceeds forward to chronicle their marital, financial, and parental ups and downs -- the downs comprising the "secret life" of the title.

The sweetness of the movie is in the telling of the story, as Mrs. Beeton, played with winning wit by Anna Madeley, narrates -- not just as a spirit, but by breaking down the fourth wall in the middle of scenes to comment on the action. The technique may sound gimmicky, but it adds a welcome tongue-in-cheek tone. And by the end of the movie, the direct-to-camera commentary is poignant, too, as it conveys Mrs. Beeton's brave front in the face of adversity. Even as fortune confronts her with some of life's hardest challenges, she remains a dignified, strong, and good-humored narrator.

I can't say this installment of "Masterpiece Theatre" is essential viewing. And I suspect many who might enjoy it will be preoccupied by "The Sopranos" or the season finale of "Desperate Housewives," whose Bree is actually a bit of a Beeton baby. But it's a worthy and touching portrayal of Victorian life and a woman with some modern ideas.

Matthew Gilbert can be reached at gilbert@globe.com. For more on TV, visit boston.com/ae/tv/blog.