Downton Abbey returns to offer comfort in today's 'whirlpool' of turmoil

Lady Edith is cheerful and contented and that's saying something, given how life hasgiven the middle Crawley sister onDownton Abbeya considerable dose of heartbreak.

So is Daisy, the under cook, who tells her sympathetic kitchen boss Mrs. Patmore: "I'm happy. I don't often say it, but I am."

Lady Edith and Daisy end up revelling in their fortunate emotional stateas the British TV period melodrama that brought them into living rooms around the world makes its much-anticipated return as a feature film, opening in North American theatres today.

And in that, the movie goes some distance toward a goal its creators had of offering moviegoers some emotional succor against the backdrop of a planet in turmoil.

"In a world that is lacking in certainty, I hope that, for the price of a cinema ticket, viewers will get two hours of comfort and reassurance in return," creator Julian Fellowes told Harper's Bazaar. "A bit of a rest from the whirlpool."

That goal wasn't lost on the actors who reunited forthe big screen.

"There's so much uncertainty and this is like an antidote to all the horrors that [are] going on," Phyllis Logan, who plays housekeeper Elsie Hughes, said this week as she stopped off in Toronto to promote the film.

Lesley Nicol, who plays Mrs. Patmore,also sees the film offering audiences more than escapism.

"It does celebrate things that people do value, like being decent with each other and ... being loyal to people and all those traits," Nicol saidduring the media stop at Spadina Museum.

"At heart, [these values are] very important and it feels in this world at the moment that some of the people in charge are not giving that any thought at all, and I think it reassures people."

Maybe we're more aware

Not that these times are necessarily more stressful than previous eras, but perhaps people are more aware of the turmoil in the world, when the next bad headline is right there waiting on the screen of your phone.

"I don't know if it's so much the geopolitical world as it is the way modern media presents it to people," said Michael Kennedy, a Downton fan and film and television director who also teaches directing at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ont.

"I think you'd be hard-pressed to say today films serve as comfort more than in the past, but I think audiences seek it and need it more because they're more aware of the anxiety and dangers that are out there in the world."

In the world ofDownton Abbey, however, there isn't a lot of anxiety or danger. The aristocratic Crawley family lives upstairs in the elegantly appointed big house (Highclere Castle in real life), with their loyal staff below stairs. Lives and loves unfoldwitha fair degree of melodrama.

In one of the TV show's soapier moments, Lady Maryhad to sort out how to deal with the dead body of a handsome Turkish diplomat who succumbed to a heart attack while in bed with her, a story Fellowes has said is based on a real incident.

Inthe case of the film, thecentral tenetis how a visit by King George V and Queen Mary to Downton Abbey in 1927 will affect everyone upstairs and down.

"In today's time, that's a fairly minor issue considering the slate of things that most people see in the news ... and have to deal with every day, so I believe, yes [Downton Abbey]is providing a comfort and an escape," said Kennedy, much like other popular films this year such asThe Lion King or How to Train Your Dragon.

That's not to say Downton Abbey doesn't give anod to issues of itsday that aremore fraught a police raid on an illegal nightclub where gay men gatheroffers the audience some moments of sober second thought.

Downton Abbey's return comes more than three years after the series left TV with a boatload of awards and much praise for its high production values, but no promise of a return.

Still, fans always hoped the aristocratic Crawleys and their downstairs staff would be back. When advance tickets went on sale last month, the movie had more sales than any other drama so far this year.

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And when those moviegoers settle into their seats, they'll be transported back to the familiar opening scenes and sounds of the clacking of a train down a track and the dinging of a service bell.

Even in that familiarity, there can be some solace for the audience.

"I think people become attached to these details and then are psychologically prepared to relax for an hour or two and be entertained and comforted by some of their favourite characters," said Kennedy.

Back in fine form

Those favourites are all back in fine form in the movie, from Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess of Grantham (and her zingers) to Mrs. Hughes and her now-husband, Carson, the retired butlerwho returns to give his downstairs guidance as the house prepares for the royal visit.

"As a fan of the show, you're rooting for the happiness of characters from different backgrounds and different ages and different walks of life," said Michael Rubinoff, co-producer of the theatrical juggernaut Come from Away.

"And I think we like seeing that mirror reflected. We may notbe an earl or a count or a member of the Royal Family, but perhaps we see ourselves in some of the other characters or in the working-class characters, regardless of class."

Logan said the cast has a charactereverybody can relate to, whether it's Barrow, now the butler, or Lady Mary.

"They were all developed over the years," said Nicol."We were on a journey, but the audience were on it with us for sure. [Fellowes] developed everybody's story becausehe's such a good writer and I think that's what happened. People got hooked into what's going to happen to them next."

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As much as Downton Abbey was praised for its writing, storytelling, lush costumes and scenes, it also faced its share of criticism during its TV run, from quibbles over historical accuracy to debate over its portrayal of class.

Still, suggests Rubinoff, such criticism doesn't diminish the entertainment value and any emotional response a show such as Downton can provide or provoke, even for a little while.

"Whetheryou have questions about things that are factual whether you say, oh it's just entertainment and everything's going on around it, you cannot deny an emotional response to something that's in the arts-related or entertainment mediums," said Rubinoff. "Those feelings are real."

Of course, any happiness audience members might feel after seeing something likeDownton Abbey may not last that long after they leave the theatre.

"But it does allow you to engage with others in a certain way that might be more positive than if you hadn't watched that coming into your workplace and having a discussion about how much you enjoyed something," said Rubinoff, who is also creative producing director of the Canadian Music Theatre Projectat Sheridan.

"That might just set a positive tone to the day or strengthen a relationship between colleagues or people. I think that's a good thing."

Obviously, Rubinoff said, the Downton creators weren't setting out to do a documentary. It's a drama, more in thatrealm of soap opera.

"But if you find something joyous, I think that emotional response should be embraced, and that's good entertainment."