Movie Review: ‘All Creatures Great and Small’

The long hoped-for letter finally arrives at his parent’s home in Glasgow, Scotland, where James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph), a newly qualified veterinarian, has been living with his parents’ as he has neither money nor job. That situation could change with the letter from Yorkshire, which requests an interview for a position as assistant veterinarian in Darrowby, Yorkshire. James will go anywhere for an opportunity to work with animals–even to the distant Yorkshire Dales.

His father hopes James will seek employment with him at the docks, but James’s mother prevails by telling him, “You’ve got your dream, now chase it.” He’s off for Darrowby.

Mrs. Hall (Ana Madley), the housekeeper, answers the door to Skeldale House (the veterinary surgery), to find a dripping-wet James shivering outside–he’s had to walk in the rain from the bus stop some distance away. This also explains why he is late for his appointment. The somewhat eccentric surgeon, Mr. Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West), is annoyed with his tardiness, but Mrs. Hall encourages him to at least speak with James,”He’s come such a long way.”

The two men set out on house calls, motoring through the lovely bleak landscape. Returning, they celebrate James’ potential new position with a pint at a pub in town. Siegfried has things to do at the surgery so leaves James in the care of some townsfolk at the next table.

The following morning finds James groaning in bed while Mrs. Hall is in the kitchen preparing Siegfried’s breakfast. “Where is he, we have work to do?” the vet asks Mrs. Hall. James shambles down the stairs and begins performing the first of his daily duties: feeding three cats.

Two cats are in for examinations, the third is in for castration. Two cats are black, the other ginger-colored. Later, a woman arrives to collect her cat which James dashes off to retrieve. At the same moment he collects the ginger-colored cat in his other arm to give to the surgeon. When he hands the woman a black cat she declares, “That’s not my cat.” James rushes off to fetch her cat and returns with the other black cat. “That’s not my cat either, he’s ginger-colored!” Not the best beginning for his future employment.

Things do improve, however, as James helps a pregnant cow with a difficult delivery, provides a plump dog with a new health regime and make a bull more interested in procreating. Another task to which he’s assigned one morning is to fetch Siegfried’s younger brother Tristan Farnon (Callum Woodhouse) at the train station. He’s just passed an exam at college and is returning home to begin a veterinarian career. James secretly hopes Tristan won’t replace him at the surgery. That concern soon proves to be unwarranted as Siegfried has plans to expand his practice to include his two new assistants who soon become best friends.

“Must See” for a beautifully presented story based on the diary of Alf Wright (nom de plume James Herriot), a veterinarian who lived a full rich life in Yorkshire. He worked with large and small creatures, some moving about on four legs and some on two. Some of the latter have wings which, as he soon discovers, some of the others don’t.

johan@beachomber.news