The Remains of the Day

Approximately a quarter century in the lives of James Stevens (Sir Anthony Hopkins) and Sarah Benn nee Kenton (Dame Emma Thompson), called Sally in the most casual of circumstances, is presented. The bulk of their story takes place in the first few years after their meeting in the 1930s when Mr. Stevens, who has worked this entire period as the butler at Darlington Hall in Oxfordshire, hires Miss Kenton as the new housekeeper for Lord Darlington's (James Fox's) stable of servants. The story focuses on their relationship as co-worker servants, with Mr. Stevens' position as head of the manor servant staff. An epilogue of sorts is also presented in the 1950s after a twenty year separation and a seven year period of non-correspondence, where Mr. Stevens, still at Darlington Hall working as butler for its new owner, retired American Representative Jack Lewis (Christopher Reeve), goes to visit now separated Mrs. Benn where she now lives in Clevedon in the west country to ask her to return to service at Darlington Hall. Representative Lewis bought the manor following Lord Darlington's death, his life, which eventually was mired in scandal regarding his geopolitical work before, during, and after the war. That relationship between Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton is dictated largely by Mr. Stevens' priority on what he sees as proper decorum in their work, which results in him largely hiding his emotions from everyone, while Miss Kenton, who still does her job as good as any housekeeper, wants Mr. Stevens to come out from that decorum which may make him an even better butler. As feelings start to develop between the two, that wall of decorum that Mr. Stevens has built may prevent anything from happening, especially fraternization between staff has largely been frowned upon by both of them as a disruption to the household.