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Cider with Rosie

Cider with Rosie

TV movie1998100 minMidcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Director
Charles Beeson
Starring
Juliet Stevenson, Joe Roberts, David Troughton, Emily Mortimer

This adaptation of Laurie Lee's autobiographical novel follows a young man's maturation in the country town of Gloucestershire near the end of World War I. As young Laurie comes of age under the protective eye of his mother, he learns to live with an eccentric collection of friends, neighbours, and relatives. As he enters his teenage years, Laurie discovers women.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Cider with Rosie?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Cider with Rosie on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Cider with Rosie?

Cider with Rosie earns 1 badge: Crowd Pleaser.

Reception

Is Cider with Rosie worth watching?

Cider with Rosie's Midcredits score is the 45th percentile of all films, from 244 ratings across 3 sources. 55% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

45th percentile

Better received than 45% of films

20th percentile among Biography48th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)31st
Approval (how many liked it)59th

56 /100

31st percentile of all films

9th percentile among Biography33rd percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.5 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

55% liked it

59th percentile of all films

35th percentile among Biography62nd percentile among 1990s
55% rated it 7–1045% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

34th percentile

244 ratings across platforms

15th percentile among Biography27th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 42% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • faithful adaptation with deeper character understanding
  • lyric prose-poetic novel accessible even to children
  • rich family complexity and warmth in period setting

Detractors panned

  • run-of-the-mill TV drama inferior to earlier version
  • incoherent plot with unexplained character motives and gaps
  • fails to capture book's brutality and comedy

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive55

quaint period village but fails to evoke brutal reality

Cinematography50

scenery praised but visuals run-of-the-mill

ActingDivisive45

familiar TV faces; no standout performances

PacingDivisive45

overstuffed with book material yet slow

CharactersDivisive40

rich complexity vs unexplained motives and strange characters

Emotional impactDivisive40

warmth for fans; fails to move detractors

OriginalityDivisive40

derivative of earlier superior adaptation

Plot and storyDivisive35

unclear story logic and unexplained events

Watch experience

What is Cider with Rosie like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Quiet and reflective: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in a patient, quiet mood.

It takes its time, has a few laughs and leaves you wistful. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Quiet and reflective.

Moods
WarmContemplativeMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Warm humor
Register
WarmTender · 13% of filmsSentimental · 8% of films
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film regards its material with affectionate earnestness — a gentle, nostalgic look at a vanished way of life rather than an ironic one.
The rideThe film sustains a gentle, affectionate register of village life tinged with the sadness of war losses and a world ending.
StructureA childhood recollected as loosely linked village episodes rather than a single plotted arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Wistful.

Wistful · 8% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayA gentle nostalgia for the lost simplicity of childhood lingers, the warmth of the family mixed with the sense of a world that has gone.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeA semi-autobiographical childhood memoir told as a chain of daily-village episodes, with no single plotted arc for the classic archetypes to fit.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfComingof age
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Coming of age · 5% of filmsFamily bondsMemory · 3% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film follows a boy's passage through childhood in a rural village, seen through the warm, recollecting lens of a memoir.
StanceThe film watches a boy's rural childhood and family fortunes without forcing a moral, presenting village life fondly but not as pure idyll.

The world

Early 20th centuryRuralDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Geoffrey Burgon
SettingA small Cotswolds village (Slad) during and just after the First World War.
MusicGeoffrey Burgon's gentle period score underlines the nostalgic mood.

Content guide

Is Cider with Rosie okay for kids?

As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (67/100), sexual content at mild (33/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (5 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Cider with Rosie have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Cider with Rosie?

Cast

Juliet Stevenson
as Annie Lee
Joe Roberts
as Laurie
David Troughton
as Uncle Sid
Emily Mortimer
as Miss Flynn
Grant Masters
as Father Lee
Amanda Boxer
as Miss Biggs
John Light
as Boyfriend Harold
William Moseley
as Extra
Con O'Neill
as Uncle Ray
Judith Paris
as Spinster 2

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Cider with Rosie?

Movies like Cider with Rosie include Tea with Mussolini (1999), 20th Century Women (2016) and I Remember Mama (1948). Of the 7 closest matches, all are period dramas, and all are stories about parents and children.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Cider with Rosie?

3.8K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: child. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.