On a crisp March morning in 1932, bride-to-be Dolly (Felicity Jones) is hiding in her bedroom daydreaming of the whimsical summer before, helped along by an ample jug of rum. Long-lost cousins and quirky aunts are arriving to the house every hour, and the downstairs living rooms are buzzing with speculation about the bride's whereabouts. Exasperated by her daughter's absence, Dolly's scatterbrained mother Hetty (Elizabeth McGovern) is at her wit's end, scurrying around the house trying to quell the relatives' suspicions. Hetty has perfected all of the day's arrangements, but her plans can't prepare everyone for the arrival of Dolly's unpredictable best friend, Joseph (Luke Treadaway).

Lavish costumes in an expansive English countryside manse define Cheerful Weather's period, while lighthearted humor paired with a steamy romance and the steady hand of newcomer Donald Rice provide the perfect backdrop for the memorable Felicity Jones (Like Crazy, Hysteria) to shine as the mischievous Dolly. Meanwhile, Downton Abbey matriarch Elizabeth McGovern is fantastic as a very different kind of mother, helming this dysfunctional wedding whose weather and participants seem anything but cheerful.

Directed by

Donald Rice