Honestly, most period dramas try way too hard. They’re stuffed with plastic-looking corsets, overly dramatic orchestral swells, and actors who look like they’ve never seen a day of manual labor in their lives. But then you have the 2005 under the greenwood tree film. It’s different. It’s quiet. It’s basically the cinematic equivalent of a warm wool blanket and a cup of tea on a rainy Tuesday. Based on Thomas Hardy’s 1872 novel—which, let’s be real, is probably his only book where everyone doesn't end up dead or miserable—this adaptation captures something rare. It captures a world that was already disappearing when Hardy wrote it.
If you’re looking for Tess of the d'Urbervilles levels of trauma, look elsewhere. This isn’t that.
Directed by Nicholas Laughland, this version of Under the Greenwood Tree features Keeley Hawes as Fancy Day and James Murray as Dick Dewy. It aired as a TV movie, but it has the visual DNA of something much larger. It’s a story about a choir, a change in technology, and a woman who has to decide if she wants status or a guy who really, truly likes her. It sounds simple because it is. But simple is hard to do well.
The Mellstock Choir and the death of a tradition
At its heart, the under the greenwood tree film is about the Mellstock parish choir. These aren’t professional singers. They are the village working men—the tranter (a carrier), the shoemaker, the local laborers—who play fiddles and cellos in the church gallery every Sunday.
Then comes the harmonium.
It’s the classic "man vs. machine" trope but set in a muddy English village. The new vicar, Mr. Maybold (played by Ben Miles), wants to replace the old-school string band with a modern organ. Why? Because he thinks it’s more refined. Because he wants Fancy Day, the new schoolmistress, to play it. This creates a massive rift. You see the older generation, led by the grumpy but lovable characters like Thomas Leaf and Reuben Dewy, realizing their social purpose is being deleted by a box of air and keys.
It’s relatable. Think about how we feel when an algorithm replaces a human skill. That’s exactly what the Mellstock guys are going through. They aren't just losing a gig; they’re losing their place in the community. The film handles this with a sort of gentle sadness rather than high-octane anger.
📖 Related: Howie Mandel Cupcake Picture: What Really Happened With That Viral Post
Why Fancy Day is more than just a love interest
Keeley Hawes plays Fancy Day with a specific kind of spark. In the book, Hardy describes her as a bit vain, maybe a bit flighty. In the under the greenwood tree film, she feels more like a woman caught between two worlds. She’s educated. She has "accomplishments."
She has three very different men chasing her:
- Dick Dewy: The working-class hero. He’s honest, he’s handsome, and he represents the old soul of the village.
- Farmer Shiner: The wealthy, somewhat awkward landowner who can offer her security but zero chemistry.
- Mr. Maybold: The vicar. He offers her intellectual status and a way out of the working class.
Most movies make the choice obvious. Here, it’s actually a bit of a toss-up. You get why she’d be tempted by Maybold. You see the pressure her father puts on her to "marry up." The tension isn't about who she loves—it’s about whether she’s willing to disappoint her family to be happy.
The visual language of a disappearing Wessex
Hardy’s Wessex is a character in itself. The production design in this 2005 adaptation is stellar. They didn't go for that "clean" Victorian look. The roads are muddy. The houses look lived-in. The lighting feels like it’s coming from actual candles or low-hanging winter sun.
One of the best scenes involves the choir going caroling on Christmas Eve. It’s pitch black. They’re carrying lanterns. You can almost feel the cold dampness of the English air. This isn't the "chocolate box" version of England that tourist boards love; it’s the version that smells like wet wool and woodsmoke.
The pacing is also very "Hardy-esque." It moves at the speed of a horse and cart. If you’re used to modern editing where there’s a cut every three seconds, this might feel slow. But that’s the point. It forces you to settle into the rhythm of the seasons.
👉 See also: Austin & Ally Maddie Ziegler Episode: What Really Happened in Homework & Hidden Talents
A soundtrack that actually matters
Since the plot revolves around a choir, the music has to be good. And it is.
Instead of a generic orchestral score, the under the greenwood tree film uses folk-inspired arrangements. You hear the scratchy, imperfect sound of fiddles. You hear the harmonies of men who have been singing together for decades. It feels authentic to the period. When the harmonium finally shows up, the contrast is jarring. The organ is "perfect" and "stable," but it lacks the soul of the messy, vibrating strings of the Mellstock band.
What most people get wrong about this adaptation
A lot of critics at the time dismissed it as "lightweight." They compared it to the darker Hardy works like Jude the Obscure. That’s a mistake.
Hardy subtitled his novel A Rural Painting of the Dutch School. Those paintings aren't about grand historical events; they are about the light hitting a milk jug or the way people look at a wedding. The film understands this perfectly. It isn't trying to be an epic. It’s trying to be a portrait.
Another misconception is that it’s just a "chick flick" or a romance. Honestly, the relationship between the men in the choir is just as important as the romance. It’s about male friendship and the loss of craft. It’s about how men talk to each other when things are changing too fast.
Key differences between the book and the film
Adaptations always tweak things. In the book, Fancy Day is a bit more manipulative. She’s a "Hardy Heroine" in training—someone who knows her power and uses it. The film softens her edges. Keeley Hawes makes her more sympathetic, which works for a 90-minute TV movie but loses some of the bite of the original text.
✨ Don't miss: Kiss My Eyes and Lay Me to Sleep: The Dark Folklore of a Viral Lullaby
Also, the film heightens the drama of the "secret" between Fancy and the Vicar. In the book, it’s a brief moment of weakness. In the movie, it’s a looming shadow over the final act. It adds a bit of stakes to an otherwise low-stakes story, which keeps the viewer invested.
Why you should watch it in 2026
We live in an age of "Peak Content." Everything is loud. Everything is "prestige." Everything is trying to subvert your expectations.
The under the greenwood tree film doesn't care about any of that. It’s unpretentious. It’s a story about people trying to find a bit of warmth in a cold world. It’s about the fact that even when things change—when the old choir is replaced and the old ways die—people still fall in love and get married and have parties under trees.
It’s a reminder that life goes on.
The performances are solid across the board. Look out for Tony Haygarth as Reuben Dewy; he’s a scene-stealer. He brings a grounded, earthy energy that keeps the film from feeling too precious. And James Murray as Dick Dewy manages to be the "pretty boy" lead without being boring, which is a harder trick than it looks.
How to get the most out of the experience
If you’re going to watch this, don’t do it while scrolling through your phone. You’ll miss the nuances.
- Watch for the lighting: Notice how they use natural light in the interior scenes. It’s gorgeous.
- Listen to the lyrics: The carols and folk songs aren't just background noise; they often reflect the inner state of the characters.
- Read the book afterward: Hardy’s prose is dense but beautiful. The film is a great "gateway drug" to his more complex novels.
- Check the filming locations: Much of it was filmed in the West Country, and the scenery is practically a co-star.
The best way to enjoy this film is to treat it like a slow Sunday afternoon. It won't change your life, but it will definitely make it feel a bit more peaceful for an hour or two.
To dive deeper into the world of Thomas Hardy, your next move is to track down the 1967 version of Far From the Madding Crowd. It’s much darker, but it shares that same obsession with the English landscape and the friction between tradition and progress. You can also visit the Thomas Hardy Society website for archives on how the real-life "Mellstock" choir functioned in Dorset history. Watching the film with that historical context makes the stakes of the harmonium battle feel surprisingly high.