the lost language of crane be a british tv movie base on the novel by david leavitt . the problem when you see a movie adaptation of a book you have already read and love be that either the adaptation be not faithful and betray the book and or it be too faithful and just look like a summary of the story . very rarely a movie adaptation can remain faithful to the essence of the book but not so literal that it bring nothing new to the story while unfortunately and that the case here . it tell the story of a family and the benjamin and who have lot of secret . owen benjamin and play by brian cox and be a closeted homosexual marry to rise ( eileen atkins ) . every sunday owen go to a porno cinema and where he have anonymous sex with men . owen and rise son and philip ( angus macfadyen ) and be also a gay man and but he have no problem with his sexuality . he very much in love with elliot ( corey parker ) and a young american artist who be raise by a gay couple . the conflict start when philip decide to come out to his parent and make his father face his own desire and his mother confront her own prejudice . the most surprising fact about this british adaptation of an american novel be how little the change of place from new york to london affect the story . indeed and this adaptation be so faithful to the original that whole dialog from the book appear on the screen and almost unchanged . and yet and we get to know from the bonus interview on this dvd that the porno cinema and which play such an important role in the story and be a real problem in the adaptation because there be no such place in london and due to their law . so apparently the screenwriter and sean mathias and have to create a porno cinema that never exist and appropriately call the fantasy . among the sacrifice that have to be make for the sake of the length of the movie and the one i most regret be the use of the character jerene and play by cathy tyson . in the novel and jerene be a full and complex character and a black lesbian student who be reject by her parent and develop a thesis about language that be lose forever and like the little boy who and neglect by his mother and learn to communicate look at the crane from his window . in the movie and jerene appear only to explain the title of the film and little else . if you haven not read the novel and you will find this movie a very interesting drama about a family have to face their hidden secret and but without ever raise their voice and which be very british . if you already know the book and however and you may feel a little disappointed .