Meantime (1983)

Last updated:
January 14, 2026

Meantime (1983) is one of Mike Leigh’s most quietly devastating films. Set in early-1980s London, it captures the emotional paralysis, anger, and confusion of a working-class family trapped by mass unemployment, social stagnation, and unspoken resentment. There are no explosions, no big twists—just people slowly colliding with their own limitations.

This is not a comfortable film, but it is an honest one.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

A Family Stuck in Place

The story centers on the Pollock family: Frank, an unemployed father; Mavis, his emotionally brittle wife; and their two sons, Mark and Colin. They live in a drab council house, surviving on benefits and routine. Nothing moves forward. Every day feels like the same day.

Mark is sharp, bitter, and openly hostile to the world. Colin, by contrast, is painfully shy, socially awkward, and emotionally fragile. From the very beginning, the film establishes a household where love exists but is badly misshapen, buried under frustration and silence.

Mark: Anger as Identity

Mark channels his unemployment into aggression and sarcasm. He despises authority, mocks ambition, and lashes out at anyone who seems more successful. His cruelty is often directed at Colin, whom he alternates between bullying and half-heartedly protecting.

Mark’s anger feels performative at times, but Leigh makes it clear that this rage is rooted in a total lack of opportunity and self-worth. He doesn’t just hate the system—he hates what it has turned him into.

Colin: Vulnerability Without Protection

Colin’s storyline is one of the film’s most heartbreaking elements. He desperately wants connection but lacks the tools to achieve it. He drifts through the film like a ghost, ignored by his parents and infantilized by his brother.

Colin briefly finds work painting houses for Frank’s brother John, a self-made businessman who represents everything Mark resents. The job gives Colin structure, but it also exposes how ill-equipped he is for adult life. His emotional fragility becomes increasingly apparent.

John and Barbara: The Other Britain

John and his wife Barbara live in a more comfortable world. They are not wealthy elites, but they have stability, money, and purpose. Their presence highlights the widening class divide of the era.

Barbara, in particular, shows kindness toward Colin, offering him attention and warmth he never receives at home. This kindness, however, is misunderstood by Colin, setting up one of the film’s most unsettling emotional developments.

Tension Without Release

As the film progresses, nothing is resolved. Conversations trail off. Arguments end without conclusions. Jobs don’t lead to futures. Leigh deliberately avoids traditional plot mechanics, instead letting tension accumulate quietly.

The atmosphere becomes increasingly claustrophobic, especially as Colin’s emotional dependence on Barbara deepens and Mark’s hostility sharpens.

Movie Ending

The ending of Meantime is quiet, ambiguous, and deeply unsettling.

Colin becomes emotionally fixated on Barbara after misinterpreting her kindness as romantic affection. When he attempts to express these feelings, the situation becomes painfully awkward rather than explosive. There is no dramatic confrontation—just embarrassment, confusion, and emotional retreat.

John responds by distancing Colin from Barbara, not cruelly but firmly. Colin loses his job. Any fragile sense of purpose he had collapses almost instantly.

The final scenes return us to the Pollock household, exactly where we began. Mark remains angry. Mavis remains cold. Frank remains passive. Colin sits silently, more withdrawn than ever.

Nothing has improved. Nothing has exploded. That is the point.

The film ends with the crushing realization that this family—and many like it—will simply continue, stuck in the same emotional and social limbo. There is no catharsis, no redemption arc, no lesson learned. Just time passing.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No. Meantime ends definitively with its final scene. There are no post-credits or mid-credits sequences. The emotional weight is left to linger without commentary.

Type of Movie

Meantime is a social realist drama that blends naturalistic performances with political subtext. It focuses on character psychology rather than plot, using everyday interactions to explore broader social decay.

Cast

Tim Roth as Mark Pollock
Phil Daniels as Colin Pollock
Pam Ferris as Mavis Pollock
Jeff Robert as Frank Pollock
Alfred Molina as John
Marion Bailey as Barbara

Tim Roth’s performance, in particular, became a defining early role in his career.

Film Music and Composer

The film features minimal music, staying true to Mike Leigh’s realist style. The near-absence of a traditional score enhances the sense of emotional emptiness and discomfort, forcing the audience to sit with silence, awkward pauses, and unfinished conversations.

Filming Locations

Meantime was shot primarily in East London, using real council estates and residential streets.

These locations are essential to the film’s impact. The cramped interiors, gray exteriors, and lifeless public spaces reflect the characters’ emotional confinement. London is not romanticized—it is presented as a place that has run out of possibilities.

Awards and Nominations

Won BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Pam Ferris)
Won BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Tim Roth)
Nominated for Best Television Drama (BAFTA)

Though made for television (BBC), Meantime is now widely regarded as a major work of British cinema.

Behind the Scenes Insights

Mike Leigh developed the script through months of improvisation with the actors.
The actors built their characters’ backstories collaboratively rather than following a fixed script.
Tim Roth was only in his early 20s and had no formal acting training.
Many scenes were filmed in long takes to preserve natural rhythms.
Leigh deliberately avoided political speeches, letting social critique emerge organically.

Inspirations and References

The economic climate of Thatcher-era Britain
British kitchen-sink realism of the 1960s
Leigh’s own experiences observing working-class life
Social realist filmmakers like Ken Loach

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There are no known alternate endings. Leigh is known for ending films exactly where emotional truth dictates, not where narrative comfort suggests. Some improvised scenes were trimmed for pacing, but no major storylines were removed.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Meantime is not based on a book. It is an original work developed through Leigh’s unique improvisational method.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

Mark verbally tearing down the idea of ambition and success.
Colin’s quiet moments alone, staring without expression.
Barbara’s gentle but doomed attempt to connect with Colin.
The awkward aftermath of Colin’s emotional confession.

Iconic Quotes

Mark: “You’re all dead. You just don’t know it yet.”
Mavis: “Don’t just sit there.”
John: “You’ve got to make an effort.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

Television news in the background subtly references unemployment figures.
Mark’s clothing remains almost unchanged throughout the film, reinforcing stagnation.
Mirrors are frequently used to frame Colin alone.
The house is never shown in full, emphasizing emotional fragmentation.

Trivia

The film was originally broadcast on BBC Two.
Tim Roth won his BAFTA for his first major acting role.
Many lines that feel scripted were improvised.
Leigh considers this one of his most pessimistic works.

Why Watch?

Watch Meantime if you want truth over comfort. It is a film about people who are not heroes, not villains, and not evolving. It captures a specific historical moment while remaining painfully relevant. If you’ve ever felt stuck, ignored, or angry without knowing why, this film understands you.

Director’s Other Works (Mike Leigh)

Bleak Moments (1971)
High Hopes (1988)
Life Is Sweet (1990)
Naked (1993)
Secrets & Lies (1996)
Another Year (2010)

Meantime (1983)