BERNARD AND DORIS (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television, semi-fictionalized comedy-drama film follows the unconventional friendship between billionaire heiress Doris Duke and her butler/confidante Bernard Lafferty.
The story begins as an older Duke, twice divorced and childless, fires her butler for a minor infraction; when Irish-born Bernard Lafferty appears at her gates, she hires him on the spot, remembering only later to question him and check his credentials. He claims to have worked for Elizabeth Taylor and Peggy Lee and admits to having a problem with alcohol. Duke seems satisfied and Lafferty soon declares herself the "enforcer of standards" amongst the household staff. Duke enjoys a casual romance with a younger man, pianist Ben, and meets with her board to discuss the many charities she supports with her fortune. When she heads off on a mysterious errand, Lafferty snoops through her treasures and avoids temptation when he catches the maids drinking wine. He begins assembling a scrapbook of Duke's remarkable life. Duke then returns, having stormed out of the clinic ahead of time following a facelift. Lafferty gently cares for her, urging against mixing alcohol and dangerous medications. He bribes the clinic into forgetting her behavior; during Duke's recovery, the two begin to bond as he assists her in the greenhouse.
Lafferty and Duke set off on a long worldwide tour, with Lafferty continually sending memos to the staff regarding upkeep of the house. Duke is charmed by an elderly Indian swami as Lafferty gradually begins drinking again. Back in America, Duke tells her friends about their travels, and Lafferty, now far more of a companion than a servant, shows her a trick for fending off plant-eating slugs. Duke tells him about Arden, her daughter who died a day after birth; as Lafferty muses over the fateful series of events that led him to Duke's home, he adds that he "swings in the other direction," as she had guessed. The chef notices as Lafferty's drinking habit grows. At Duke's urging, he embraces a more stylish personal appearance and pursues Ben, a blind date from a personals ad. Duke, Lafferty, and Ben spend a pleasant evening around the piano with champagne, but when Duke later catches Ben in bed with maid Paloma, she angrily tosses them both out. Duke then confides in Lafferty about her first marriage, in which her new husband began asking about money right after the ceremony. When she finally demands just what Lafferty desires from her, he requests on "to take care of her."
Duke is soon hauled in by the cops for driving dangerously, though she quickly uses her connections to evade trouble. Her lawyer and financial advisor Waldo Taft reminds her of her "moral obligation" as a philanthropist to behave admirably. He suggests that Lafferty is a bad influence with harmful intentions and even attempts to pay him off to abandon her. However, Lafferty remains by Duke's side. She returns from another trip with an antique caftan for her pal, though she is outraged to see that he has allowed her beloved plants to die. She sends him off to rehab when he collapses drunk in her bedroom, having helped himself to her expensive wine collection. Duke then suffers a "sizable" stroke, and Lafferty rushes to her side, humbly apologizing and pleading to retain his job. Back at home, an angered Taft calls the police when Lafferty keeps him from speaking to Duke on the phone. Ironically, Duke views Lafferty's controlling behavior as that of a firm and caring nurse, telling him that she "chooses him above all others."
Duke confides in Lafferty about her father "Buck" Duke's tragic death back in the '20s, explaining that he left everything to her and not to her cold-hearted mother. Lafferty, too, reveals that he was orphaned at a young age. They celebrate her birthday together as she makes preparations for her death, explaining that she wants only casual attire and no funeral service. She eventually dies after Lafferty gives her an injection and tucks her into bed, calling her precise cause of death into question. In her will, Duke names Lafferty as her executor, a role that comes with a sizable fee, and a variety of other important duties. She also stipulated that her great wealth should be divided among several charities. Lafferty is subsequently accused of everything from mismanagement of her affairs to murder, but no charges are filed; Lafferty dies only three years after Duke from alcohol-related causes. The Doris Duke Foundation continues to fund a number of philanthropic outlets.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: February 9, 2008 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:42:48
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 103724
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: LGBTQ+ Collection - Drama; Drama; Biography; Wealth
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 2008
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bob Balaban … Executive Producer, Director
- Dana Brunetti … Executive Producer
- Jonathan Cavendish … Executive Producer
- Adam Kassen … Executive Producer
- Mark Kassen … Executive Producer
- Kevin Spacey … Executive Producer
- Mark Olsen … Co-Executive Producer
- Cory McCrum Abdo … Associate Producer
- Glen Trotiner … Associate Producer
- Amy J. Bailey … Line Producer
- Donnie Creighton … Digital Intermediate Producer
- Hugh Costello … Writer
- Alex Wurman … Music by
- Susan Sarandon … Cast, Doris Duke
- Ralph Fiennes … Cast, Bernard Lafferty
- James Rebhorn … Cast, Waldo Taft
- Nick Rolfe … Cast, Ben
- Monique Gabriela Cumen … Cast, Paloma
- Marilyn Torres … Cast, Nancy
- Chris Bauer … Cast, Chef
- Peter Asher … Cast, First Butler
- David Kuhn … Cast, Dinner Guest
- Neal Huff … Cast, Dinner Guest
- Don Harvey … Cast, Security Guard
- Dominick Dunne … Cast, Board Member
- Thomas J. McGrath … Cast, Board Member
- Gene Parseghian … Cast, Board Member
- Henry Schleiff … Cast, Board Member
- Calvin Trillin … Cast, Board Member
- Kunnath P. Namboodiri … Cast, Swami
- James Bracchitta … Cast, Patrolman
- Ed Onipede Blunt … Cast, Second Officer
- Robert Penotti … Cast, Masseur
- Bruce MacVittie … Cast, Doctor