Hamnit Picking. Plants Out of Time & Place!

[Menier]

I've just seen Hamnet, which I really enjoyed.
But - it's bugging me that there was a close up of Echinacea in Agnes's garden.
A quick Google tells me that this wasn't in the UK until the 1700's so well after the period in which the film is set.
I'm finding it doubly annoying as the character is portrayed as being somewhat of a plantswoman and again Google mentions that the researchers say they paid attention to what plants would have been around at the time.
Has anyone else noticed this?
Also I'd love to hear any out of place/time objects, horticultural or otherwise, you have spotted.

I saw Hamnet last week. I was far too caught up in the acting and the story to notice a bit of echinacea. I think you may be overthinking it!

Probably should have been posted in gardening where we'd be interested in discussing the history of healing plants! I liked it!

Yes, I was torn between the two categories!

We all have our little things we notice that take us out of the moment. Mine is language …Agnes saying ‘yeah?’ at the end of sentences was jarring for me.
But I also really enjoyed the film and Jessie was outstanding.

The bit that distracted me was that when she gave birth the second time (first time in the woods was unclear), there was no umbilical cord and no cutting off the cord. Beautiful film though.

Gorgeous film. I don’t think front crawl was introduced to the UK until the mid 19th century, either, but let’s not be picky 😬

I agree, it was a beautiful film. I think that was one of the reasons why the echinacea leapt out (I'm also a keen gardner), it just felt incongruent. I also noticed the front crawl @StrongGirlsLift it just didn't affect me in the same way!

Oh yes the front crawl! That sat oddly with me too.

The echinacea is a good spot. It does distract and i lose a bit of respect when the research isn't good. I am about to read the book so will be on the lookout now!

Ha, I noticed this too and was surprised. They had tried hard to achieve authenticity, but this was pretty basic!

Different film. In Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children much was made of it being late summer but when they were on the cliff top the broom was in full flower. Not sure if there wasn’t some gorgeous wisteria going on too.
Really threw me out of the story.

They obviously weren't bothered about being accurate as apparently they used a Harris Hawk which isn't a native species and in the book it was a kestrel.

That says it all.

I've always thought that there was something questionable about the flowers growing on Hunsford(Sp?) Parsonage in the 1995 P and P because it was meant to be springtime, I think.

Also, there were those horse chestnut flowers in that tree behind Anya Taylor-Joy when Mr. Knightley was attending to her pesky nose-bleed in the autumn of the year.

We have become so used to seeing umbilical cords being cut in 'Call the Midwife' that we are floored when there isn't one. Thinks - how funny it would be if someone made a Youtube short, 3 minutes 15 seconds long, showing umbilical cords being cut and set to a suitable piece of music. Umbilical chords.

This!! I have been binging on Call the Mid wife and there is always an obligatory cutting of the cord shot.

i am now v disappointed about the kestrel/hawk situation.

I've just told my DH about the hawk @AnnieMay55. He's feeling vindicated as he questioned that too.

@AnnieMay55 - I was going to say the same, can't take credit for noticing it though just heard it on Wittertainment the other week! 😁 I did wonder about front crawl too. But like others none of this took me out of it and I loved it and have also been really enjoying the Max Richter soundtrack since.

it bothered me that Agnes gave William a hard time for not being there when Hamnet died. I don’t know how he could have known if he was in London. And I’m not sure women did that kind of guilt tripping in those days…. I think that’s a modern sensibility

But overall a very powerful film

That sort of thing grinds my gears too, OP. Read a review by A.N. Wilson and the whole thing clearly pissed him off from an historical accuracy standpoint. I can’t watch anything with Paul Mescal in it, so thankfully I’ll be spared!

I think she was angry he wasn't around for his family. He could have been there if he hadn't chosen to follow his dream in London and left her with the children. So not so much knowing about Hamnet and coming home but not going in the first place.

London will have felt like a different country back then, in terms of distance and lifestyle.

I haven't seen the film, so can't really weigh in, but apparently the costumes for the leads aren't great either - they're not wearing enough layers (what they are wearing as top layers would be covered by something else); the lead woman wouldn't have untidy, uncovered hair, she would have worn a cap or coif; and most clothes are dull browns/greys, where people actually wore brighter colours.

I saw it. Was disappointed with the film. I preferred the book. Lack of subtlety.

I did notice it OP!
But only in an 'Oh, I'm surprised the garden looks like a modern cottage garden' way, I didn't actually know the timeline for Echinacea.
Ultimately, I don't think we should be looking for accuracy of any kind in a work of fiction (even if they claim they did their research).

As for Also I'd love to hear any out of place/time objects, horticultural or otherwise, you have spotted
The Starbucks cup in GOT was lovely - I did see that one, but think they've had it digitally removed in any repeat versions.

One minute Hamnet is saying 'is all well, father' and the next his mother is saying 'ok' - didn't notice the plants though! I thought it was all a bit daft tbh.

https://www.ft.com/content/b0037dd9-fc77-4430-b78f-e68cafb18ddb This article talks about the research used for the herbs shown in the film

I know there's been much appreciatuon of the film but it struck me as less Shakeapeare and spouse and more White Queen meets Shakespeare in a very romanticised way.

Nothing about the storyline was authentic and therefore I wouldn't expect authenticity to extend to the props.

It was a slow burn, I managed to keep my eyes open but suspect if I'd watched it on Netflix, scrolling MNet would have been more appealing. DD had read the book and teaches Shakespeare and appreciated it far more.

I definitely noticed this! The flowers / plants not so much. Interesting about the bird used too. You'd think they'd get such details right.