What is left in our collective memory of the Welsh American actor Richard Burton? Maybe his tumultuous relationship with Liz Taylor, some great films – and few remember that he was a Shakespearean actor. The movie “Mr. Burton,” presented in Orinda beginning Oct. 23, however, is about the youth and upbringing of the young man. Beyond his specific story, it is a wonderful reflection on what fatherhood and mentorship mean, on transmission, and on how much of a person’s destiny hinges on the people they meet and sheer luck.

    One hundred years ago, Richard Jenkins was born into a large Welsh family, the last of six children. His mother died when he was 2, his worthless father was a drunk, and when we meet the young man in high school, he lives in the home of his older sister and her husband. A bright student, he is well liked by his English teacher, Mr. Burton, but his sister’s husband takes him out of school and puts him to work as a clerk so he can contribute to the family’s well-being. The story could have ended there, and Jenkins would have taken a very different route from the one that led to stardom.

    But Mr. Burton had noticed the young man’s quite unique love of literature. Having suffered some significant setbacks in his own career, he starts supporting the young man’s desire to become more than is expected of him and gradually invests more in his development.

    The British actor Harry Lawtey plays Jenkins. He transforms very credibly from a fun-loving teenage boy into an inspired Shakespearean actor. Toby Jones plays Mr. Burton, the aging teacher who is a theater director and writer himself, even if his career has not flourished as he had hoped. He lodges with a widowed landlady who is also a supportive and no-nonsense character in the life of young Jenkins. The young man’s biological father is painted in the bleakest light. A greedy drunk, he has more or less abandoned his son. The movie hypothesizes that the father’s betrayal and scorn toward his son were at the root of Burton’s own drunkenness.

    The young, future Burton is shown at the center of a whirlpool of influences and relationships. The positive forces are Mr. Burton, his older sister, who also believes in him, the landlady, and the first director who works with him in London; the negative influence is mostly his father, whose nefarious effect runs so deep, as well as the young man’s humble social origins. It is said that when Richard Burton was told of his father's death with the words “Your father died,” he asked, “Which father?” The movie definitely takes the position that Richard Burton’s father was Mr. Burton, who saw his talent, pushed him to work hard, and put some real skin in the game.

    As far as cinematography goes, the movie is solid, but not terribly creative. This does not detract, though, from having a wonderful time as a spectator.
    The movie will open at the Orinda Theatre on Oct. 23 for at least one week. It is brought to Lamorinda by the local nonprofit the International Film Showcase. Tickets at https://www.orindamovies.com/movies/