WE’VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU.

In 1927, the Crawleys are informed that King George V and Queen Mary will visit Downton Abbey, and the preparations begin.

The movie adaptation of the 2010-2015 TV series has writer Julian Fellowes working hard to do his sprawling cast of characters justice in two hours. Surprisingly light on its feet, with the royal visit serving as a glamorously gilded framework for a multitude of little stories of varying interest.

It’s like a longish but comforting visit to old friends; fun, with a few earnest touches. Maggie Smith is a treat in each of her scenes.

2019-U.K. 122 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Michael Engler. Screenplay: Julian Fellowes. Cast: Michelle Dockery (Mary Crawley), Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley), Maggie Smith (Violet Crawley), Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter, Allen Leech, Imelda Staunton, Mark Addy, Geraldine James, Matthew Goode.

Trivia: Co-produced by Fellowes. Carter and Staunton are married in real life. Followed by Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022).