A Handful of Dust_
"It's a long fall from high society"
English aristocrat Tony Last welcomes tragedy into his life when he invites John Beaver to visit his vast estate. There Beaver makes the acquaintance of Tony's wife, Brenda. Together, they continue their relationship in a series of bedroom assignations in London. Trusting to a fault, Tony is unaware that anything is amiss until his wife suddenly asks for a divorce. With his life in turmoil, Tony goes on a haphazard journey to South America.
Starring
James Wilby, Kristin Scott Thomas, Rupert Graves
Box Office
$1.6M
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
A Handful of Dust was released 38 years ago in 1988.
Overview
English aristocrat Tony Last welcomes tragedy into his life when he invites John Beaver to visit his vast estate. There Beaver makes the acquaintance of Tony...
A Handful of Dust is a Romance, Drama film with a runtime of 1h 58m.
CAST (20)
James Wilby
Tony Last
Kristin Scott Thomas
Brenda Last
Rupert Graves
John Beaver
Pip Torrens
Jock Grant-Menzies
Judi Dench
Mrs. Beaver
Alec Guinness
Mr. Todd
Beatie Edney
Marjorie
Christopher Godwin
Dr. Messinger
JK
Jackson Kyle
John Andrew
Anjelica Huston
Mrs. Rattery
JW
Jeanne Watts
Nanny
NL
Norman Lumsden
Ambrose
RB
Richard Beale
Ben
KP
Kate Percival
Miss Ripon
Richard Leech
Doctor
Roger Miller
Vicar
Stephen Fry
Reggie
Tristram Jellinek
Richard Last
Graham Crowden
Mr. Graceful
John Quentin
Brenda's Solicitor
BOX OFFICE
$1.6M
Revenue
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
118 min (1h 58m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
6.0/10 (41 votes)
Popularity
1
Box Office
$1,561,000
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is A Handful of Dust about?
English aristocrat Tony Last welcomes tragedy into his life when he invites John Beaver to visit his vast estate. There Beaver makes the acquaintance of Tony's wife, Brenda. Together, they continue their relationship in a series of bedroom assignations in London. Trusting to a fault, Tony is unaware that anything is amiss until his wife suddenly asks for a divorce. With his life in turmoil, Tony goes on a haphazard journey to South America.
How long is A Handful of Dust?
A Handful of Dust has a runtime of 118 minutes (1h 58m).
Who stars in A Handful of Dust?
The cast of A Handful of Dust includes James Wilby, Kristin Scott Thomas, Rupert Graves, Pip Torrens, Judi Dench.
How much did A Handful of Dust make at the box office?
A Handful of Dust earned $1,561,000 worldwide at the box office.
What is the rating of A Handful of Dust?
A Handful of Dust has a rating of 6.0 out of 10 based on 41 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Romance
Drama