The film omits the journey that Silas and Eppie make in search of the former pastor of the Lantern Yard congregation. The town has altered so much that the area, "Lantern Yard", no longer exists, having been replaced by a factory. Silas' enquiries yield no information, because his hearer moved to the town only ten years previously, when the factory already was in operation.
As a result, Silas never learns the eventual fates of any member of his former congregation, nor discovers whether the lies by William Dane were exposed. He returns to Raveloe, where he tells Dolly Winthrop that it [Raveloe] now is his only home.
Digressing in another direction, the novel also reveals explicitly that Godfrey Cass intends to write the truth about Eppie's parentage into his will, and to provide an inheritance for her. The reader knows that, although Eppie has a happy and full life with her adoptive father and with her husband, eventually she shall inherit material wealth, to whatever extent Godfrey decides.
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VaticanAssassinWarlock
10 years ago
It was such a shame they excluded the final chapter/epilogue. They beautifully bookend the film and sum up one of the story's central themes: while a story of characters, its also about change, both in people and in society. Such a nicely paced film deserves this kind of conclusion, it works in terms of the rhythm of the film and on the correct tone (sombre yet somewhat uplifting). I agree with the original poster, the ending is a little rushed as a result, and I think a less climactic moment would have been more appropriate. Aside from Patsy Kensit's northern accent, it is the only criticism I have of the otherwise excellent film.
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