Ida
I'm almost less interested in who plays the role, than speculating about who could.
*You're not listening to me. There are other things that need to be taken into account here*
if they're adhering to the book, you'd need a BIG, earthy woman to play "the buer". Mirren - even with padding - still doesn't really fit. Amanda Redman would be closer to the mark, but she isn't big enough either.
You need somebody LIKE Dawn French, who might -just- have been able to pull it off.
or Judy Cornwell..
shareDawn French couldn't do it. She's a crap actress, imo, and vastly over-rated.
shareWell, the post did say 'LIKE Dawn French' - though I agree, she's crap. Unfunny, try-too-hard and useless as a straight actress.
But I thought Mirren nailed it. She was a *little* bit too well-spoken for Ida (perhaps that went with the territory of her being a tea room proprietoress as opposed to a dame-about-town as she is in the novel), but the worldly sexiness was there, even if the blowsiness wasn't.
Judy Cornwell circa 1980 would have been ace, and I like the Amanda Redman suggestion (Diana Dors of course, would have certainly played her, had they remade it in about 1970).