Gosford Park

November, 1932. Lord and Lady McCordle, William and Sylvia in more familiar terms, are hosting a weekend gathering at their country estate, the gathering centered on a pheasant shooting party. While many of the invitees are relatives of Lady McCordle, such as her two sisters, their respective husbands, and her somewhat openly critical Aunt Constance, the guest list also does most notably include matinee idol Ivor Novello, who in turn has arranged an invitation for Hollywood producer Morris Weissman, by chance he working on a new Charlie Chan murder mystery movie that takes place at an English estate. Along with the invited guests come their own personal servants - maids and valets - who not only have to be at the beck and call of their master or mistress for the weekend, but do their jobs within the finely tuned workings of the permanent "below stairs" i.e. staff of the estate, most notably the head butler, Mr. Jennings, the head housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, and the head cook, Mrs. Croft. There is much intrigue going on at the estate this weekend as individuals try behind the scenes to advance their own positions, this intrigue both among the "above stairs" and "below stairs", as well as between the two, with gossip prevalent among both, but which is a little more open among the below stairs despite they often being bound to secrecy if told something by their master or mistress. While two of those issues of intrigue come out into the open on their own, one by chance and one as a consequence of another development, it is a murder that occurs at the estate late on the Saturday that changes the nature of the gathering as, as the investigation by less than able Inspector Thompson ensues, those at the estate for the weekend may do their damnedest to keep his or her secret just that, regardless if they or those secrets are germane to the murder.