---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was the sort of situation that would…"
description: "\"“It was the sort of situation that would be ever so charming and warmly human in a film with Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith but that sort of film is on..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e23/russell-hoban-7835_cinema_it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would_587291.png"
---

#  It was the sort of situation that would be ever so…

![“It was the sort of situation that would be ever so charming and warmly human in a film with Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith but that sort of film is only charming because they leave out so many details, and real life is all the details they leave out.” quote by Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e23/russell-hoban-7835_cinema_it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would_587291.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e23/russell-hoban-7835_cinema_it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would_587291.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e23/russell-hoban-7835_cinema_it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would_587291.png)

> ““It was the sort of situation that would be ever so charming and warmly human in a film with Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith but that sort of film is only charming because they leave out so many details, and real life is all the details they leave out.””

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote contrasts cinematic charm with real-life complexity, noting that films omit messy details that make reality less tidy.

**In simple terms:** Films simplify life, but reality is messy.

Key Takeaway

Embrace life's details.

Themes

art reality perception

Mood

reflective nostalgic

Type

observational philosophical

When to use this quote

- watching movies
- reading literature
- daily life

Key Concepts

narrative theory human experience

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you prefer simplified stories or raw reality?
- How do omitted details shape your view?

A Different Perspective

Simplification can mislead expectations about real situations.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film Charming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-charming-4813951/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Maggie smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maggie-smith/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peter-ustinov-2794883/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) [Situation Charming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation-charming-4813953/) [Ustinov Maggie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ustinov-maggie-4813952/)

## Related quotes

> [The first time I went to the cinema was with my father. He was a huge fan of Peter Ustinov, so we went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-maitlis/the-first-time-i-went-to-the-cinema-was-with-my-father-he-was-a-huge/)

[Emily Maitlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-maitlis/)

> [“The only reason I made a commercial for American Express was to pay off my American Express Bill" - Peter Ustinov, 1921-2004”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/the-only-reason-i-made-a-commercial-for-american-express-was-to-pay-2/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

> [I only met Ian Fleming once, at a party given by my father's friend the director Carol Reed, at his house at 211 King's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/i-only-met-ian-fleming-once-at-a-party-given-by-my-father-s-friend/)

[Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/)

> [Peter Ustinov was the first really positive influence in my career. He was real and he bore witness to it. The things he said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-stamp/peter-ustinov-was-the-first-really-positive-influence-in-my-career-he/)

[Terence Stamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-stamp/)

> [If I cant pronounce it, I dont want to eat it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-donnelly/if-i-cant-pronounce-it-i-dont-want-to-eat-it/)

[Muriel Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-donnelly/)

> [I get tetchy with myself when I forget. I also get tetchy when directors ask you for take after take after take after take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-rigg/i-get-tetchy-with-myself-when-i-forget-i-also-get-tetchy-when/)

[Diana Rigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-rigg/)

> [I love Kate Winslet, Rachel Weisz, Maggie Smith and Judi Dench as well. They're all wonderful and they're very inspiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-tapper/i-love-kate-winslet-rachel-weisz-maggie-smith-and-judi-dench-as-well/)

[Zoe Tapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-tapper/)

> [The greatest moment of all was her on set, and she said, 'Would you mind if you change the order of the phrase?' Maggie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ol-parker/the-greatest-moment-of-all-was-her-on-set-and-she-said-would-you-mind/)

[Ol Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ol-parker/)

> [ \[Maggie Smith\] brings new meaning to the phrase "doesn't suffer fools." She has just the most amazing, dry timing of anyone ever, I think.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/maggie-smith-brings-new-meaning-to-the-phrase-doesn-t-suffer-fools/)

[Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/)

> [You have to capitalise on any success you have and keep doing what you do as well as you can. But how do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-mcteer/you-have-to-capitalise-on-any-success-you-have-and-keep-doing-what/)

[Janet McTeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-mcteer/)

> [My dream is to be Endora in Bewitched. That's the part I want to do. I want to do a fabulous old woman. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackee-harry/my-dream-is-to-be-endora-in-bewitched-that-s-the-part-i-want-to-do-i/)

[Jackee Harry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackee-harry/)

> [Being in the same scenes as Maggie Smith and Shirley MacLaine is something I will never forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/being-in-the-same-scenes-as-maggie-smith-and-shirley-maclaine-is/)

[Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/)

> [I want to have a scene with Maggie Smith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-nicol/i-want-to-have-a-scene-with-maggie-smith/)

[Lesley Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-nicol/)

> [Though Maggie Smith and Judi Dench have done all right, there's not a lot of drama work out there for older actresses. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-lipman/though-maggie-smith-and-judi-dench-have-done-all-right-there-s-not-a/)

[Maureen Lipman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-lipman/)

> [As soon as you see 'Dame' in front of someone's name, you get nervous, but Dame Maggie Smith is the most wonderfully gentle woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-felton/as-soon-as-you-see-dame-in-front-of-someone-s-name-you-get-nervous/)

[Tom Felton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-felton/)

## More by Russell Hoban

> [Sometimes there's nothing but Sundays for weeks on end. Why can't they move Sunday to the middle of the week so you could put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/sometimes-there-s-nothing-but-sundays-for-weeks-on-end-why-can-t-they/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [Too-lateness, I realized, has nothing to do with age. It’s a relation of self to the moment. Or not, depending on the person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/too-lateness-i-realized-has-nothing-to-do-with-age-it-s-a-relation-of/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [If the past cannot teach the present and the father cannot teach the son, then history need not have bothered to go on, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/if-the-past-cannot-teach-the-present-and-the-father-cannot-teach-the/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [“I had a salad. If I were to say that today's tomatoes were an index of the decline of Western man I should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/i-had-a-salad-if-i-were-to-say-that-today-s-tomatoes-were-an-index-of/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [“What do you do when you're wound up?' she asked. 'Do you play that drum?'. 'No,' said the child. 'We used to dance.' 'But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/what-do-you-do-when-you-re-wound-up-she-asked-do-you-play-that-drum/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [“He was thinking what a long and wide thing time is, to have so many happenings in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/he-was-thinking-what-a-long-and-wide-thing-time-is-to-have-so-many/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [Who is Alice?" asked mother. "Alice is somebody that nobody can see," said Frances. "And that is why she does not have a birthday.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/who-is-alice-asked-mother-alice-is-somebody-that-nobody-can-see-said/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [“Mark you that and noat you wel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/mark-you-that-and-noat-you-wel/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [“Seed of the little Seed of the wyld Seed of the berning is Hart of the chyld . . . Out goes the candl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/seed-of-the-little-seed-of-the-wyld-seed-of-the-berning-is-hart-of/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [Nothing to be done really about animals. Anything you do looks foolish. The answer isn't in us. It's almost as if we're put here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/nothing-to-be-done-really-about-animals-anything-you-do-looks-foolish/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [Sometimes I think that the biggest difference between men and women is that more men need to seek out some terrible lurking thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/sometimes-i-think-that-the-biggest-difference-between-men-and-women/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [“Before the motorcar replaced the horse, and for some years after there were many illustrators who drew horses with the same authority with which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/before-the-motorcar-replaced-the-horse-and-for-some-years-after-there/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [When I write a book, I don't have a plan or an outline. The characters move the action, and the action develops the characters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/when-i-write-a-book-i-don-t-have-a-plan-or-an-outline-the-characters/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [“Sometimes I think that the biggest difference between men and women is that more men need to seek out some terrible lurking thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/sometimes-i-think-that-the-biggest-difference-between-men-and-women-2/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

> [If reality had a stage door I'd hang around there to see what comes out after the show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/if-reality-had-a-stage-door-i-d-hang-around-there-to-see-what-comes/)

[Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

[Explore all 86 Russell Hoban quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/)

## More Cinema quotes

> [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/)

[Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/)

> [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/)

[Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/)

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/)

[Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/)

> [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/)

[Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/)

> [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/)

[Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/)

[Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/)

> [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/)

[Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/)

> [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/)

[Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/)

> [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/)

[Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/)

> [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/)

[Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/)

> ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/)

[Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/)

> [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/)

[Jessica Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-yu/)

> [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/)

[Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/)

[Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It was the sort of situation that would be ever so charming and warmly human in a film with Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith but that sort of film is only charming because they leave out so many details, and real life is all the details they leave out.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Russell Hoban"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would-be-ever-so-charming-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cinema"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would-be-ever-so-charming-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e23/russell-hoban-7835_cinema_it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would_587291.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e23/russell-hoban-7835_cinema_it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would_587291.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e23/russell-hoban-7835_cinema_it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would_587291.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It was the sort of situation that would be ever so charming and warmly human in a film with Peter Ustinov…” — Russell Hoban",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Russell Hoban",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It was the sort of situation...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would-be-ever-so-charming-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/it-was-the-sort-of-situation-that-would-be-ever-so-charming-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
