HOPKINS ACTS, DIRECTS, COMPOSES AND MORE IN TRAGICOMIC `AUGUST.

Byline: Amy Dawes Daily News Staff Writer

In this haunting, pastoral adaptation of Chekhov's 1899 play ``Uncle Vanya,'' which Anthony Hopkins stars in and directs, he presents a more attractive, accessible Vanya than is often seen, one who might have the means to win the love he covets and redeem the life he believes he has wasted, if only he would stop wallowing in despair.

But the possibility of change is far too frightening, it would appear. Every time the object of his desire appears, he reverts to being a babbling, self-protective clown. At the point where he must either get a grip on himself or go mad, he goes mad. Nothing changes, which is both the strength of the tragicomic drama and its modern-day weakness.

Hopkins, a native of Wales who was asked to direct a stage version of Julian Mitchell's adaptation in his homeland, chose to mount a movie version as well, making his directoral debut.

Mitchell moved the action from Russia to Wales, where it takes place at the turn of the century in a country house and garden (a beautiful location filmed on the remote Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales), and sets it during a single, hot, languorous weekend in late summer.

In this version, Vanya is called Ieuan (pronounced Ya-yan), and all the characters' names have been adapted for the setting. Professor Blaithwaite (Leslie Phillips), whose first wife was Ieuan's late sister, returns to the country estate that Ieuan manages for him, bringing his younger American wife, Helen (Kate Burton). Ieuan, who resides with his mother (Rhoda Lewis) and his plain, sincere niece Sian (Rhian Morgan), is smitten with the professor's new wife and can't abide her fidelity to the pompous old codger. Sian has been hopelessly in love for years with the local doctor (Gawn Grainger), who despite being the only man around with any real promise or talent, has given in to stagnation and drink.

Ieuan, once a useful member of the household and favorite companion of the doctor's, has sunk the past year into self-pity and alcoholism. Still given to great bursts of marvelous, self-reflective rhetoric, as are all the characters, he is now concerned mostly with his fear that he has thrown his life away in underpaid service to the professor, a man he now considers a fraudulent fool.

In the course of the weekend, Sian and Helen form a bond, and Helen acts as Sian's surrogate in confessing the girl's feelings to the doctor, who couldn't be less interested, and makes a pass at Helen.

Ieuan, who has confided his love for Helen to the doctor, walks in on the scene and feels betrayed and humiliated.

The professor reveals his plans to sell the estate and invest the income more profitably. On behalf of everyone in the household, Ieuan goes over the edge and chases the professor out of the house with a pistol.

The professor and his wife finally abandon the plan and go back to the city, and with the disturbance removed, things in the house return to the way they have always been. The heartbroken Sian makes a brave, touching speech about carrying on toward the reward in the next life, and endeavors to keep her uncle occupied and calm.

Hopkins, who invests both the visual composition of the movie and its musical accompaniment - he wrote the score and performs the piano parts - with great care and feeling, has cast all the roles, including his own, about 10 years older than they are typically played and uses only actors with Welsh credentials (the troupe went on to mount a stage version in Wales).

His own performance is very good, though he lets himself bounce off the walls a bit much at the dramatic climax. The other performers are less charismatic and effective than those we are accustomed to seeing him with, and the production lacks some vitality as a result.

The exception is Morgan, who makes an indelible and touching impression as the niece whose bottled-up emotions are always about to brim over. A veteran of Welsh television and stage, Morgan makes her film debut here.

Burton (daughter of the late Richard Burton and Sybil Christopher, who is also from Wales) plays Helen with a flatness and detachment that makes Ieuan's infatuation with her seem more unimaginative than tragic, as if she is merely the only available person who has walked past his chaise lounge lately.

In bringing more of Wales into the movie, Hopkins adds a high-impact scene of a tragedy at the nearby slate mine, giving the film some extra dramatic verve.

The facts The film: ``August'' (not rated; adult themes).

The stars: Anthony Hopkins, Leslie Phillips, Kate Burton, Gawn Grainger, Rhian Morgan.

Behind the scenes: Directed by Anthony Hopkins. Written by Julian Mitchell, based on the play ``Uncle Vanya'' by Anton Chekhov. Produced by June Wyndham Davies and Pippa Cross.

Running time: One hour, 33 minutes.

Playing: Laemmle's Royal Theater, West L.A.

Our rating: Three stars

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Photo: Making his directorial debut, Anthony Hopkins leadsan all-Welsh cast in ``August,'' a retelling of Anton Chekhov's ``Uncle Vanya.'' Hopkins also wrote the film's score and performed the piano parts.