Lady Jane (1986)

The death of King Henry VIII throws his kingdom into chaos because of succession disputes. His weak son Edward, is on his deathbed. Anxious to keep England true to the Reformation, a ... See full summary »

Director:

Trevor Nunn

Writers:

Chris Bryant (story), David Edgar

Stars:

Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes, John Wood

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Lady Jane Grey
Cary Elwes	...	Guilford Dudley
John Wood	...	John Dudley, Duke of Nothumberland
Michael Hordern	...	Doctor Feckenham
Jill Bennett	...	Mrs. Ellen
Jane Lapotaire	...	Princess Mary
Sara Kestelman	...	Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk
Patrick Stewart	...	Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk
Warren Saire	...	King Edward VI
Joss Ackland	...	Sir John Bridges
Ian Hogg	...	Sir John Gates
Lee Montague	...	Renard, the Spanish Ambassador
Richard Vernon	...	The Marquess of Winchester
David Waller	...	Archbishop Cranmer
Richard Johnson	...	The Earl of Arundel

Storyline

The death of King Henry VIII throws his kingdom into chaos because of succession disputes. His weak son Edward, is on his deathbed. Anxious to keep England true to the Reformation, a scheming minister John Dudley marries off his son, Guildford to Lady Jane Grey, whom he places on the throne after Edward dies. At first hostile to each other, Guildford and Jane fall in love. But they cannot withstand the course of power which will lead to their ultimate downfall.

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Plot Keywords:

lady jane grey | england | throne | reformation | intrigue | 

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Taglines:

Together they ruled England for 9 days.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 February 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

La joven reina

Filming Locations:

Broughton Castle, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$277,646 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Capital Equipment Leasing, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

142 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film portrays Jane as a dark eyed, dark haired girl when in actuality, Lady Jane Grey was very fair with blond hair and light eyes. She was described as very pleasant looking except for her freckles, which were considered unbecoming on a young lady at the time.

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Goofs

Although the movie clearly has rewritten history to make a romance, in reality Jane and Guilford never lived in their own home, nor did they ever live as man and wife in the short time they were together; within a month of the marriage Jane was crowned Queen (and refused to crown Guilford King), and 9 days later they were both in prison, lodged in separate towers, and never had contact again.

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Quotes

Dr. Feckinham: Plato, in Greek! Not easy.
Jane: Don't you think so?

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Connections

Referenced in As You Wish: The Story of 'The Princess Bride' (2001)

User Reviews

Wonderful Film!

I had to watch this movie for a British History course, and I was fully expecting to be bored during the entire thing, but I was so pleasantly suprised! This was a great movie - great acting, directing, plot, settings, etc. And apparently it's a great movie to watch to get a feel for that period in England, 'cause my professor made us watch it. I would definitely recommend this movie to anybody who has ever watched and enjoyed any period drama before!