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

Trevor Nunn personally chose Cary Elwes to star as Guilford Dudley. Nunn later offered Elwes to join the Royal Shakespeare Company, which Elwes turned down to continue working in movies.

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Goofs

During the deer hunt in the beginning of the film, the handlers are seen with deer-hounds on a leash. In reality, deer-hounds were set loose to hunt the prey, running it to ground.

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Quotes

[Jane, a Protestant, watches Lady Anne Wharton curtsy and cross herself before holy bread, believed by Catholics to contain the true presence of Christ]
Jane: Why do you curtsy?
Lady Anne: I am curtsying to the Host, my lady. To Him that made us all.
Jane: Oh, I see! So God made you, and the baker, apparently, made God!

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Connections

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

User Reviews

4 stars

I first saw this movie in 88 on cable, and have seen it numerous times since. I never tire of watching it. It was the first Elwes movie I saw, and was so moved by his performance, that I have become a dedicated fan of his since. Although in real life Jane and Gilford never loved each other, the on screen love story is very moving. Lady Jane is an excellent, yet, overlooked, piece of work, and I highly recommend it.