Princess Caraboo (1994)

Director:

Michael Austin

Writers (WGA):

Michael Austin (written by) &
John Wells (written by)

Release Date:

16 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | History | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

She was everything they dreamed of... And nothing they expected.

Plot:

Bristol, England, early 19th century. A beautiful young stranger who speaks a weird language is tried for the crime of begging...

Plot Keywords:

Princess | 19th Century | Bristol | England | Language

Cast

Jim Broadbent	...	Mr. Worrall
Phoebe Cates	...	Princess Caraboo / Mary Baker
Wendy Hughes	...	Mrs. Worrall
Kevin Kline	...	Frixos
John Lithgow	...	Professor Wilkinson
Stephen Rea	...	Gutch
Peter Eyre	...	Lord Apthorpe
Jacqueline Pearce	...	Lady Apthorpe
Roger Lloyd-Pack	...	Magistrate Haythorne
John Wells	...	Reverend Hunt
John Lynch	...	Amon McCarthy
John Sessions	...	Prince Regent
Arkie Whiteley	...	Betty
Kate Ashfield	...	Ella
Ewan Bailey	...	Ship's Captain

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. (w) | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG | Norway:7

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Ardican Films

Trivia:

The red print dress worn by Wendy Hughes (Mrs. Worrall) is the same costume Elizabeth Devonport wears in "The Regency House Party" (2004), and Phyllida Law wears at the picnic in Miss Austen Regrets (2008) (TV)

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Two If by Sea (1996)

For those who love a story

"Princess Caraboo" is about the selfish and fashionable endeavors of the aristocracy of 19th century England, about the role of true charity and from whence it comes, and perhaps most of all it is about humankind's fascination with the story. Although we catch glimpses of, and come to care for, the true character of Caraboo (Cates), the movie's namesake serves mainly as a vessel through which the subject of the film can flow.

In this movie a young beggar who speaks no English is taken in by a well-to-do family, and before long they have determined that she is a queen of the Orient. In no time, she is the town's sensation, and if nothing else, living like royalty. Her story attracts the attention of a newspaper man (Mr. Gutch played by Stephen Rea) who, in determinedly trying to discover the truth about Caraboo, falls in love with her. He half hopes the legend is true, half hopes that she's remarkable enough to have made up a story and a language and a manner to fool the very class she'd always been taught to fear and respect.

I liked this movie for many reasons. It must be said that it's decidedly predictable, but such is the case in movies that are not so much concerned with plot as with characters. The question is, are the characters worth making a movie about? They are. Cates is delightful as always, and in such a role in which she scarcely speaks, she has the opportunity to shine and to demonstrate (through action and manner) her ability to act the part. Stephen Rea is never to be outdone, and has a genuine ability to pull off passion in whatever role he plays. The British aristocracy is portrayed as largely grotesque and corrupt and mind-numbingly self-absorbed.

For my part, I always appreciate a movie that doesn't revolve around romance, and though this movie is touched with pieces of romanticism (definitely a chick-flick in certain ways), it's not about the romance. It is instead about how the story completes us, and how compelling the human imagination really is. Despite the moral values the film purports, Princess Caraboo is not didactic and short on sappiness.

I think "Princess Caraboo" is a delightful and beautiful tale, and I recommend it to those who prefer the story to the action, and who like to see the rich get theirs.