IMDb > Princess Caraboo (1994)
Princess Caraboo
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Princess Caraboo (1994) More at IMDbPro »

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Princess Caraboo (1994) -- US Home Video Trailer from Tri Star
Princess Caraboo (1994) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
5.6/10   1,509 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 11% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Michael Austin (written by) &
John Wells (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Princess Caraboo on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 September 1994 (USA) more
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... more | add synopsis
User Comments:
For those who love a story more (26 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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
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Additional Details

Runtime:
97 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:
Company:

Fun Stuff

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) more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Two If by Sea (1996) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful.
For those who love a story, 30 July 2004
8/10
Author: Jenny (illusoryjane) from Salt Lake City, UT

"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.

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