Restoration (1995)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Michael Hoffman

Writers (WGA):

Rose Tremain (novel)
Rupert Walters (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 February 1996 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In a world of seduction and power, temptation has its price.

Plot:

An aspiring young physician, Robert Merivel found himself in the service of King Charles II and saves the life of someone close to the King...

Plot Keywords:

King | King Charles II | Mistress | Sham Marriage | Medical Student

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Robert Downey Jr.	...	Robert Merivel
Sam Neill	...	King Charles II
David Thewlis	...	John Pearce
Polly Walker	...	Celia Clemence
Meg Ryan	...	Katharine
Ian McKellen	...	Will Gates
Hugh Grant	...	Elias Finn
Ian McDiarmid	...	Ambrose
Mary MacLeod	...	Midwife
Mark Letheren	...	Daniel
Sandy McDade	...	Hannah
Rosalind Bennett	...	Eleanor
Willie Ross	...	Man with Visible Heart
David Gant	...	Chiffinch
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Merivel's Father

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | France:U | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:R(A) | Spain:7 | USA:R | Canada:A

Filming Locations:

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Avenue Pictures Productions

Trivia:

Composer James Newton Howard's main theme is based on "Sarabande" by Georg Friedrich Händel (ca. 1705).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When the King shows Robert Merivel his building plans to improve London soon after the plague has started, one of the models clearly shows Sir Christopher Wren's St. Paul's Cathedral, designed and built after the great fire of 1666.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Opening Title Card: In 1660 Charles II was restored to the English Throne ending 11 years of Oliver Cromwell's bleak Puritan rule. Thus began the age of Restoration. It was an era of scientific discovery, artistic exploration and luxurious sensuality.
Opening Title Card: It was also a time of natural disasters and archaic medical practices. Science was pitted against superstition. This is the story of one man's journey through the light and dark of those times.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game K N B: (2007-03-03)" (2007)

An over-looked jewel, artful period piece with redemption.

"Restoration" is an overlooked jewel of a movie, a fascinating and atmospheric journey to another time and place. Robert Downey, Jr. is outstanding as a young physician who develops depth and compassion. The music, costumes and settings are full of rich detail. While Meg Ryan's character as an insane Irish girl was perhaps a bit overwrought, I found little to fault in the movie. I have seen it three times and enjoy it thoroughly each time. I'm sorry I missed it on the big screen. Interesting scenes portraying 17th century medical practice, the plague, the Great Fire of London. Not for the squeamish, but not overly violent either.