Mrs Brown (1997)

Queen Victoria is deeply depressed after the death of her husband, disappearing from public. Her servant Brown, who adores her, through caress and admiration brings her back to life, but ... See full summary »

Director:

John Madden

Writer:

Jeremy Brock

Stars:

Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Judi Dench	...	Queen Victoria
Billy Connolly	...	John Brown
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Henry Ponsonby
Antony Sher	...	Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli
Gerard Butler	...	Archie Brown
Richard Pasco	...	Doctor Jenner
David Westhead	...	Prince of Wales (Bertie)
Bridget McConnell	...	Lady Ely
Georgie Glen	...	Lady Churchill
Catherine O'Donnell	...	Lady-in-Waiting
Sara Stewart	...	Princess Alexandra
Finty Williams	...	Princess Helena
Claire Nicolson	...	Princess Louise
Hattie Ladbury	...	Princess Alice
Oliver Kent	...	Prince Alfred

Storyline

Queen Victoria is deeply depressed after the death of her husband, disappearing from public. Her servant Brown, who adores her, through caress and admiration brings her back to life, but that relationship creates scandalous situation and is likely to lead to monarchy crisis.

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Plot Keywords:

queen | queen victoria | friendship | servant | horse riding | 

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Taglines:

Queen Victoria, the world's most powerful woman. John Brown, a simple Scottish Highlander. Their extraordinary friendship transformed an empire.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for a beating, language and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site PBS [us]

Country:

UK Ireland USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 July 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown

Filming Locations:

Ardverikie estate, Highland, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£48,842 (UK) (27 March 1998)

Gross:

£3,374,073 (UK) (27 March 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Scotland, Ecosse Films, Irish Screen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Geoffrey Palmer, who plays Henry Ponsonby, plays opposite Dame Judi Dench as he did for years in As Time Goes By and again in Tomorrow Never Dies.

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Goofs

Disraeli speaks from notes in Parliament and again at the end of the film. The real Disraeli made a point of delivering all of his speeches - including those several hours long or involving complicated statistics - from memory, and he warned younger politicians against using notes as a crutch.

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Quotes

Queen Victoria: No-one should think themselves wiser than me! It is not for any of the Queen's subjects to presume to tell Her Majesty when and where She should come out of mourning. It is the Queen's sorrow that keeps her secluded! It is Her overwhelming amount of work and responsibility, work which She feels will soon wear her out entirely! Is it not enough that She is uncheered and unguided that she should also have to suffer these malicious rumors? I am not a fool. I know there are those in the ...

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Connections

Featured in Shakespeare in Love and on Film (1999)

User Reviews

A must see for lovers of British period films

"Mrs. Brown" tells the story of the grieving widow Queen Victoria (Dench) and her relationship with a common Scottish horse groomsman (Connolly) whose audacity and devotion won him a position as the queen's closest consort and her everlasting affection. A wonderfully executed period piece (circa 1860's), "Mrs. Brown" leans toward fact and avoids sensationalism as it tenders its biographically correct drama about a grieving queen who finds an unspoken love and renewed commitment to life in a most unlikely man. Anyone into British period flicks should enjoy this film's sterling performances, excellent costuming, beautiful locations, etc. (B+)