Gods and Monsters (1998)

Director:

Bill Condon

Writers (WGA):

Christopher Bram (novel)
Bill Condon (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 November 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

The last days of Frankenstein director James Whale are explored.

Plot Keywords:

Frankenstein | Friendship | Gardener | Homosexual | Stroke

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 32 wins & 23 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ian McKellen	...	James Whale
Brendan Fraser	...	Clayton Boone
Lynn Redgrave	...	Hanna
Lolita Davidovich	...	Betty
David Dukes	...	David Lewis
Kevin J. O'Connor	...	Harry
Mark Kiely	...	Dwight
Jack Plotnick	...	Edmund Kay
Rosalind Ayres	...	Elsa Lanchester
Jack Betts	...	Boris Karloff
Matt McKenzie	...	Colin Clive
Todd Babcock	...	Leonard Barnett
Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy	...	Princess Margaret
Brandon Kleyla	...	Young Whale
Pamela Salem	...	Sarah Whale

Also Known As:

The Father of Frankenstein (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual material and language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Iceland:12 | Singapore:R(A) | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Germany:12 | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Arbor Mansion, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

There are five original James Whale drawings in this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Clayton is discussing the lunch invitation with Hannah, the time on the kitchen clock jumps about inconsistently between shots.

Quotes:

James Whale: Bells of hell go ting-a-ling-a-ling, for you but not for me. O death, where is thy sting-a-ling-a-ling? Grave, where thy victory?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Clive Barker: Raising Hell (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Bride of Frankenstein

And the Oscar in 1998 went to....who???

Admittedly, I am a sucker for films about Hollywood. From "Sunset Boulevard" to "The Bad and the Beautiful" and even "The Carpetbaggers," watching a film about movies is always a pleasure, guilty or otherwise. "Gods and Monsters" can be added to that short list. The semi-fictionalized story of director James Whale's last days is a melancholy tale of an intelligent, creative mind that is beginning to fail and Whale's desperate fear of that mental failure. He sees in the handsome hulking form of his gardener an individual that reminds him of his most famous film creation, Frankenstein's monster, and he tries to reach out to him and offer the friendship that his film creation was denied. However, his mind is swimming in and out of fantasy, memory, and reality, and his gesture initially confuses the gardener, who sees it only as a sexual advance. In one of the Motion Picture Academy's most bewildering choices, the Best Actor Oscar for 1998 went to an Italian comic who has not been heard from since instead of to the brilliant Ian McKellan in what is arguably his finest film role as James Whale. Lynn Redgrave is funny and touching as his housekeeper, and Brendan Fraser, an adventurous actor who does not shy away from stretching his abilities, has yet to find a better role than that of Clayton Boone, the gardener. Beautifully written and directed by Bill Condon, the film is more than just an homage to old Hollywood. "Gods and Monsters" echoes some of the themes of "Sunset Boulevard" in its portrayal of a Hollywood veteran, who has been banished and forgotten by the industry and has retreated into a private world of his own making where he still directs the scenes.