Anna and the King (1999)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Andy Tennant

Writers (WGA):

Anna Leonowens (diaries)
Steve Meerson (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 December 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | History | Romance

Plot:

The story of the romance between the King of Siam and the widowed British schoolteacher Anna Leonowens during the 1860's.

Plot Keywords:

1860s | Schoolteacher | Concubine | Children | Forbidden Love

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 nominations

Cast

Jodie Foster	...	Anna Leonowens
Yun-Fat Chow	...	King Mongkut (as Chow Yun-Fat)
Ling Bai	...	Tuptim
Tom Felton	...	Louis Leonowens
Syed Alwi	...	The Kralahome, Prime Minister
Randall Duk Kim	...	General Alak
Kay Siu Lim	...	Prince Chowfa, King Mongkut's Brother
Melissa Campbell	...	Princess Fa-Ying
Keith Chin	...	Prince Chulalongkorn
Mano Maniam	...	Moonshee, Leonowens' Indian Servant
Shanthini Venugopal	...	Beebe, Leonowens' Indian Servant
Deanna Yusoff	...	Lady Thiang, Head Wife
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Lord John Bradley
Ann Firbank	...	Lady Bradley
Bill Stewart	...	Mycroft Kincaid, East India Trading Co.

Also Known As:

Anna (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some intense violent sequences.

Runtime:

148 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Thai | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | Argentina:13 | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Iceland:10 (original rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Thailand:(Banned) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37063) | Philippines:G

Filming Locations:

Coloma, California, USA

Company:

Fox 2000 Pictures

Trivia:

At first it seemed that the film would be made on location in Thailand, but even after some script revisions had been made, negotiations between the production company and the Thai government failed to come to agreement about the script's final content and the production crew was denied permission to film in Thailand. The Thai authorities maintained that there were still too many historical inaccuracies for it to be acceptable. Instead it was filmed in neighboring Malaysia.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Thai language used between the King and his prime minister is not royal Thai language, but everyday Thai language. Everyday Thai language is never used to speak to a member of the royal family, especially the King.

Quotes:

[first lines]
King Chulalongkorn: She was the first English woman I had ever met. And it seemed to me she knew more about the world than anyone. But it was a world Siam was afraid would consume them. The monsoon winds had whispered her arrival like a coming storm. Some welcomed the rain...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: Anna and the King: A Modern Epic (#6.13)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

How Can I Not Love You

Stunning

I saw a trailer for this film a few months before the Australian opening. Originally it was the lush cinematography that caught my eye. I assumed it would be a re-make either of the original 1946 movie or the better known Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of 1956.

In actual fact, the movie is neither a re-make of these previous FOX efforts, but rather an adaption of Anna Leonowens' own memoirs of the time she spent in Siam.

Jodie Foster gave a fascinating, beautiful performance as Anna. I found her portrayal of the character interesting, as it was far different from Deborah Kerr's interpretation. Yul Brynner left his mark on the King in both stage and film versions of "The King and I". However, Chow Yun Fat in a different role is excellent. I feel they are both up with a chance for an oscar nomination.

The film is a fine example of movie making. In addition to the supporting cast, the costumes and art decoration were of an excellent standard. Although the film was shot in Malaysia and not Thailand, I only suspected the film was not shot there because of all versions of the story being banned there. Despite the fact I have been to some of the Malaysian locations, I hardly noticed it.

Skeptical in my viewing of this movie because of my fondness for "The King and I", "Anna and the King" has forever shattered my illusions of the story. No longer can I picture the children swaying to the strains of "Getting to Know You". However, I was greatly surprised by this movie. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Rating: 10/10