The Lion in Winter (TV 2003)

King Henry II (Patrick Stewart) keeps his wife, Eleanor (Glenn Close) locked away in the towers because of her frequent attempts to overthrow him. With Eleanor out of the way he can have ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrey Konchalovskiy

Writers:

James Goldman (play), James Goldman (teleplay)

Stars:

Glenn Close, Andrew Howard, Antal Konrád

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Glenn Close	...	Eleanor of Aquitaine
Andrew Howard	...	Richard
Antal Konrád	...	Toastmaster
John Light	...	Geoffrey
Soma Marko	...	Young Prince John
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Philip
Rafe Spall	...	Prince John
Patrick Stewart	...	King Henry II
Yuliya Vysotskaya	...	Alais
Clive Wood	...	William Marshall

Storyline

King Henry II (Patrick Stewart) keeps his wife, Eleanor (Glenn Close) locked away in the towers because of her frequent attempts to overthrow him. With Eleanor out of the way he can have his dalliances with his young mistress (Yuliya Vysotskaya). Needless to say the queen is not pleased, although she still has affection for the king. Working through her sons, she plots the king's demise and the rise of her second and preferred son, Richard (Andrew Howard), to the throne. The youngest son, John (Rafe Spall), an overweight buffoon and the only son holding his father's affection is the king's choice after the death of his first son, young Henry. But John is also overly eager for power and is willing to plot his father's demise with middle brother, Geoffrey (John Light) and the young king of France, Phillip (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Geoffrey, of course sees his younger brother's weakness and sees that route as his path to power. Obviously political and court intrigue ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

king henry ii | mistress | wisecrack humor | adultery | battle | 

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Taglines:

All of Britain and half of France were his kingdom. But there was one thing Henry II would never control . . . His Family. (DVD)

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 May 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Leão no Inverno

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company Credits

Production Co:

Flying Freehold Productions, HCC Happy Crew Company, Hallmark Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

153 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

Henry breaks the ice on his water basin in order to wash, but the room is warm enough that no one's breath frosts the air.

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Quotes

King Henry II: Now listen to me boy...
Philip: [holds up a finger to stop him] I am a king, I am no man's boy!

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Connections

Featured in 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2005)

User Reviews

Breath of fresh air

This is a fine movie. 'The Lion in Winter' captures the emotions, and intentions, of these historical personages. More than perfect staging, or props, it's the impression you receive from the movie that matters most. This is accomplished, because of the superb acting of the entire cast. Andrew Howard, who plays Richard, was fantastic, and Glenn Close demonstrated, once again, that she is one of the best actresses on the planet. Patrick Stewart, in particular, shines. This might be his best performance, yet. 'The Lion in Winter', gives us a glimpse into the troubles lives of royalty; indeed, it shows us how we humans behave in given circumstances. How frail, and how prone to treachery, we truly are. I cast a confident '9'.