The Young Victoria (2009)

A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.

Director:

Jean-Marc Vallée

Writer:

Julian Fellowes

Stars:

Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany

Won 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emily Blunt	...	Queen Victoria
Rupert Friend	...	Prince Albert
Paul Bettany	...	Lord Melbourne
Miranda Richardson	...	Duchess of Kent
Jim Broadbent	...	King William
Thomas Kretschmann	...	King Leopold
Mark Strong	...	Sir John Conroy
Jesper Christensen	...	Baron Stockmar
Harriet Walter	...	Queen Adelaide
Jeanette Hain	...	Baroness Lehzen
Julian Glover	...	Duke of Wellington
Michael Maloney	...	Sir Robert Peel
Michiel Huisman	...	Ernest
Genevieve O'Reilly	...	Lady Flora Hastings
Rachael Stirling	...	Duchess of Sutherland

Storyline

Dominated by her possessive mother and her bullying consort, Conroy, since childhood, teen-aged Victoria refuses to allow them the power of acting as her regent in the last days of her uncle, William IV's rule. Her German cousin Albert is encouraged to court her for solely political motives but, following her accession at age eighteen, finds he is falling for her and is dismayed at her reliance on trusty premier Melbourne. Victoria is impressed by Albert's philanthropy which is akin to her own desire to help her subjects. However her loyalty to Melbourne, perceived as a self-seeker, almost causes a constitutional crisis and it is Albert who helps restore her self-confidence. She proposes and they marry, Albert proving himself not only a devoted spouse, prepared to take an assassin's bullet for her, but an agent of much-needed reform, finally endorsed by an admiring Melbourne.

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Plot Keywords:

prince albert | belgium | prime minister | king of england | stubbornness | 

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Taglines:

Love rules all

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild sensuality, a scene of violence, and brief incidental language and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Official site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

6 March 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

La joven Victoria

Filming Locations:

Arundel Castle, Arundel, West Sussex, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$160,069 (USA) (18 December 2009)

Gross:

$10,991,381 (USA) (23 April 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

GK Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 100 min (European Film Market)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (as dts) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The very tall green bed cost £25,000 to build. The Duke and Duchess of Rutland, owners of Belvoir Castle, purchased it after filming.

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Goofs

Throughout Albert and Victoria's courtship, many characters speak to Albert about Germany. The courtship began in 1836. Germany was not a unified country until 1871. Albert was considered a German who lived in Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which would have been called that, not Germany.

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Quotes

Duchess of Sutherland: Look at that demure little head. And all of us wondering what's inside it.
Lord Melbourne: We'll find out soon enough.

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Crazy Credits

In the on-screen credits, Heidi Miller and Georgiana Sayer are each listed twice as Costume Assistant.

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Connections

Version of Mrs Brown (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Contredanses op.44"
Written by Johann Strauß Sr. (as Johann Strauss I)

User Reviews

Better than I expected

I went into this expecting not to like it; I figured it would be terribly worthy and earnest, and rather plodding and dull.

It's actually far better than that, and I found myself really enjoying it. I don't know too much about Queen Victoria beyond what most know - married to Albert, who died young, and she mourned him ever after. Seeing the circumstances she grew up under was fascinating; in fact I found myself wishing I'd seen more of the story, and I imagine we may see a sequel at some point.

Visually the film is stunning. The sets and costumes are incredibly lavish without being too gaudy and over the top. The acting is top notch from everybody involved.

In a word, it was great!