Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)

The story of the love affair between FDR and his distant cousin Margaret "Daisy" Suckley, centered around the weekend in 1939 when the King and Queen of the United Kingdom visited upstate New York.

Director:

Roger Michell

Writer:

Richard Nelson

Stars:

Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Samuel West

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Murray	...	FDR
Laura Linney	...	Daisy
Samuel West	...	Bertie
Olivia Colman	...	Elizabeth
Elizabeth Marvel	...	Missy
Olivia Williams	...	Eleanor
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Mrs. Roosevelt
Martin McDougall	...	Tommy
Andrew Havill	...	Cameron
Eleanor Bron	...	Daisy's Aunt
Nancy Baldwin	...	Mrs. Astor
Tim Beckmann	...	President's Aide #1
Guy Paul	...	President's Aide #2
Eben Young	...	President's Aide #3
Samantha Dakin	...	Mary the Maid

Storyline

In 1930s Hudson Valley, Margaret "Daisy" Suckley is reacquainted with her distant cousin, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to help him relax at his family estate. That aid soon develops into much more as they become lovers. That puts Daisy in a unique position as Roosevelt receives the King and Queen of Britain in 1939 for a visit. As the Royal couple copes with the President's oddly plebeian arrangements, Daisy learns that there is far more to Roosevelt's life than she realized. With the world about to be set ablaze by war, friendships are struck and perspectives are gained on that special weekend that would make all the difference with a great, but very human, president.

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Plot Keywords:

king | queen | franklin d. roosevelt | 1930s | park | 

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Taglines:

The President. The First Lady. The King. The Queen. The Mother. The Mistress...One weekend would unite two great nations...After cocktails of course.

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brief sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 2013 (UK)

Also Known As:

A Royal Weekend

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$81,362 (USA) (7 December 2012)

Gross:

$6,367,780 (USA) (22 March 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daybreak Pictures, Film Four, Free Range Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The car that FDR drove with the special hand controls, a 1936 Ford Phaeton, is on display at the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park NY.

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Goofs

The Navy bandsmen playing during dinner are dressed as officers--bandsmen in the Navy are enlisted sailors. The conductor of the band would have been an officer or warrant officer, but not the bandsmen.

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Quotes

FDR: We think they see all our flaws. But, that's not what they are looking to find when they look to us.

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Playing for Keeps (2012)

User Reviews

Certain Flaws With Story but Performances Carry Film

Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)

*** (out of 4)

With the King and Queen coming to America for the first time, FDR (Bill Murray) asks his fifth cousin (Laura Linney) to spend some time with him and soon the two become quite close in many ways. HYDE PARK ON HUDSON seems to be getting mostly mixed reviews and that's easy to see why. I think most people will agree that the performances are terrific but it seems like most people, myself included, are caught up with the story or lack of one if you will. What story that is here seems to be all over the place as the film never seems to fully know what it's about. Is it about the relationship between FDR and his cousin? Is it about all the dirty stuff FDR was doing? Is it just a slice-of-pie comedy? Is the main focus the upcoming war? Or is the main focus on whether or not the King will actually eat a hot dog? All of this stuff takes place here and as I said, none of it really gets the spotlight. The film remains very entertaining thanks in large part to the performances but one can't help but wonder what this film would have been like with a stronger, more focused story. With that said, Murray turns in another wonderful performance and I think the best thing that I can say is that when you watch the film you feel as if you're watching the real FDR. Not for a single second do you just see Murray and think of him as an actor doing a performance. Linney doesn't appear to be getting the credit she deserves but her quiet character contains some strong emotion thanks to the actress. Samuel West, Olivia Colman, Olivia Williams and Elizabeth Wilson are also extremely strong in their roles. Director Roger Michell perfectly nails the time as the look of the film is quite compelling and authentic. Another major plus is some great song selection scattered throughout the picture. HYDE PARK ON HUDSON isn't the grand slam many people were expecting but there's still enough here to make it worth viewing.