1183 A.D.: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. They and his wife variously plot to force him.
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Title: The Lion in Winter (1968)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Peter O'Toole | ... | Henry II | |
| Katharine Hepburn | ... | Eleanor of Aquitaine | |
| Anthony Hopkins | ... | Richard | |
| John Castle | ... | Geoffrey | |
| Nigel Terry | ... | John | |
| Timothy Dalton | ... | Philip II | |
| Jane Merrow | ... | Alais | |
| Nigel Stock | ... | William Marshal | |
 |
Kenneth Ives | ... | Queen Eleanor's Guard |
| O.Z. Whitehead | ... | Bishop of Durham | |
|
|
Fran Stafford | ... | Lady in Waiting |
|
|
Ella More | ... | Lady in Waiting |
|
|
Kenneth Griffith | ... | Strolling Player |
| Henry Woolf | ... | Strolling Player | |
|
|
Karol Hagar | ... | Strolling Player |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
It's Christmas 1183, and King Henry II is planning to announce his successor to the throne. The jockeying for the crown, though, is complex. Henry has three sons and wants his boy Prince John to take over. Henry's wife, Queen Eleanor, has other ideas. She believes their son Prince Richard should be king. As the family and various schemers gather for the holiday, each tries to make the indecisive king choose their option. Written by Jwelch5742
Plot Keywords:
king henry ii | extramarital affair | british royal family | royalty | husband wife relationship |Taglines:
The most significant reserved seat attraction of the year!Parents Guide:
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Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
30 October 1968 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
El león en invierno See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$4,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$5,339, 16 December 2016, Limited ReleaseGross USA:
$22,276,975, 20 January 2017Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (70 mm)Color:
Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
This was the second time that Peter O'Toole played King Henry II. The first time was in Becket (1964). He received Academy Award nominations for both performances. See more »Goofs
During a scene in the dining hall, Henry is watching his jesters perform. At one point, he throws his head back with his mouth open as he roars with laughter. Metal fillings are clearly visible in his upper molars. See more »Alternate Versions
The roadshow release included an overture and entr'acte, and had an intermission, but the general release version did not. See more »Contribute to This Page
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I am a high school history teacher, and I use this film to give students insight to the way Medieval kings, queens, and princes plotted and schemed with and against one another, how marriages were arranged with political motives, and how the relationships between these self-important royals shaped the history of the time. When I first introduced the films plot to my student, I was met with apathy and predisposed boredom, but they quickly were caught up in the intrigue and plot twists. At each major turn (an impromptu wedding, a surprise revelation about one of the character's sexuality, etc.), the students were often literally gasping.
As for the film itself, I can not think of a movie with more solid acting from the headliners (O'Toole and Hepburn) to the other principal players (Hopkins, Dalton, Terry, and especially Castle), and even the other characters are well cast (Merrow as Alais is not especially solid, but she is at least adequate in her portrayal as "the only pawn" in this game of kings, queens, and knights).
It is, of course, not to be seen as wholly accurate historically, as it would be near impossible to achieve such for events that took place 800 years ago, but the major themes are true to form, and the film is wonderfully engrossing. Highly recommended!