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
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (70 mm)Color:
Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
On the first day of rehearsal, Katharine Hepburn slammed her thumb in a heavy iron door at the theater, crushing the nail, and causing a deep cut down the length of her hand. But she refused to go to the hospital, and insisted on continuing with rehearsal. She also refused stitches, saying the wound would take too long to heal before shooting began. See more »Goofs
At the beginning of the film, Henry compares his situation to that of King Lear. Although Shakespeare wrote King Lear more than 400 years later, it was based on a legend of Leir of Britain as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who was alive in Henry's day. See more »Alternate Versions
A 70mm version was released in Australia in 1969, and in the UK in 1973. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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I love this film. I love this film. I am not sure that I can say that phrase enough when describing this movie. Lion in Winter is quite simply one of the strangest and most beautiful movies that I have ever seen. It is some wierd amalgam of a 'home for the hollidays' type family drama, and Machiavellian political intrigue.
The essential plot is that it is 1183 and Henry II must declare his successor to the Plantagenet throne. He invites his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (played by Katherine Hepburn), who is in exile, and his sons to along with king of France, to Christmas dinner. Over the course of the evening truths are told and arguments are had, the film rolls over all of the conventions of the many genres that it plays with and turns them into something new and beautiful.
The film could have been written by Machiavelli himself, and often smacks of the Mandragola. The film demonstrates family disfunction within a very interesting, medieval paradigm. While the film is about issues such as family, loyalty and love, ultimately is most gratifying as a vehicle for O'Toole and Hepburn to chew the scenery and dig into a few truly juicy roles.
It is fantastic film that any lover of dialogue driven drama-comedy should rent and watch over and over again.