A Man for All Seasons (1988)

King Henry VIII wants to divorce his wife, and seeks the approval of the aristocracy. Sir Thomas More is a man of principle and reason, and is thus placed in a difficult position: should he... See full summary »

Director:

Charlton Heston

Writers:

Robert Bolt (play), Robert Bolt (screenplay)

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Vanessa Redgrave, John Gielgud

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charlton Heston	...	Sir Thomas More
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Lady Alice More
John Gielgud	...	Cardinal Wolsey (as Sir John Gielgud)
Richard Johnson	...	Duke of Norfolk
Roy Kinnear	...	The Common Man
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Thomas Cromwell
Adrienne Thomas	...	Margaret More
Martin Chamberlain	...	King Henry VIII
John Hudson	...	William Roper
Jonathan Hackett	...	Richard Rich
Nicholas Amer	...	Chapuys (as Nicolas Amer)
Milton Cadman	...	Cranmer
Valerie Minifie	...	Woman Litigant
Geoff Owen	...	Chapuys' Assistant
Brian Badcoe	...	Chamberlain

Storyline

King Henry VIII wants to divorce his wife, and seeks the approval of the aristocracy. Sir Thomas More is a man of principle and reason, and is thus placed in a difficult position: should he stand up for his principles, risking the wrath of a corrupt King fond of executing people for treason? Or should he bow to the seemingly unstoppable corruption of King Henry VIII, who has no qualms about bending the law to suit his own needs?

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Plot Keywords:

judiciary | judicial system | judicial | liberty of conscience | religious persecution | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un hombre para la eternidad

Filming Locations:

Dorney Court, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Agamemnon Films, British Lion Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie marks the second time Nicholas Amer played Ambassador Chapuys. The first being Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972).

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Connections

Version of The Six Wives of Henry VIII (2001)

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Soundtracks

Original Tudor Music
Composed by Henry VIII (as H.R.H. Henry VIII)

User Reviews

A version that is faithful to the stage play's script

This made-for-TV version of "A Man for All Seasons" both wins and loses when compared to the more famous movie version of the show, which stars Paul Scofield as Thomas More. It wins, because it stays faithful to Mr. Bolt's original theatrical script, and so keeps much of the play's impact that was lost to "production values" in the big-budget movie release. It loses, in that the main characters, especially Mr. Heston's Thomas More, are weaker than those of the movie version. For example, Mr. Heston completely misses nuances of language that Mr. Scofield caught and used to great advantage; but the supporting actors in this version (Vanessa Redgrave as More's wife comes especially to mind) are far stronger than in the movie version. On the whole, though, I highly recommend that you see this version, mainly to watch Mr. Bolt's craftsmanship that was totally lost in the movie version.