A Midwinter's Tale (1995)

A group of theater actors plays "Hamlet" in a provincial village, faced with their own temptations, disappointments, and joys.

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writer:

Kenneth Branagh

Stars:

Michael Maloney, Richard Briers, Hetta Charnley

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Briers	...	Henry Wakefield (Claudius, the Ghost, and the Player King)
Hetta Charnley	...	Molly
Joan Collins	...	Margaretta D'Arcy
Nicholas Farrell	...	Tom Newman (Laertes, Fortinbras, and messengers)
Mark Hadfield	...	Vernon Spatch (Polonius, Marcellus, and First Gravedigger)
Gerard Horan	...	Carnforth Greville (Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Horatio, and Barnardo)
Celia Imrie	...	Fadge
Michael Maloney	...	Joe Harper (Hamlet)
Jennifer Saunders	...	Nancy Crawford
Julia Sawalha	...	Nina Raymond (Ophelia)
John Sessions	...	Terry Du Bois (Queen Gertrude)
Ann Davies	...	Mrs. Branch
James D. White	...	Tim
Robert Hines	...	Mortimer
Allie Byrne	...	Tap Dancer

Storyline

Out of work actor Joe Harper (Michael Maloney) volunteers to help try and save his sister's local church for the community by putting on a Christmas production of Hamlet, somewhat against the advice of his agent Margaretta D'Arcy (Dame Joan Collins). As the cast he assembles are still available even at Christmas and are prepared to do it on a "profit sharing" basis (that is, they may not get paid anything) he cannot expect, and does not get, the cream of the crop. But although they all bring their own problems and foibles along, something bigger starts to emerge in the perhaps aptly named village of Hope.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | actor | play | british renaissance | cross dressing | 

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Taglines:

The drama. The passion. The intrigue... And the rehearsals haven't even started.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to writer and director Kenneth Branagh, "one of the greatest pleasures I had was when we had a screening on a Sunday morning in the West End, and most of the crew and cast came, including Joan Collins. I'd paid for the film myself with the money I made from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), and we sold it at a profit. The books were completely open. And as they left the cinema that morning, we had all the envelopes laid out and we gave everybody a check, including Joan Collins, who nearly fell over. She said, 'I've been in the business for quite a long time, and this has never happened.' She opened it and she said, 'F**king hell!' Because it was not inconsiderable."

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Quotes

Nina Raymond: You've turned into an old sweetie, haven't you?
Henry Wakefield: No, I'm still a miserable git, and this is all a front to stop you from messing up my performance.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Broken Arrow/Black Sheep/Beautiful Girls/A Midwinter's Tale/Antonia's Line (1996)

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Soundtracks

Why Must The Show Go On
Written by Noël Coward
© Chappell Music Ltd
by kind permission of Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
Recording courtesy of Sony Records
by Arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd.
Performance cleared by American Federation of Musicians

User Reviews

Englishfolks play Hamlet. Hamlet loses.

Cliches be damned, this is a wonderful movie, all about transformations, change, and deciding what is really important. Everyone in this movie becomes a real person, moving away from the stereotypes presented in the beginning, and the comic timing is impeccable. (Don't buy the hype that Jennifer Saunders is a star of this movie, though; she's in it for maybe five minutes. Spend your time watching Richard Sessions' magnificently funny performance instead.) Branagh's Hamlet is dull, dull, dull; Branagh's movie -about- making Hamlet is another shade of wonderful entirely.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 February 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Midwinter's Tale

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,000, 11 February 1996

Gross USA:

$469,571

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$469,571

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment, Midwinter Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1