Twelfth Night or What You Will (1996)

Shakespeare's comedy of gender confusion, in which a girl disguises herself as a man to be near the count she adores, only to be pursued by the woman he loves.

Director:

Trevor Nunn

Writers:

William Shakespeare (by), Trevor Nunn (screenplay)

Stars:

Helena Bonham Carter, Richard E. Grant, Imogen Stubbs

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Imogen Stubbs	...	Viola
Steven Mackintosh	...	Sebastian
Nicholas Farrell	...	Antonio
Sidney Livingstone	...	Captain (as Sid Livingstone)
Ben Kingsley	...	Feste
James Walker	...	Priest
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Olivia
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Malvolio
Mel Smith	...	Sir Toby Belch
Imelda Staunton	...	Maria
Toby Stephens	...	Orsino
Alan Mitchell	...	Valentine
Peter Gunn	...	Fabian
Richard E. Grant	...	Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Tim Bentinck	...	First Officer

Storyline

Brother and sister Viola and Sebastian, who are not only very close but look a great deal alike, are in a shipwreck, and both think the other dead. When she lands in a foreign country, Viola dresses as her brother and adopts the name Cesario, becoming a trusted friend and confidante to the Count Orsino. Orsino is madly in love with the lady Olivia, who is in mourning due to her brother's recent death, which she uses as an excuse to avoid seeing the count, whom she does not love. He sends Cesario to do his wooing, and Olivia falls in love with the disguised maiden. Things get more complicated in this bittersweet Shakespeare comedy when a moronic nobleman, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and a self-important servant, Malvolio, get caught up in the schemes of Olivia's uncle, the obese, alcoholic Sir Toby, who leads each to believe Olivia loves him. As well, Sebastian surfaces in the area, and of course there is Feste, the wise fool, around to keep everything in perspective and to marvel, like we ...

---

Plot Keywords:

female protagonist | love | servant | fool | shipwreck | 

---

Taglines:

Never send a boy to do a man's job, especially if he's a girl.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements

Details

Country:

Ireland UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Twelfth Night

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$33,451, 27 October 1996, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$551,545, 22 December 1996

Company Credits

Production Co:

Renaissance Films, BBC Films, Circus Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Twelfth Night, the character of Orsino is several years older than Viola. However, at the time of this movie's release, Imogen Stubbs (Viola) was thirty-five; eight years older than Toby Stephens (Orsino), who was twenty-seven.

---

Goofs

Feste's guitar playing for Cesario (Viola) and Orsino does not match up with the soundtrack.

---

Quotes

Malvolio: Were not you even now with the Countess Olivia?
Cesario: Even now, sir; on a moderate pace I have since arrived but hither.
Malvolio: She returns this ring to you, sir: you might have saved me my pains, to have taken it away yourself. She adds, moreover, that you should put your lord into a desperate assurance she will none of him. Receive it so.
Cesario: She took the ring of me? I'll none of it.
Malvolio: Come, sir, you peevishly threw it to her; and her will is, it should be so returned: if it be worth stooping for, there it lies...

---

Connections

Version of Macbeth (1946)

---

Soundtracks

Heigh-Ho, The Wind and the Rain
Music by Shaun Davey
Words by William Shakespeare
Sung by Ben Kingsley

User Reviews

Good looking & well acted effort at an implausible Shakespearian plot

As with most Shakespearian comedies, the plot is deeply implausible. However, the excellent Cornish locations at St Michael's Mount & Lanhyrock give a good sense of place and the winter setting (apart from the scene of apple picking!) comes across well - it really does look like an English winter, rather than a picture postcard snow-scene.

The play is cut down to a manageable length without losing the sense of it, The broad comedy aspects (Toby Belch et al) are thankfully limited.

The acting is well done by a cast of British stalwarts. Amazingly, Viola and Sebastian actually do look broadly alike.

This film is best viewed as an amusing light romantic comedy rather than a side-splitter.