Mrs. Brown (1997)

When Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert dies, she finds solace in her trusted servant, Mr. John Brown, but their relationship also brings scandal and turmoil.

Director:

John Madden

Writer:

Jeremy Brock

Stars:

Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Judi Dench	...	Queen Victoria
Billy Connolly	...	John Brown
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Henry Ponsonby
Antony Sher	...	Disraeli
Gerard Butler	...	Archie Brown
Richard Pasco	...	Doctor Jenner
David Westhead	...	Bertie, Prince of Wales
Bridget McConnell	...	Lady Ely
Georgie Glen	...	Lady Churchill
Catherine O'Donnell	...	Lady-in-Waiting
Sara Stewart	...	Princess Alexandra
Finty Williams	...	Princess Helena
Claire Nicolson	...	Princess Louise
Hattie Ladbury	...	Princess Alice
Oliver Kent	...	Prince Alfred

Storyline

Queen Victoria (Dame Judi Dench) is deeply depressed after the death of her husband, disappearing from public. Her servant Mr. John Brown (Sir Billy Connolly), who adores her, through caress and admiration brings her back to life, but that relationship creates scandalous situation and is likely to lead to monarchy crisis.

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Plot Keywords:

servant | skinny dipping | male nudity | male frontal nudity | queen victoria character | 

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Taglines:

Queen Victoria, the world's most powerful woman. John Brown, a simple Scottish Highlander. Their extraordinary friendship transformed an empire.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for a beating, language and brief nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was originally intended as a television movie. Harvey Weinstein was so impressed that it ultimately got a theatrical release.

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Goofs

Disraeli speaks from notes in Parliament, and again at the end of the film. In real life, Disraeli delivered all of his speeches, including those several hours long or involving complicated statistics, from memory. He warned younger politicians against using notes as a crutch.

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Quotes

[first lines]
John Brown: God save the Queen!
[shoots into the dark]

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Connections

Referenced in The Graham Norton Show: David Tennant/Olivia Colman/Harvey Weinstein/Jessie J (2015)

User Reviews

A beautifully crafted film

Queen Victoria's slow, painful, emergence from mourning after the loss of her husband Albert, is brought about by the only man amongst her staff who can see her as a woman as well as a queen. This simple tale is used to paint a picture of the Victorian court so perfectly that you're left with a conviction that this is exactly how it must have been.

Certainly the plot restrains itself to the facts: Queen Victoria and her gillie John Brown were friends with a great affection for each other. That their affection never went further is a certainty and the film provides ample proof of the English class and protocol systems that guaranteed it.

The set design and the supporting cast are uniformly excellent. Billy Connolly gives his best acting performance to date, but Judi Dench is breathtaking. She deservedly won a BAFTA for her performance and should have got the Oscar. (Even the recipient ,Helen Hunt, said so during her acceptance speech.)

I can understand how some viewers feel the film is cold and austere, it is, on the surface. But below the surface is a constantly shifting pattern of emotion and passion. Victorian England was exactly the same.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site PBS [United States]

Country:

UK Ireland USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mrs Brown

Filming Locations:

Perth and Kinross, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$76,268, 20 July 1997

Gross USA:

$9,229,808

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,229,808

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Scotland, Ecosse Films, Irish Screen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1