A Knight's Tale (2001)

After his master dies, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire for food and glory, creates a new identity for himself as a knight.

Director:

Brian Helgeland

Writer:

Brian Helgeland

Stars:

Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell

4 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Heath Ledger	...	William Thatcher
Rufus Sewell	...	Count Adhemar
Shannyn Sossamon	...	Jocelyn
Paul Bettany	...	Geoffrey Chaucer
Laura Fraser	...	Kate
Mark Addy	...	Roland
Alan Tudyk	...	Wat
Bérénice Bejo	...	Christiana (as Berenice Bejo)
Scott Handy	...	Germaine
James Purefoy	...	Colville
Leagh Conwell	...	Young William Thatcher
Christopher Cazenove	...	John Thatcher
Steven O'Donnell	...	Simon the Summoner (as Steve O'Donnell)
Jonathan Slinger	...	Peter the Pardoner
Nick Brimble	...	Sir Ector

Storyline

Inspired by "The Canterbury Tales," as well as the early life of William Marshall (later First Earl of Pembroke), this is the story of William, a young squire with a gift for jousting. After his master dies suddenly, the squire hits the road with his cohorts Roland and Wat. On the journey, they stumble across an unknown writer, Chaucer. William, lacking a proper pedigree, convinces Chaucer to forge genealogy documents that will pass him off as a knight. With his newly-minted history in hand, the young man sets out to prove himself a worthy knight at the country's jousting competition, and finds romance along the way.

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Plot Keywords:

jousting | chaucer | medieval times | knight in armour | geoffrey chaucer | 

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Taglines:

From peasant to knight; one man can change his stars

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for action violence, some nudity and brief sex-related dialogue

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 May 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Corazón de caballero

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Prague, Czech Republic

Box Office

Budget:

$65,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,511,391, 13 May 2001, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$56,569,702

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$117,487,473

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Escape Artists, Finestkind

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min 144 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the movie, Chaucer uses the phrase "gilding the lily". The real Chaucer died in the year 1400. However, the first documented reference of the phrase is from the USA in 1895. It probably derives from a Shakespeare's play "King John" written in the mid 1590s and first published in 1623 in the First Folio where Shakespear writes "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily".

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Goofs

In William's final joust with Adhemar, when his horse starts charging, Kate, Roland, and Wat run along behind his horse for a short period of time. As the shot changes you can see Wat standing still in the background. Then the shot changes back to the three running.

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Quotes

[first lines]
William: Should we help him?

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Crazy Credits

After the credits finish, Roland, Wat, Kate, and Geoffrey Chaucer have a flatulence contest/drinking game. Wat loses, but Kate is the obvious winner.

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Connections

Referenced in Stories for the People (2001)

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Soundtracks

You Shook Me All Night Long
Written by Brian Johnson, Angus Young and Malcolm Young
Performed by AC/DC
Courtesy of EastWest Records America/Leidesplein Presse B.V.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Action packed, funny, and touching

"A Knight's Tale" is a wonderful story of a group of friends who fight, train, and love as they are led by William (Ledger)in his quest to "change his stars" and become a knight. Tongue-in-cheek humor is administered throughout, much of it appropriately timed. The cast is superior (observe Bettany's mastering of his craft), as they are believable and likable. Casenove's performance as John Thatcher is superb and touching. Not to be taken too seriously, this movie will please if viewed for what it is- an action comedy. Keep watching after the credits for a funny clip ;). Also recommended: First Knight, King Arthur (2004), Rob Roy, Braveheart, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.