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IMDbPro

The Lion in Winter

  • TV Movie
  • 20032003
  • 2h 47m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart in The Lion in Winter (2003)
  • Drama
  • History
  • Romance
King Henry II meets with Eleanor of Aquitaine at Christmastide 1183 to choose one of his sons as his successor.King Henry II meets with Eleanor of Aquitaine at Christmastide 1183 to choose one of his sons as his successor.King Henry II meets with Eleanor of Aquitaine at Christmastide 1183 to choose one of his sons as his successor.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Andrey Konchalovskiy
  • Writer
    • James Goldman(play)
  • Stars
    • Glenn Close
    • Andrew Howard
    • Antal Konrád
Top credits
  • Director
    • Andrey Konchalovskiy
  • Writer
    • James Goldman(play)
  • Stars
    • Glenn Close
    • Andrew Howard
    • Antal Konrád
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 39User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 7 wins & 21 nominations total

    Photos

    Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart in The Lion in Winter (2003)
    Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart in The Lion in Winter (2003)
    Glenn Close in The Lion in Winter (2003)
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    Top cast

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    Glenn Close
    Glenn Close
    • Eleanoras Eleanor
    Andrew Howard
    Andrew Howard
    • Richardas Richard
    Antal Konrád
    • Toastmasteras Toastmaster
    John Light
    John Light
    • Geoffreyas Geoffrey
    Soma Marko
    • Young Johnas Young John
    Jonathan Rhys Meyers
    Jonathan Rhys Meyers
    • Phillipas Phillip
    Rafe Spall
    Rafe Spall
    • Johnas John
    Patrick Stewart
    Patrick Stewart
    • Henryas Henry
    Yuliya Vysotskaya
    Yuliya Vysotskaya
    • Alaisas Alais
    Clive Wood
    Clive Wood
    • William Marshallas William Marshall
    • Director
      • Andrey Konchalovskiy
    • Writer
      • James Goldman(play) (teleplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Patrick Stewart previously played Henry's son, Richard the Lionheart, in Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).
    • Goofs
      Eleanor refers to syphilis in one of her speeches, an impossibility in 1183 England. Syphilis was not named such until 1530 by Hieronymus Fracastorius. Regardless of whether Europe even had the disease prior to 1200, it could not have been known by that name to the Queen.
    • Quotes

      John: He has a knife, a knife!

      Eleanor of Aquitaine: Of course he has a knife! I have a knife. We all have knives. It's 1183 and we're all barbarians!

    • Connections
      Featured in The 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2004)

    User reviews39

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    I couldn't turn it off
    I've never seen the original ALIW with Hepburn, so I wasn't able to make comparisons there. I did see a stage version, years ago at my old university, so I was familiar with the plot and characters.

    Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close have wonderful chemistry. I freely admit that I could watch Stewart sit on a chair and read from the phone book, but he makes an absolutely commanding Henry II. Close is alternately domineering and fragile, but always riveting. Their separate scenes are elegant, but they shine most when they play off of each other; Henry and Eleanor have a fascinating dynamic, and the interaction between husband and wife is dazzling.

    I was less enamored with the performances of the three English princes. Andrew Howard's Richard was done well enough, particularly the scenes where he was portraying softer emotions. John Light's Geoffrey didn't seem quite right to me, but that may not be his own fault; the actor who played Geoffrey in the stage version I saw was a friend of mine, so my opinion of the character will forever be biased. Rafe Spall's John was utterly appalling -- but he was supposed to be, so does the fact that I absolutely loathed him mean he was brilliant?

    Yuliya Vysotskaya was a luminous Alais. She has a splendid range and presence, and I wish she would do more acting projects that would let her be seen in the U.S. She has a charming ethereal quality when the script calls for it, yet can be equally hard as needed.

    For me, though, the best performance was that of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who I found utterly captivating as King Philip of France. He steals every scene in which he appears, and gives the young King just the right balance of anger, slyness, contemplation, and humor. (And let's be honest, he's not really hard on the eyes either.)

    On the whole, I couldn't bring myself to stop watching the movie until it was over, and it's definitely one I would be happy to watch again.
    helpful•28
    7
    • laurakay76
    • Nov 16, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 23, 2004 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Lionheart
    • Filming locations
      • Budapest, Hungary
    • Production companies
      • Flying Freehold Productions
      • HCC Happy Crew Company
      • Hallmark Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      2 hours 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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