The Lion in Winter (2003)

King Henry II meets with Eleanor of Aquitaine at Christmastide 1183 to choose one of his sons as his successor.

Director:

Andrey Konchalovskiy (as Andrei Konchalovsky)

Writers:

James Goldman (play), James Goldman (teleplay)

Stars:

Glenn Close, Andrew Howard, Antal Konrád

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Glenn Close	...	Eleanor
Andrew Howard	...	Richard
Antal Konrád	...	Toastmaster
John Light	...	Geoffrey
Soma Marko	...	Young John
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Phillip
Rafe Spall	...	John
Patrick Stewart	...	Henry
Yuliya Vysotskaya	...	Alais
Clive Wood	...	William Marshall

Storyline

King Henry II (Sir Patrick Stewart) keeps his wife, Eleanor (Glenn Close) locked away in the towers because of her frequent attempts to overthrow him. With Eleanor out of the way, he can have his dalliances with his young mistress (Yuliya Vysotskaya). Needless to say, the Queen is not pleased, although she still has affection for the King. Working through her sons, she plots the King's demise and the rise of her second and preferred son, Richard (Andrew Howard), to the throne. The youngest son, John (Rafe Spall), an overweight buffoon, and the only son holding his father's affection, is the King's choice after the death of his first son, young Henry. But John is also overly eager for power, and is willing to plot his father's demise with middle brother, Geoffrey (John Light) and the young King of France, Phillip (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Geoffrey, of course sees his younger brother's weakness and sees that route as his path to power.

---

Plot Keywords:

mistress | king henry ii | tv mini series | knife fight | dungeon | 

---

Taglines:

All of Britain and half of France were his kingdom. But there was one thing Henry II would never control . . . His Family. (DVD)

---

Genres:

Drama | History | Romance | War

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 May 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Leão no Inverno

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company Credits

Production Co:

Flying Freehold Productions,HCC Happy Crew Company,Hallmark Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

167 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir Patrick Stewart played Henry's son, Richard the Lionheart, in Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).

---

Goofs

When Richard holds the knife out to Eleanor in the dungeon, the knife reverses orientation and his grip on the handle changes between shots.

---

Quotes

Geoffrey: I know.
Geoffrey: You know I know.
Geoffrey: I know you know I know.
Geoffrey: We know Henry knows, and Henry knows we know it.
Geoffrey: We're a knowledgeable family.

---

Connections

Version of The Lion in Winter (1968)

User Reviews

Like watching a new version of `Streetcar'

It's refreshing to see a new take on a familiar work. But when the original is a legend, the new interpretation often seems wanting. So it is with this `Lion in Winter.' You want it to succeed, but…you hear the actors speak their lines, & ache for the brilliant readings of the earlier film. You respect capable actors like Close & Stewart, but yearn for the inspired pyrotechnics of Hepburn and O'Toole. All actors admirably give performances quite distinct from those of the '68 film-but only Jonathan Rhys-Meyers gives one at least as impressive as his earlier counterpart. His spoiled, manipulative, bisexual man-boy is a fascinating Philip.

This `Lion in Winter' is enjoyable, but pales in inevitable comparison to the first version. If nothing else, it will make you treasure its superb predecessor all the more.