The IMDb editors have selected the films they're most excited to see in 2021. Have you added these movies to your Watchlist?
Check out our gallery of the 2021 Golden Globe nominees in the leading and supporting acting categories, as the characters they so brilliantly played and in real life
Title: Stage Beauty (2004)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Derek Hutchinson | ... | Stage Manager | |
 |
Mark Letheren | ... | Male Emilia / Dickie |
| Claire Danes | ... | Maria Hughes | |
| Billy Crudup | ... | Ned Kynaston | |
| Tom Wilkinson | ... | Thomas Betterton | |
| Ben Chaplin | ... | George Villiers II - Duke of Buckingham | |
| Hugh Bonneville | ... | Samuel Pepys | |
|
|
Jack Kempton | ... | Call Boy |
| Alice Eve | ... | Miss Frayne | |
| Fenella Woolgar | ... | Lady Meresvale | |
| David Westhead | ... | Harry | |
| Nick Barber | ... | Nick | |
| Stephen Marcus | ... | Thomas Cockerell | |
| Richard Griffiths | ... | Sir Charles Sedley | |
| Zoë Tapper | ... | Nell Gwynn | |
Based in the 1660's of London's theaters, this film is about the rules of gender roles in theatre production, and means to change them for everyone's benefit. Ned Kynaston is the assumedly gay cross-dressing actor who has been playing female parts in plays for years, particularly Desdemona in Othello, he also has a close relationship with a member of the Royal Court, the Duke of Buckingham. One day however, the rules of only men playing women could change when aspiring actress Maria auditions as Kynaston's praised role, Desdemona, and soon enough, King Charles II decides to make the law that all female roles should be played only by women. Maria becomes a star, while Ned finds himself out of work. But after a while, Ned finds it in his nature to forgive Maria's aspiration, they may even fall in love, and Charles may proclaim women will be played by either gender. Written by Jackson Booth-Millard
Stage Beauty is an unbelievably ambitious production, and with so many provocative themes running simultaneously it's definitely not boring. What I liked the most was the way the sexual ambiguity was portrayed - most of those scenes had a playful touch, so as not to get drearily heavy-handed, but I also felt a lot of the veering between seriousness and comedy was awkward where it should have been smooth. Rupert Everett's droll turn as the King was perfect, and Claire Danes has never been more passionate and radiant. Billy Crudup's role was the most difficult, of course, and he handled it commendably. My favorite scene is the one where the two of them are in bed, and she's asking, "who are you now?" (the man or the woman, based on the position) - a brilliant scene which depicts the ridiculousness of gender-stereotyping with wit and charm to spare.