The Young Victoria (2009)

A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.

Director:

Jean-Marc Vallée

Writer:

Julian Fellowes

Stars:

Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany

Won 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emily Blunt	...	Queen Victoria
Rupert Friend	...	Prince Albert
Paul Bettany	...	Lord Melbourne
Miranda Richardson	...	Duchess of Kent
Jim Broadbent	...	King William
Thomas Kretschmann	...	King Leopold
Mark Strong	...	Sir John Conroy
Jesper Christensen	...	Baron Stockmar
Harriet Walter	...	Queen Adelaide
Jeanette Hain	...	Baroness Lehzen
Julian Glover	...	Duke of Wellington
Michael Maloney	...	Sir Robert Peel
Michiel Huisman	...	Ernest
Genevieve O'Reilly	...	Lady Flora Hastings
Rachael Stirling	...	Duchess of Sutherland

Storyline

Dominated by her possessive mother and her bullying consort, Conroy, since childhood, teen-aged Victoria refuses to allow them the power of acting as her regent in the last days of her uncle, William IV's rule. Her German cousin Albert is encouraged to court her for solely political motives but, following her accession at age eighteen, finds he is falling for her and is dismayed at her reliance on trusty Prime Minister Melbourne. Victoria is impressed by Albert's philanthropy which is akin to her own desire to help her subjects. However her loyalty to Melbourne, perceived as a self-seeker, almost causes a constitutional crisis and it is Albert who helps restore her self-confidence. She proposes and they marry, Albert proving himself not only a devoted spouse, prepared to take an assassin's bullet for her, but an agent of much-needed reform, finally endorsed by an admiring Melbourne.

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Plot Keywords:

princess | female protagonist | 19th century | courtship | queen of england | 

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Taglines:

Her country. Her heart. Her majesty.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild sensuality, a scene of violence, and brief incidental language and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Official site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

8 January 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

La joven Victoria

Filming Locations:

Arundel Castle, Arundel, West Sussex, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,016,053 (United Kingdom), 8 March 2009, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$160,069, 20 December 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$11,001,272

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$27,409,889

Company Credits

Production Co:

GK Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min (European Film Market)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both Jim Broadbent and Miranda Richardson starred in the Harry Potter films.

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Goofs

While King William IV insulted the Duchess of Kent at Windsor, some facts as shown are wrong. In the film, the Duchess sat several feet away from the king, she left the room, and neither Victoria nor the guests reacted much. In real life, the Duchess sat next to the King, she did not leave the room, Victoria cried in reaction to the King's outburst, and the guests were aghast.

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Quotes

[opening lines]
Princess Victoria: [voiceover] Some people are born more fortunate than others. Such was the case with me. But as a child I was convinced of quite the opposite. What little girl does not dream of growing up as a princess? But some palaces are not at all what you would think. Even a palace can be a prison. Mama never explained why she would have someone taste my food, why I couldn't attend school with other children or read popular books. When my father died, Mama and her advisor, Sir John Conroy, ...

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Crazy Credits

In the on-screen credits, Heidi Miller and George Sayer are each listed twice as Costume Assistant.

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Connections

Version of Victoria & Albert (2001)

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Soundtracks

The Cold Song
Written by Henry Purcell
Performed by William Purefoy (as Billy Purefoy)
Arranged by Jon Colbert
Produced by Stephen McLaughlin (as Steve McLaughlin)

User Reviews

Better than I expected

I went into this expecting not to like it; I figured it would be terribly worthy and earnest, and rather plodding and dull.

It's actually far better than that, and I found myself really enjoying it. I don't know too much about Queen Victoria beyond what most know - married to Albert, who died young, and she mourned him ever after. Seeing the circumstances she grew up under was fascinating; in fact I found myself wishing I'd seen more of the story, and I imagine we may see a sequel at some point.

Visually the film is stunning. The sets and costumes are incredibly lavish without being too gaudy and over the top. The acting is top notch from everybody involved.

In a word, it was great!