The Lion in Winter
Behind the great stone walls of an English castle, the world's most powerful empire is in crisis. Three sons struggle to win their father's favoras well as his crown. The King won't to a choice so his wife and sons variously plot to force him.
26 March 1934, West Ham, Essex, England, UK
12 May 1907, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
21 March 1946, Colwyn Bay, Wales, UK
1948, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, England, UK
1 March 1911, New York City, New York, USA
26 August 1941, London, England, UK
2 August 1932, Hunslet, Leeds, Yorkshire, England, UK
31 December 1937, Margam, Port Talbot, West Glamorgan, Wales, UK
21 September 1919, Malta
1930, London, England, UK
15 August 1945, Bristol, England, UK
14 January 1940, Croydon, Surrey, England, UK
12 October 1921, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK
July 14, 2014
While the script and the performances are simply dazzling, it is notable, too, for the screen debuts of Timothy Dalton and a combustible Anthony Hopkins.July 14, 2014
Henry and Eleanor are reduced to a TV-sized version of the sovereigns next door, their epic struggle shrunk to sitcom squabbles.June 24, 2006
Harvey's direction is intelligent enough, though the reduction of power struggles to fits of personal pique -- where the fate of nations hangs in the balance -- becomes a little irritating. Enjoyable for its two lead performances, however.July 14, 2014
O'Toole holds his own with the magnificent Hepburn in a witty, literate, and inventive script.December 04, 2016
A commanding blend of the high and low, a thoroughly sordid family melodrama designed for over-literate history buffs.December 12, 2016
All that's ever mattered about The Lion in Winter are Hepburn and O'Toole, and the pleasure we take from watching two masters inspire each other to greatness. Scenery chewing has rarely been so artful.July 14, 2014
James Goldman's screenplay, so chic and sophisticated to the ears of suburbanites, is chock-full of the worst kind of sophomoric fiddling with what Goldman takes to be genuine highfalutin lingo.October 07, 2016
[A] humdinger of medieval powerplay.July 14, 2014
It's stagey and mannered, but it still feels sleek and modern.December 21, 2007
Director Anthony Harvey opened up Goldman's play into authentic spaces far from any proscenium, and remained faithful to an energetic drama propelled by its performances and dialogue.July 14, 2014
A must-see.March 26, 2009
An intense, fierce, personal drama put across by outstanding performances of Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn.