SHAKESPEARE

Synopsis

Adapted from Alan Bennett’s stage play ‘The Madness of George III’, the film focuses on King George’s deteriorating mental condition that opens the door for court intrigue and the usurping of the throne by his son, the Prince of Wales. Nigel Hawthorne, who plays the eccentric King, precisely captures the scalding indignity of a proud ruler reduced to a helpless patient, especially when he reads a moving passage from King Lear that triggers his temporary return to sanity.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Film

Technical information

Colour / Sound

Year of release

1995

Duration

110 mins; 9,936 feet

Credits

Director

Nicholas Hytner

Producer

David Parfitt; Stephen Evans

Screenplay

Alan Bennett

Music

George Fenton

Costume

Mark Thompson

Art Direction

John Fenner

Cast

Alan Bennett	2nd MP
Amanda Donohoe	Lady Pembroke
Helen Mirren	Queen Charlotte
Ian Holm	Willis
Jim Carter	Fox
Julian Wadham	Pitt
Nigel Hawthorne	George III
Rupert Everett	Prince of Wales
Rupert Graves	Greville

Additional Details

Production type

Fiction Films

Historical period

18th Century

Plays

King Lear

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Notes

Made on a budget of $8 million, the film debut of Nicholas Hytner, who also directed the original stage version.

General

It seems that Alan Bennett changed his original play title from ‘The Madness of King George III’ to ‘The Madness of King George’ because it was thought the American audience might mistake it for a sequel. As Bennett puts it: "apparently ... there were many moviegoers who came away from Branagh’s film of Henry V wishing they had seen its four predecessors" (The Madness of King George, New York: Random, 1995, p. xix).
Several performers repeated their roles from the Royal National Theatre production and/or the US tour, including Nigel Hawthorne, Julian Wadham, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Anthony Calf, Matthew Lloyd Davies, Paul Corrigan, Roger Hammond, and Cyril Shaps.

History

The stage play ‘The Madness of George III’ on which the film was based opened at the Royal National Theatre, London, in 1991.
The film version was initially released on the 28th December 1994 in the US, the UK release took place on 24th of March 1995.

Figures

Gross $15,238,994 (USA) IMDb
£3,330,349 (UK) (18 May 1995) IMDb

Awards

Academy Awards 1995 - Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: (Ken Adam, Carolyn Scott)

BAFTA Awards 1996 - Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film (Stephen Evans, David Parfitt, Nicholas Hytner)
BAFTA Film Awards: Best Make Up/Hair (Lisa Westcott), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Nigel Hawthorne)

Cannes Film Festival 1995 - Best Actress (Helen Mirren)

Production Company

Name

Channel Four Films

Name

Close Call Films

Name

Goldwyn (Samuel) Company

Distributor

Name

Rank

Distributor (Sale)

Name

Retail outlets