Composite Score: 87.07

Starring: Peter O’Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, John Castle, Nigel Terry, Timothy Dalton, Jane Merrow, and Nigel Stock

Director: Anthony Harvey

Writer: James Goldman

Genres: Biography, Drama, History

MPAA Rating: PG

Box Office: $22.30 million worldwide

My take on Watching This Film:

                The Lion in Winter is the film adaptation of James Goldman’s play of the same name about Henry II of England’s attempt to choose his successor from his three surviving sons at a family Christmas in the late twelfth century. The film stars Peter O’Toole as Henry, Katharine Hepburn as his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Anthony Hopkins, John Castle, and Nigel Terry as their three sons Richard, Geoffrey, and John, respectively. The film won Oscars for Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress (Hepburn) and was nominated for four more, including Picture, Director, and Actor (O’Toole). The performances, production design, and family intrigue make for a phenomenal period piece that keeps you guessing until the end. Goldman’s script does a fantastic job of keeping the audience invested in the story of the three sons and their parents, providing plenty of rooting interests in either direction for all of the film’s players. It captures the complexities of a family holiday get-together on an amplified scale, as the politics come to the forefront much more hastily in a castle when royal succession is on the line than they do in the suburbs when the stakes are much lower. Both O’Toole and Hepburn give enthralling performances in their roles, feeling every bit the royal power players that their characters are without losing the human nature and parenthood of it all. Across the board, the film is well acted and well-put-together, providing a weighty and deeply engaging treat for any who give it the time of day, fully deserving of recognition among the greats. If you’re looking for a medieval war film, look elsewhere, but if intrigue, family drama, and excellent acting are what you’re looking for, this film has it in spades. Currently, this film can be rented on most streaming platforms if you’d like to check it out for yourself.