After succeeding her sister Mary to the throne in 1558, Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) rules Britain for more... (Learn more)
Starring: John Gielgud, Geoffrey Rush, Richard Attenborough (View All)
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Starring: John Gielgud, Geoffrey Rush, Richard Attenborough
This British-made historical drama depicts the rise of young Elizabeth Tudor to Queen of England, a reign of intrigue and betrayals. In 1554, Queen Mary I (Kathy Burke) tries to restore Catholicism as England's single faith. With no heir to the crown, she maneuvers to keep her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) from succeeding her, but her efforts fail. With Mary dead, Elizabeth is proclaimed Queen of England in November 1558. Elizabeth relishes the return from exile of her childhood sweetheart, Lord Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes). Chief adviser Sir William Cecil (Richard Attenborough) urges the young Queen to forget personal matters and instead address the country's pressing problems. England is bankrupt, has no army, and is under serious threat from abroad. Elizabeth even has enemies within her own court, the most dangerous being the Duke of Norfolk (Christopher Eccleston). Hoping for an heir, Cecil suggests marriage candidates -- King Philip II of Spain or the French Duc d'Anjou (Vincent Cassel) -- to secure the realm. Elizabeth agrees to meet their ambassadors, but her true feelings are revealed when she meets Dudley for a secret tryst. French "warrior queen" Mary of Guise (Fanny Ardent) amasses troops at the Scottish border. Elizabeth bows to the pro-War lobby led by Norfolk, despite protests from her Master of Spies, the enigmatic Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), but the decision to fight leads to a humiliating defeat. As dark clouds of court conspiracies gather, and the possibility of assassination looms, Elizabeth strikes out at her enemies and puts her trust in Walsingham. Shown at 1998 film fests (Venice, Toronto), this is the first English-language film of Indian director Shekhar Kapur, who shot on locations at Northumberland, Derbyshire, North Yorkshire, and at Shepperton Studios. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
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US Release Date
11/6/98
MPAA Rating
Rated R
Running Time
124 mins.
Locations
- Derbyshire, England, UK
- North Yorkshire, England, UK
- Northumberland, England, UK
Language
- English
Box Office Total
$30,072,518
Awards
- Winner of the Best Makeup award at the 1998 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Art Direction award at the 1998 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Cinematography award at the 1998 American Society of Cinematographers [ Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Dramatic Score award at the 1998 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Winner of the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama award at the 1998 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Costume Design award at the 1998 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Picture award at the 1998 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Actress award at the 1998 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Winner of the Best Actress award at the 1998 Toronto Film Critics Association [Fest Awards.
- Winner of the Best Actress award at the 1998 Chicago Film Critics Association [Fest Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Picture award at the 1998 National Board of Review [Festival/Awa Awards.
- Winner of the Best Director [Runner-up] award at the 1998 Toronto Film Critics Association [Fest Awards.
- Winner of the Best Actress award at the 1998 Broadcast Film Critics Association [Fe Awards.
- Winner of the Best Director award at the 1998 National Board of Review [Festival/Awa Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Actress award at the 1998 Screen Actors Guild [Festival/Award] Awards.
- Winner of the Best Picture [Runner-up] award at the 1998 Toronto Film Critics Association [Fest Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Cinematography award at the 1998 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
Distributor
- Gramercy Pictures
- PolyGram Video
