The Lion in Winter
1968 · Movie · PG · 134 min · ★ 7.4 · 86% critics
During a tense Christmas gathering, a powerful medieval ruler brings his estranged wife and their grown sons together to settle the question of succession. As rival loyalties shift, the family’s private grudges turn into a high-stakes contest of wit, ambition, and political maneuvering.
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Details
- Years
- 1968
- Release date
- 1968-08-20
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 86/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.4/10 (403 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a biting, dialogue-driven power struggle about family and succession, with constant scheming and sharp insults; Not for you if you dislike talky dramas or abrasive characters, like in A Man for All Seasons.
Pros: razor-sharp dialogue; powerhouse performances; tense royal intrigue | Cons: stage-like feel; relentless bickering; hard to root
Themes
- infidelity
- france
- england
- queen
- castle
- based on play or musical
- richard the lionheart
- unfaithfulness
- mistress
- king
- spear
- homoeroticism
- +4 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 1969
- Academy Award — Best Original Score, no Musical · 1969
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay · 1969
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Director · 1969 · nominated
Show all 11 awards →
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 1969 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Original Score, no Musical · 1969 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay · 1969 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design · 1969 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Actor · 1969 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Picture · 1969 · nominated
Cast & crew
Peter O'Toole
as Henry II
Katharine Hepburn
as Eleanor of Aquitaine
Anthony Hopkins
as Richard
John Castle
as Geoffrey
Nigel Terry
as John
Timothy Dalton
as Philip II
Jane Merrow
as Alais
Nigel Stock
as William Marshall
O.Z. Whitehead
as Bishop of Durham
- KI
Kenneth Ives
as Queen Eleanor's Guard
Directed by Anthony Harvey