THE BRITISH CROWN FILM SERIES

Fridays, September 23-October 28, 2011, at 1:00 PM

 

The recent royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton helped to revive for me an idea for a film series that had been germinating for some time. Even though we Americans revolted against Great Britain to form our own nation, we nevertheless did spring from the British Empire. I think this partly explains why we continue to have a fascination with British royalty. Of course, these days I think that this celebrity-conscious nation of ours gets caught up with the pomp and pageantry of the royal family. But we mustn't forget that, as Shakespeare once wrote, "uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." Through the years, the British monarchs have had to endure the strain of running a nation (at least back in the day before the monarchy became more of a symbol). They've had to wrestle with matters of policy (with both foes and allies). They often have been mired in all kinds of machinations with family members like spouses and children. Some monarchs are crowned while still young, and must quickly grow into the position. They often must contend with the public's unfavorable perception of them. Occasionally, they must work to overcome a disability, like a speech impediment. Over six weeks, we'll look at movie portrayals of five of Great Britain's monarchs.  Watching the turmoil and intrigue that these men and women experienced, it may make us appreciate, by comparison, our simple lives as commoners.

Here's the complete lineup:

September 23rd

Becket (1964) - A young King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) must contend with his friend, Thomas Becket (Richard Burton), when the latter is assigned to the post of Archbishop of Canterbury.

September 30th

The Lion in Winter (1968) - An older Henry II (Peter O'Toole) spends the Christmas holiday sparring with his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), and his sons over which of his offspring will succeed him as king.

October 7th

Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) - King Henry VIII (Richard Burton) wants to divorce his barren first wife, Katherine of Aragon, so that he can take the enchanting young Anne Boleyn (Genevieve Bujold) as his next bride.

October 14th

Elizabeth (1998) - Cate Blanchett stars as Queen Elizabeth I, whose ascension to the throne thrusts her into a world of political conflict and intrigue.

October 21st

The King's Speech (2010) - Colin Firth plays King George VI, who struggles to overcome a pronounced stammer with the help of an unorthodox speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush).

October 28th

The Queen (2006) - Helen Mirren is current-day Queen Elizabeth II , who is cast--along with the rest of the royal family--into a very public spotlight when Princess Diana is killed in an auto accident.

I look forward to seeing you all there. (Crowns and scepters are optional.)

Doug Swiszcz

Librarian and Cinema Enthusiast

Barrington Public Library