Christmas 1183, Angevin Empire: King Henry II plans to announce his successor to the throne. Jockeying for the crown, though, is complex. Henry has three sons and wants his boy Prince John to take over. Henry's wife, Queen Eleanor, believes their son Prince Richard should be king. As family and various schemers gather for the holiday, each tries to make the indecisive king choose their option.
"What family doesn't have its ups and downs?"
Top Billed Cast
Peter O'Toole
Henry II
Katharine Hepburn
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Anthony Hopkins
Richard
John Castle
Geoffrey
Nigel Terry
John
Timothy Dalton
Philip II
Jane Merrow
Alais
Nigel Stock
William Marshall
Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews
J John ChardVerified TMDB Critic
2020-01-12
I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody.
The Lion in Winter is directed by Anthony Harvey and adapted to screenplay from his own play by James Goldman. It stars Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Merrow, John Castle, Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton, Nigel Stock and Nigel Terry. Music is by John Barry and cinematography by Douglas Slocombe.
1183 A.D.: King Henry II's (Toole) three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. His sons and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Hepburn), variously plot to fo...
C CinemaSerfVerified TMDB Critic
2022-06-21
Katherine Hepburn is simply superb in this depiction of the truly dysfunctional relationship between Eleanor of Aquitaine, the estranged queen of England's King Henry II and her spouse. Peter O'Toole reprises his characterisation from "Becket" (1964), and together they spar and spat with aplomb. Aided by a wonderful screenplay from James Goldman that is full of sarcasm, pith and some wonderfully effective (and brutal) put-downs, we play through this most bizarre of family dynamics. It all centres around a Christmas court for which the Queen is released from her Salisbury house arrest to join t...
