The Lion in Winter poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Glenn Close, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Andrew Howard, John Light ... see more see more... , Rafe Spall , Clive Wood , Julia Vysotsky

An elderly king must come to terms with his past as he plots his nation's future in this historical drama. In 1183, aging monarch King Henry II (Patrick Stewart) decides it is time to pick an heir to ... read more read more...his throne, and he must choose one of his three sons -- John (Rafe Spall), Geoffrey (John Light), or Richard (Andrew Howard) -- to rule the British empire. Henry wants to announce his successor at a Christmas gathering of his court a few weeks hence, and in time for the event, he has decided to free his headstrong wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Glenn Close), who has been held in captivity for attempting to overthrow her husband's rule and expressing her displeasure with his mistress, Alais (Yuliya Vysotskaya). As Henry and Eleanor become re-acquainted, they are reminded of the love they share as well as the strife that drives them apart, and while Henry finds himself favoring his youngest son, John, for his post, Eleanor makes a strong case for her first-born, Richard, with Geoffrey attempting to consolidate influence in a bid for power. However, as the king looks back at his long past and short future, he comes to the sad realization that none of his sons are truly fit to rule. James Goldman wrote the screenplay for this, the second screen adaptation of his award-winning play, which finally came to fruition 5 years after Goldman's death. Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn starred in the Oscar-winning 1968 version. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

64% liked it

2,189 ratings

Unrated, 2 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Andrey Konchalovskiy

Release Date: December 26, 2003

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: July 20, 2004

Stats: 113 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (113)

  • hunterjt13
    January 16, 2012
    hunterjt13
    King Henry II invites his estranged wife and three children to celebrate Christmas with his mistress, and the three sons vie for the throne.
    This remake is high family drama, and Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close bring energy to their roles. But there's not a lot that's particular... read morely deep about the performances or the film as a whole. In fact, afterward I struggled to figure out what the film was saying. It's hard to reduce such a classic story to mere melodrama, but I fear that's all I saw.
    Overall, it's fun to watch, but the film's backbone is hard to pin down.
  • SunilJawahir
    October 25, 2008
    SunilJawahir
    Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart are really great in the made for TV version of the Lion in Winter.
  • ileo
    September 16, 2008
    ileo
    A favorite!
  • cycleman343
    April 25, 2008
    cycleman343
    With exploitation and betrayal at every turn, i didn't know who to root for. Though everybody did excellent in their parts, this left a bad taste in my mouth.
  • sazebo
    April 10, 2007
    sazebo
    Grad A movie Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart going at. I laughed My ass off. Doesn't stray that much from the original.
  • AiYume
    March 15, 2007
    AiYume
    Although this was well-acted, it misses the chemistry of Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn from the original.

View All The Lion in Winter Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Lion in Winter
    The Lion in Winter (71%)

More Movies like The Lion in Winter

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • King Henry II: Now listen to me boy...
    • Phillip: [holds up a finger to stop him] I am a king, I am no man's boy!
    • John: He has a knife, a knife!
    • Eleanor Of Aquitaine: Of course he has a knife! I have a knife. We all have knives. It's 1183 and we're all barbarians!
    • Eleanor Of Aquitaine: Every family has their problems.
Submit a Fact | View All

The Lion in Winte... : Watch Free on TV

The Lion in Winter Trivia

  • Which actor/actress starred in these films: Without Love, Stage Door & The Lion in Winter?   Answer »
  • Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand co-won the Best Actress Oscar for 1968. Streisand, for "Funny Girl", and Hepburn, for...  Answer »
  • In which movie did Patrick Stewart play Henry the Lionheart?  Answer »
  • Which woman acted for 5 decades and was nominated for and won several Oscars? Her films include Morning Glory, The PiladelphiaStory, Lion in Winter, The African Queen, and many with Spencer Tracy. Her initials are K.H.   Answer »
More The Lion in Winter Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for The Lion in Winter. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Lion in Winter to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?