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The Madness of King George

Play trailer Poster for The Madness of King George PG-13 Released Dec 28, 1994 1h 50m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Aging King George III (Nigel Hawthorne) of England is exhibiting signs of madness, a problem little understood in 1788. As the monarch alternates between bouts of confusion and near-violent outbursts of temper, his hapless doctors attempt the ineffectual cures of the day. Meanwhile, Queen Charlotte (Helen Mirren) and Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger (Julian Wadham) attempt to prevent the king's political enemies, led by the Prince of Wales (Rupert Everett), from usurping the throne.
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The Madness of King George

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Critics Consensus

Thanks largely to stellar all-around performances from a talented cast, The Madness of King George is a funny, entertaining, and immensely likable adaptation of the eponymous stage production.

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Critics Reviews

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David Stratton At the Movies (Australia) Visually sumptuous, energetic and classy, The Madness of King George is British film theatre at its most seductive. Rated: 4/5 Aug 17, 2016 Full Review Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly Rated: B+ Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Emanuel Levy Variety Hytner's version of Bennett's comic-tragic drama of the tormented king who almost lost his mind confirms that power games, family scandals, and personal intrigues have always been integral to the British Crown, an institution both revered and reviled. Rated: A- Aug 22, 2006 Full Review Quentin Crisp Christopher Street The film, though English in subject matter, was far from English in style. It was grand, not parochial; crude, not genteel, and very funny. Apr 21, 2022 Full Review Mal Vincent The Virginian-Pilot Hawthorne plays madness with restraint. It's only when he hears the news from Yorktown that he goes really bananas. Rated: 3/4 Mar 14, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy It's sometimes so loopy that one half-expects Mel Brooks to wander into the frame, muttering, "It's good to be the king." Rated: 3/4 Sep 19, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (349) audience reviews
Godfrey D Its a really good movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/07/24 Full Review Eye C An historic movie that is interesting and the king is the whole movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/01/24 Full Review Alec B Yeah, Bennett's screenplay is fantastic and so is the whole cast (Nigel Hawthorne in particular), but Hytner's direction is what makes the whole thing work, emphasizing the dark, dirty reality of late 18th century England through carefully chosen shots that recall "Barry Lyndon" in the best possible way. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/13/23 Full Review Julie H It's a cavalcade of great English actors like Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren and Ian Holm. Hard to watch in places for the physical tortures imposed on the King to treat him for a mental illness. Interestingly, the Prince of Wales, later George IV, is as floozily awful as caricatured by Hugh Laurie in Blackadder III and most of the attendees of the ailing George III appear to have been a million times worse than Blackadder himself Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/02/23 Full Review david f I loved the Royal setting but the plot, characters, and story were a little wanting. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Highly regarded and well acted for. British production but period pieces about the Royal family are of very little interest to me and the plot didn't grip me at all. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Aging King George III (Nigel Hawthorne) of England is exhibiting signs of madness, a problem little understood in 1788. As the monarch alternates between bouts of confusion and near-violent outbursts of temper, his hapless doctors attempt the ineffectual cures of the day. Meanwhile, Queen Charlotte (Helen Mirren) and Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger (Julian Wadham) attempt to prevent the king's political enemies, led by the Prince of Wales (Rupert Everett), from usurping the throne.
Director
Nicholas Hytner
Producer
Stephen Evans, David Parfitt
Screenwriter
Alan Bennett
Distributor
Samuel Goldwyn Company, Hallmark Entertainment, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Samuel Goldwyn Company
Rating
PG-13
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 28, 1994, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 24, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$15.2M
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
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