The Madness of King George

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The Madness of King George

PG-13

1994

1h 50m

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

93%

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45 Reviews

80%

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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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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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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

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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

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Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

In its own shambling, elliptical way it's an entertaining, memorable movie whose 2 1/2 hours go by without strain.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 18, 2002

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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

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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

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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

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Godfrey D

Its a really good movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/07/24

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Nicholas Hytner

Director

Nigel Hawthorne

George III

Helen Mirren

Queen Charlotte

Ian Holm

Dr. Willis

Rupert Everett

Prince of Wales

Rupert Graves

Greville

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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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