The Madness of King George

Play trailer

The Madness of King George

PG-13

Released Dec 28, 1994

1h 50m

History

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

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

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

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Nicholas Hytner

Director

Nigel Hawthorne

George III

Helen Mirren

Queen Charlotte

Ian Holm

Dr. Willis

Rupert Everett

Prince of Wales

Rupert Graves

Greville

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Jefferson in Paris

31%

35%

Jefferson in Paris

Watchlist

1492: Conquest of Paradise

32%

50%

1492: Conquest of Paradise

Watchlist

Henry V

98%

89%

Henry V

Watchlist

In Love and War

11%

50%

In Love and War

Watchlist

The Lady and the Duke

72%

68%

The Lady and the Duke

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Rank Helen Mirren’s 10 Best Movies

RTIndie: An Art-House Catfight for the Oscars?

SF International Fest Starts Today; "Factotum," "Romance," "Companion" and More!

View more photos

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: Hallmark Entertainment, Samuel Goldwyn Company, 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

Most Popular at Home Now