Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #104 -
The Lion in Winter (1968) - It's Christmastime, 1183, and King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) wants his youngest son John (Nigel Terry) to succeed him. His wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), does not. She wants their eldest son, Richard (Anthony Hopkins) to be king of France and England. Middle son Geoffrey (John Castle)? No one seems to want him. Just a typical marital spat between powerful rulers? Not exactly. Henry has had Eleanor imprisoned for years, to punish her for suspected treason and to curb and control her power.
The Lion in Winter is not history exactly, but it is a wonderful imagining of how this historical family may have interacted. Mostly it is delightful to watch.
Eleanor (Katharine Hepburn) and Henry (Peter O'Toole)
L-R: John (Nigel Terry), Eleanor, Richard (Anthony Hopkins), and Geoffrey (John Castle)
Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn): I adored you. I still do.
Henry II (Peter O'Toole): Of all the lies you've told, that is the most terrible.
Eleanor of Aquitaine: I know. That's why I've saved it up until now.