Lady Jane (1986)

Director:

Trevor Nunn

Writers:

Chris Bryant (story) and
David Edgar (writer)

Release Date:

7 February 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

Under the shadow of the axe...

Plot:

The death of King Henry VIII throws his kingdom into chaos because of succession disputes. His weak son Edward...

Plot Keywords:

Corporal Punishment | Queen | 1500s | Nobility | Queen Of England

Cast

Helena Bonham Carter	...	Lady Jane Grey
Cary Elwes	...	Guilford Dudley
John Wood	...	John Dudley, Duke of Nothumberland
Michael Hordern	...	Doctor Feckenham
Jill Bennett	...	Mrs. Ellen
Jane Lapotaire	...	Princess Mary
Sara Kestelman	...	Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk
Patrick Stewart	...	Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk
Warren Saire	...	King Edward VI
Joss Ackland	...	Sir John Bridges
Ian Hogg	...	Sir John Gates
Lee Montague	...	Renard, the Spanish Ambassador
Richard Vernon	...	The Marquess of Winchester
David Waller	...	Archbishop Cranmer
Richard Johnson	...	The Earl of Arundel

Runtime:

142 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | West Germany:12 | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Broughton Castle, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Capital Equipment Leasing

Trivia:

In reality, Lady Jane and Guilford Dudley barely knew each other and were not together during their imprisonment.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Through the movie John and everyone else keeps referring to Guilford as the last of three sons, true Guilford was the youngest son but he and four other brothers made it past infancy, they should be referring to Guilford as the fifth son, not the third.

Quotes:

Jane: [reading] The soul takes flight to the world that is eternal... invisible. But there arriving she is sure of bliss, and forever dwells in paradise.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in As You Wish: The Story of 'The Princess Bride' (2001) (V)

Cheesy as it sounds, I laughed, I cried, and I was awed.

The first thing to love about this movie is how good it is at being a historical drama. It opens by telling you what has come before, and the ending is made even more poignant (if that is possible) by knowing what will come after. In between, it stays far more authentic than many "historical" movies ever bother to with little apparent effort. This ease is due not only to the gripping bit of history being told, but to the superb acting by all the major players.

While none of the performances are bad, or even mediocre, some bits manage to shine even brighter. Jane Lapotaire as Princess Mary is wonderfully haunted by longing and desperation behind the strong, poised front. Patrick Stewart shows us ever so briefly that his Henry Grey is not only a cold-hearted conspirator and dominating patriarch, but a father who desperate needs to make things right for his little girl. Helena Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes play superbly off each other as Lady Jane Grey and Guilford Dudley, bringing out nuances in each other's performance that cement the core of this beautiful story.