Mrs Brown

Mrs Brown is a historical drama about Queen Victoria after the death of her husband, Prince Albert. Overwhelmed by grief, she withdraws from public life and neglects her duties as monarch, alarming her family, the court and the government. A Scottish servant named John Brown is brought to her household, and his blunt, unceremonious manner gradually draws her out of isolation and restores her willingness to live and reign. The closeness between queen and servant gives rise to gossip and scandal that threatens the reputation of the monarchy.

John Madden directed the film, the fourth of the fourteen he has directed in chronological order, following Ethan Frome and preceding Shakespeare in Love. Jeremy Brock wrote the screenplay, and Sarah Curtis produced. Judi Dench plays Victoria, with Billy Connolly as John Brown, Geoffrey Palmer as Henry Ponsonby, Antony Sher as Benjamin Disraeli, Gerard Butler as Archie Brown and Richard Pasco as Doctor Jenner.

Released in July 1997, the film runs 105 minutes and was made as a British, Irish and American production. It took about 9 million dollars at the worldwide box office. On IMDb it holds 7.2 out of 10 from around 16,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.8 out of 10 from 191 votes. A critics' rating of 7.4 out of 10 from 51 reviews puts it above the audience scores.