The Lion in Winter

In Christmas 1183, Henry II gathers his family at a castle to settle the question of who will inherit the English throne. His wife Eleanor, kept in confinement after earlier rebellion, backs their son Richard, while Henry favours the youngest, John. Also present are Geoffrey, the middle son, and the French king Philip II, whose sister Alais is Henry's mistress. Each guest manoeuvres for advantage, and the king keeps his decision open.

Anthony Harvey directed this adaptation of James Goldman's screenplay, a British production. It was Harvey's first feature as director, followed by They Might Be Giants, Eagle's Wing, Players and Svengali. Peter O'Toole plays Henry and Katharine Hepburn plays Eleanor; Anthony Hopkins, John Castle, Nigel Terry and Timothy Dalton fill the younger generation. Made for four million dollars, it took about twenty-two million worldwide, a strong return. On IMDb it holds 7.8 from roughly thirty-seven thousand votes, on TMDB 7.4 from around four hundred, while a critics' rating of 8.4 from forty-five reviews places it above both audience scores.