Every time I dream...

I watched The Lion in Winter (1968 with Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn) again last night. Based on The Lion in Winter play from 1966, it is one of my favourite movies despite containing several historical inaccuracies. Very little actually happens in the movie, but the drama and the dialogue are delightful. Peter O'Toole, Anthony Hopkins, and Timothy Dalton were all good, but Katharine Hepburn stole the show. I love the ending (which I won't give away in case people haven't seen it).

The story takes place Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 1183 but holds enough scheming to cover a month instead of two days. Henry II (Peter O'Toole) allows his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn) out of prison (where she'd been for ten years for plotting to overthrow Henry) for Christmas with the family. The family consists of their three remaining sons vying for the throne because the eldest had died. Added to the mix is Henry's mistress Alais (pronounced Alice) sister to the king of France. Henry and Eleanor each favours a different son to succeed Henry. The succession is not resolved in the play/movie; instead, we watch the inner workings and machinations of a powerful family in which only one son can be king after their father. It is obvious Henry and Eleanor were made for each other; their bickering and scheming could not take place if they were indifferent.