SummarySet in 1660's England, this is the story of the first female actor to appear legally in England and the last male actor to make his career by playing women.
Directed By:Richard Eyre
Written By:Jeffrey Hatcher
Stage Beauty
Metascore
Generally Favorable
64
User score
Universal Acclaim
8.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
66% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
34% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
90
Crudup is whole. He creates the man who has pride in what he does, who is suddenly stripped of the work and the pride; and who makes his way, somewhat painfully, to another sort of pride. His story is a small but acute poignancy in the history of the theater, and Crudup realizes it completely.
80
A film that, despite being about theatre itself, is remarkably cinematic and entirely unafraid to revel in the English language.
75
In the popularity sweepstakes, Stage Beauty may earn top honors, outdoing the overrated "Shakespeare in Love" as a dramatic comedy about life and love in an era more naive - but hardly more innocent - than our own.
70
It's a marvelous premise, and Crudup's serpentine performance has a venomous grace. But Jeffrey Hatcher's screenplay too often sacrifices psychological insight for bogus theatricality.
60
The film is an intriguing and hugely theatrical experience whose effectiveness is greatly enhanced by gorgeous period costumes and set design.
50
The film rarely matches Crudup's performance, appearing confused itself about whether it's farce or drama.
40
Second-rate bawdiness--that is, bawdiness without the wit of Boccaccio or Shakespeare or even Tom Stoppard--is more infantile than funny, and I’m not sure that the American playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, who concocted this piece for the stage and then adapted it into a movie, is even second-rate.
User score
Universal Acclaim
86% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
14% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Feb 19, 2011
9
This is a film I can watch again and again. Billy Crudup and Claire Danes are both
tremendously talented and this film is a great vehicle for them. Their chemistry is real
(intense and sizzling). Both these Yanks pull of the British accents with ease. The story is interesting,
the pace is quick, the music is well chosen and the supporting cast is excellent. I like the ambiguous ending but have no doubt that Maria's great love will save Ned.
Production Company:
- Lionsgate
- Qwerty Films
- Tribeca Productions
- N1 European Film Produktions GmbH & Co. KG
- BBC Film
Release Date:Oct 8, 2004
Duration:1 h 46 m
Rating:R
Tagline:She was the first of her kind. He was the last of his.
Awards
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
National Board of Review, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Cambridge Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
