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The Madness of King George

His Majesty was all powerful and all knowing. But he wasn't quite all there.

1994 · 1h 47m · PG-13 Comedy, Drama, History
Directed by Nicholas Hytner

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Overview

Aging King George III of England is exhibiting signs of madness, a problem little understood in 1788. As the monarch alternates between bouts of confusion and near-violent outbursts of temper, his hapless doctors attempt the ineffectual cures of the day. Meanwhile, Queen Charlotte and Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger attempt to prevent the king's political enemies, led by the Prince of Wales, from usurping the throne.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
93%
Tomatometer
Fresh

Hytner's version of Bennett's comic-tragic drama of the tormented king who almost lost his mind confirms that power games, family scandals, and personal intrigues have always been integral to the British Crown, an institution both revered and reviled.

Emanuel Levy, Variety
Fresh

In its own shambling, elliptical way it's an entertaining, memorable movie whose 2 1/2 hours go by without strain.

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Fresh

Hawthorne is by turn outrageous and pathetic and imperious and poignant and very funny.

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Fresh

The thrill of Hawthorne's astounding performance is not something you want to miss.

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Fresh

For those who, like myself, were disappointed in the play, the film contains pleasant surprises, all of them resulting from differences between the two arts.

Stanley Kauffmann, The New Republic

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