The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II. Released almost a decade after the event, the film depicts a fictional account of the immediate events following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales on 31 August 1997.
The main plot focuses on the differing views in how to deal with the death of Diana. The Royal Family, while on their summer residence at Balmoral Castle, sees her death as a private affair, not to be treated as an official Royal death, in contrast with newly appointed Prime Minister Tony Blair and Diana's ex-husband Prince Charles, who attempt to reflect the public wish for an official expression of grief.
Matters are further complicated by the media, royal protocol regarding Diana's official status, and wider issues about republicanism. The views of Diana's two sons throughout the film are only portrayed through other characters.
The film's release coincided with a revival of favourable public sentiment with respect to the monarchy and a downturn in fortunes for Blair, whose resignation came less than a year later.
Michael Sheen reprised his role as Blair from the Channel 4 television film The Deal, and did so again in The Special Relationship. The film also earned critical and popular acclaim for Mirren, and some controversy as she had originally refused appointment into the Order of the British Empire in 1996, only to accept the offer in 2003.
Mirren praised the Queen in her Academy Awards acceptance speech and was invited to dinner at Buckingham Palace on 10 May 2007, but declined to attend due to filming commitments in the United States.
Reception
Box Office
The film exceeded box-office expectations; with a budget of $15 million the film has earned $56.4 million in the United States and has a worldwide gross of $120 million.
Critical Reception
Before the film was released, critics praised both Stephen Frears and Peter Morgan, who later garnered Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay. Michael Sheen's performance as Tony Blair earned him particular acclaim. Helen Mirren's portrayal garnered her acclaim from critics around the world.
Her portrayal made her a favourite for the Academy Award for Best Actress well before the film was released in theatres. After its showing at the Venice Film Festival, Mirren received a five-minute-long standing ovation. Roger Ebert came out of recovery from surgery to give the film a review.
He called it "spellbinding" and gave it four out of four stars. The Queen was the most critically acclaimed film of 2006 with Mirren being the most critically acclaimed actress of the year. The Queen has 97% positive reviews on the film-critics aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.
Amongst the few negative reviews, Slant Magazine's Nick Schager criticised the insider portraiture of the film as "somewhat less than revelatory, in part because Morgan's script succumbs to cutie-pie jokiness [...] and broad caricature", mentioning particularly "James Cromwell's Prince Philip, who envisions the crowned heads as exiled victims and the gathering crowds as encroaching "Zulus"".
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