The Queen (Oscar Round-Up)

When I was little, I, probably along with every other little girl in the world, dreamed of being royalty. Although my parents claimed that I acted like I was, that didn’t change the fact that I wasn’t royal. As I got older I felt a sense of envy for royalty; they had all that money and power just because they were born into it. They never worked hard for it. Now, however, while I still do feel somewhat envious, I’m also very relieved that I don’t have to live up to the expectations that blue bloods do. This feeling definitely hit home when I saw The Queen.

The Queen tells the story of the way the British Royal Family dealt with the death of Princess Diana. When the death of Diana is announced to the Royal Family, the Queen decides that they will mourn privately for their ex-daughter-in-law. However, this causes a great uproar among the British people, who, because of their love for Diana, believe the Royal Family should show some outward sign of mourning. In the middle of all this is Tony Blair, the newly elected prime minister, who must save the Queen from her own ways in order to preserve the monarchy in the public eye.

Although I love history, I didn't expect to enjoy this movie that much. It did get nominated for an Oscar, however, so I decided to go see it. From the moment the movie started I saw how wrong I was. I was completely drawn into this film. It didn't feel like I was just watching a story unfold, it felt like I was involved in the story (which, for a nonfiction movie, is a bit of a miracle).

The acting in this movie was near-perfect. While I was not very familiar with Helen Mirren before this movie, I was aware that she had recently completed a role as Elizabeth I and now was playing Elizabeth II. Most people thought that this was quite an accomplishment, but I decided to see if she could act before jumping on that bandwagon. Let me tell you, she can act. She looked like the Queen; she conveyed this reserved and powerful manner that made me believe she was Queen Elizabeth II; and she showed brilliantly how she was conflicted between being the sovereign of her country, a mother, and a grandmother to two boys who just lost their mother.

Another great performance in this film was turned in by Michael Sheen as Tony Blair. Not only did he look like the Prime Minister, but he lets us see the human side to these foreign political figures we all see on the news. Sheen did an excellent job of showing that the main conflict of the movie also existed within Tony Blair: he clearly understood the disappointment with the Royal Family's apparent lack of remorse as well as he understood the Queen's need to be private and reserved--and was frequently explaining one point of view to those who held the other. Such internal conflict requires excellent acting, and Sheen hit this dead on.

Sheen and Mirren were the standout performances of the film, but other actors pulled their weight as well. Alex Jennings did a good job of portraying Prince Charles, although I think everyone wishes Prince Charles looked more like Alex Jennings. One character that annoyed me, however, was Prince Phillip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, played by James Cromwell. He seemed to always want to run things, and there were several times where I wanted to point out to him that he had no power, his wife was in charge.

If you're wondering whether The Queen is worthy of the Best Picture Oscar, it is. It had wonderful acting. The story was unexpectedly compelling and drew you in. And there was a stroke of symbolism within the movie that enhanced the film with multiple interpretations. It is a great movie and has the whole package, which earns it a 16.

-Stormy Pinkness