A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999 film)

Infobox Film
name = A Midsummer Night's Dream


caption = A Midsummer Night's Dream Promotional Movie Poster
director = Michael Hoffman
producer = Michael Hoffman
Arnon Milchan
Leslie Urdang
Ann Wingate
writer = William Shakespeare (play)
Michael Hoffman (screenplay)
starring = Rupert Everett
Calista Flockhart
Kevin Kline
Stanley Tucci
and
Michelle Pfeiffer
distributor = Fox Searchlight
released = April 26, 1999
runtime = 116 minutes
language = English
amg_id = 1:179646
imdb_id = 0140379

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a 1999 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same title. The film sets the play in the fictional Monte Athena in the late nineteenth century. The film stars Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Cast

*Stanley Tucci as Puck
*Rupert Everett as Oberon
*Michelle Pfeiffer as Titania
*Sophie Marceau as Hippolyta
*Christian Bale as Demetrius
*Calista Flockhart as Helena
*Kevin Kline as Nick Bottom
*Dominic West as Lysander
*Anna Friel as Hermia
*David Strathairn as Theseus
*Roger Rees as Peter Quince
*Sam Rockwell as Francis Flute
*Gregory Jbara as Snug
*Bill Irwin as Tom Snout
*Max Wright as Robin Starveling
*Bernard Hill as Egeus
*John Sessions as Philostrate

Background

The film was released in the midst of the short-lived Shakespeare-on-film revival initiated by the success of Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V". Director Michael Hoffman reset the play in Italy in the mid-nineteenth century, and several of the characters were seen riding bicycles. There was also a rather notorious mud wrestling scene between Anna Friel (as Hermia) and Calista Flockhart (as Helena). Actor Kevin Kline was cast as a more handsome Nick Bottom than is usual, and was even given a wife (she, however, has no speaking lines and only appears in two scenes). Along with veteran Shakespeare actors, director Michael Hoffman also cast Calista Flockhart, Michelle Pfeiffer, David Strathairn, Sophie Marceau and Stanley Tucci in major roles.

The film used portions of Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music to the 1843 stage production of the play, along with generous helpings of music from Italian opera.

Although the film was reset in Italy, every mention of Athens, Greece (the play's original setting) was still retained.

In contrast to the earlier 1935 film version, Helena was given more screen time in the film than Hermia.

Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews when released theatrically, but far more positive ones when the DVD was issued. The greatest praise went to the performances of Kevin Kline, Rupert Everett, and Stanley Tucci, while the performances most panned were those of David Strathairn and Sophie Marceau.Fact|date=April 2008It has been criticised by some for the resemblance between Michelle Pfeiffer and Calista Flockhart, leading some to confuse their different characters.Fact|date=April 2008

External links

* [http://www.foxsearchlight.com/amidsummernightsdream/ Fox Searchlight Pictures: A Midsummer Night's Dream]
* [http://gregoryjbara.com/midsummer/index.html Screen captures at GregoryJbara.com featuring the rude mechanicals]
* [http://gregoryjbara.com/amsnd1_nc.html Gregory Jbara's on set black and white photos]