Uneven but enjoyable, Stage Beauty uses historical events as the springboard for a well-acted romance with a charming Shakespearean spin. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Humble Maria (Claire Danes), who outfits top London theater star Ned Kynaston (Billy Crudup), takes none of the credit for the male actor's success at playing women. And because this is the 17th century, Maria, like other females, is prohibited from pursuing her dream of acting. But when powerful people support her, King Charles II (Rupert Everett) lifts the ban on female stage performers. And just as Maria aided Ned, she needs his help to learn her new profession.
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Rating: R (Sexual Content|Language)
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Genre: History, Drama
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Original Language: English
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Director: Richard Eyre
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Producer: Robert De Niro, Richard Eyre
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Writer: Jeffrey Hatcher
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Release Date (Theaters): original
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $776.7K
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Lionsgate/Artisan
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Production Co: Returning Productions
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Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR
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Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
Cast & Crew
Critic Reviews for Stage Beauty
Audience Reviews for Stage Beauty
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Drag actor Ned Kynaston's career is ruined when Charles II reopens the theaters and allows women to appear on stage. The historical inaccuracies of this film are distracting, but the performances by Billy Crudup and Claire Danes make the film worth watching. Crudup captures how Ned Kynaston's gender confusion extends both on stage and in his personal life, and his scenes with Danes are compelling. What holds this film back, more than its inability to capture the spirit of its time the way The Libertine did, is the film's inability to fully explore how sexually and gender interact with societal constraints. The film could be saying that gender and sexuality are socially constructed, but this theme doesn't reach fruition. Overall, I dislike this film mostly because of its wasted potential.
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One can't have too much trouble with the acting. The problem is the entire story. You come out of it wondering what the point of it all is.
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The ultimate gender confusion/sexual identity movie. I found myself liking this a great deal more than the beloved Shakespeare in Love (which I don't understand), it deals with theatre history in a way that isn't corny. Billy Crudup's performance is almost scary, his female withdrawals were extremely believable. I would say that the only bad parts of the movie are the exaggeration of some characters and the fact that there are a ridiculous amount of pointless subplots going on.
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One of my favorite Billy Crudup movies (the other-- Almost Famous). He does a fabulous performance where he is sexy, beautiful, sad and the audience truly connects with him on his venture to finding himself. Claire Danes is a perfect counterpart in her role. I don't know whom to recommend this film to, because I think a it is either a love or hate film...I loved it!
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