
Stage Beauty
2004, Drama/History, 1h 50m
127 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
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
Cast & Crew
Ned Kynaston
Maria
King Charles II
Betterton
George Villiars, Duke of Buckingham
Samuel Pepys
Critic Reviews for Stage Beauty
All Critics (127) | Top Critics (47) | Fresh (81) | Rotten (46)
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Stage Beauty... has a lot going for it. Richard Eyre's spritely direction helps hide the holes in the plot, creating a vivid, raucous, underworld London of transvestites, whores and pickpockets, some played by a terrific supporting cast.
January 10, 2018 | Full Review… -
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September 7, 2011 | Rating: C+ | Full Review… -
It's a marvelous premise, and Crudup's serpentine performance has a venomous grace. But Jeffrey Hatcher's screenplay too often sacrifices psychological insight for bogus theatricality.
November 1, 2007 | Full Review… -
Danes, as usual, overplays her character's every emotion.
May 4, 2005 | Rating: C+ | Full Review… -
The attraction to Stage Beauty is that it is just as much a campy comedy as it is an elegant drama.
November 11, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/5 -
It's a juicy, reality-driven plot that you'd think would work like a charm, but Stage Beauty falls flat on more than one occasion.
November 7, 2004 | Rating: 2.5/5 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Stage Beauty
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May 02, 2014Drag 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.Jim H Super Reviewer
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Oct 19, 2012One 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.John B Super Reviewer
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Feb 12, 2011The 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.Conner R Super Reviewer
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Sep 14, 2010One 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!Cynthia S Super Reviewer
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