Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes
      Watch trailer for Stage Beauty

      Stage Beauty

      2004, History/Drama, 1h 50m

      128 Reviews 10,000+ Ratings

      What 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

      You might also like

      See More
      The Cat's Meow poster image
      The Cat's Meow
      The U.S. vs. John Lennon poster image
      The U.S. vs. John Lennon
      The Best Man poster image
      The Best Man
      Bright Young Things poster image
      Bright Young Things
      Max poster image
      Max

      Where to watch

      Rent/buy Rent/buy Rent/buy

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      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.

      • Rating: R (Sexual Content|Language)

      • Genre: History, Drama

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Richard Eyre

      • Producer: Robert De Niro, Richard Eyre

      • Writer: Jeffrey Hatcher

      • Release Date (Theaters):  original

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $776.7K

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Lionsgate/Artisan

      • Production Co: Returning Productions

      • Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR

      • Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

      Cast & Crew

      Billy Crudup
      Rupert Everett
      Ben Chaplin
      Hugh Bonneville
      Richard Griffiths
      Edward Fox
      Zoe Tapper
      Clare Higgins
      Tom Hollander
      Alice Eve
      Fenella Woolgar
      Robert Dreyer
      Michael Kuhn
      George Fenton
      Andrew Dunn
      Tariq Anwar

      Critic Reviews for Stage Beauty

      Audience Reviews for Stage Beauty

      • May 02, 2014
        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.
        Super Reviewer
      • Oct 19, 2012
        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.
        Super Reviewer
      • Feb 12, 2011
        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.
        Super Reviewer
      • Sep 14, 2010
        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!
        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All