The Lion in Winter (1968)

Very mannered and stagey adaptation of a play, but that didn't bother me at all because the plot and performances were all of such a high quality.

Wonderful dialogue, too: "You're so deceitful you can't ask for water when you're thirsty." "I'm vilifying you, for God's sake. Pay attention!" "Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives!"

(Also, Pierce Brosnan is dreamy as a boy-king from France.)

The director's commentary is fascinating. While filming, the director got hepatitis twice and had to be hospitalized for a total of twelve weeks. He was allowed to edit the film only because Katharine Hepburn intervened with the producer. Plus Anthony Hopkins (in his screen début) was on horseback when one of the cameras spooked his mount, which bolted and carried him off. He was in full armor (Hopkins, not the horse). "Hang on tight! Don't jump! Don't jump!" everyone screamed. He jumped. So he had to do the jousting scene with a broken arm in a cast. Oh, and Kate Hepburn was wonderful and made all the actors comfortable with one another and was always giving people chocolates and Champagne.