In 1863, Queen Victoria has spent two years in seclusion, mourning Prince Albert. Her advisers turn to John Brown, a Scottish servant once trusted by the late Prince, hoping he can gradually coax the sovereign back into public life. The scheme works rather too well. Brown's closeness to the Queen unsettles the court, the royal family, the press and politicians, who watch his growing sway with suspicion. He takes liberties with protocol, addressing her bluntly as "woman", and the gossip that follows gives rise to the nickname "Mrs Brown".

How it was made

The project began as a commission from the BBC and Ecosse Films, intended for BBC One and for WGBH's Masterpiece Theatre in the United States. Miramax later acquired the film and released it to unexpected success. Jeremy Brock wrote the screenplay and John Madden directed. Judi Dench leads a cast that includes Billy Connolly, Antony Sher as Disraeli and Gerard Butler, who made his film debut here. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 1997. Stephen Warbeck composed the score and Richard Greatrex handled the cinematography.

Reception and legacy

Dench won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA for Best Actress, and received Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations, losing both to Helen Hunt for As Good as It Gets. The film also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup. Roger Ebert praised Dench and Connolly, and Rotten Tomatoes records a 92 percent approval rating. In the United States and Canada the film grossed about 9.2 million dollars. It is remembered as an unusual portrait of a relationship rarely explored on screen, though not wholly faithful to history.