Anna and the King [WS] DVD

Anna and the King
The true story of Anna Leonowens' experiences as a governess to the children of an eccentric Asian king has been adapted into a book of memoirs, a biography, a stage play called Anna and the King of Siam -- which was adapted into a 1946 film, a stage musical called The King and I -- made into both the live-action The King and I (1956)) and the animated The King and I (1999) feature films, and a short-lived 1972 TV series. Now the story is brought to the screen yet again, as Jodie Foster stars as Leonowens, hired by the king of Thailand (Chow Yun-Fat) in the 19th century to help care for his children. The king wants the best for his children, but Anna soon discovers that he is a strong-willed but quixotic leader, and her stay in Thailand becomes a struggle for power with romantic overtones, as they decide who will have authority over the royal youngsters. Anna and the King was directed by Andy Tennant, best known for his 1998 variation on the Cinderella story, Ever After. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast Jodie Foster as Anna Leonowens Chow Yun-Fat as King Mongkut Bai Ling as Tuptim Tom Felton as Louis Syed Alwi as The Kralahome Keith Chin as Prince Chulalongkorn Randall Duk Kim as General Alak Lim Kay-siu as Prince Chowfa Melissa Campbell as Princess Fa-Ying Deanna Yusoff as Lady Thiang

Crew Chaiyan (Lek) Chunsuttiwat - Art Director Paul Ghiradani - Art Director Marc Fisichella - Supervising Art Director John Ralph - Supervising Art Director Tom Nursey - Supervising Art Director Eric Angelson - Associate Producer Priscilla John - Casting Rona Brown - Consultant/advisor Jon Jashni - Co-producer Wink Mordaunt - Co-producer Julie Kirkham - Co-producer G. Mac Brown - Co-producer Jenny Beavan - Costume Designer Scott Printz - First Assistant Director Andy Tennant - Director Rich Thorne - Second Unit Director Jeff Balsmeyer - Second Unit Director Roger Bondelli - Editor Terence Chang - Executive Producer George Fenton - Composer (Music Score) Luciana Arrighi - Production Designer Caleb Deschanel - Cinematographer Ed Elbert - Producer Lawrence Bender - Producer Ian Whittaker - Set Designer Brian Simmons - Sound/Sound Designer John A. Larsen - Sound Editor Peter Krikes - Screenwriter Steve Meerson - Screenwriter Steve Arnold - Second Unit Camera Rich Thorne - Visual Effects Supervisor Anna Leonowens - Book Author

Anna and the King
Nominated for Oscars for its costume design and art direction, this non-musical adaptation of the life of Anna Leonowens is a lavish, solid mix of romance and drama that never quite inflames itself to the level of passion for which it strives. Always accomplished in the role of a stoic, Jodie Foster does a typically proficient job with her role of a stiff-upper-lipped widow whose reserve melts only slightly. Although he'll probably suffer by comparison to the magnetic Yul Brynner, actor Chow Yun-Fat is fine as King Mongkut, playing the royal head of a country with square-shouldered sobriety. But in their scenes together, Foster, Yun-Fat, and director Andy Tennant strive for a kind of standoffish quality meant to imply the characters' mutual mix of antagonism and passion, but which comes off at times like a lack of onscreen chemistry. The story's muddled historical perspective is also something of a burden, but it's doubtful that fans of sweeping romantic melodramas will be much interested in the mishmash that the film makes of real-life events. Regarded as nothing more than a well-mounted movie version of a paperback romance novel, Anna and the King is mostly satisfying within such a realm. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
 

George Fenton: Golden Globe, Best Original Score (nominated) George Fenton: Golden Globe, Best Original Song (nominated) Ian Whittaker: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Art Direction (nominated) Jenny Beavan: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Costume Design (nominated) Kenneth Edmonds: Golden Globe, Best Original Song (nominated) Luciana Arrighi: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Art Direction (nominated) Robert Kraft: Golden Globe, Best Original Song (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DDS: Dolby Digital Surround Additional Features: Commentary by Andy Tennant Five featurettes Television special Six deleted scenes Theatrical trailer Music video: "How Can I Not Love You" by Joy Enriquez Anamorphic widescreen [aspect ratio 2.35:1] Languages: English 5.1 Surround, English Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround Subtitles: English and Spanish Interactive menus Scene selection DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1: Cinemascope MPAA Rating: PG13 DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 147 min Part of Series: Special Edition   DVD Chapters: Side #1 0. Scene Selection 1. Main Titles (The Englishwoman) [:22] 2. The Palace [5:11] 3. Meeting the King [:38] 4. The Royal Family [3:53] 5. The Royal School [2:59] 6. Slavery [2:36] 7. The King's Approval [4:35] 8. The Rice Festival [2:03] 9. Burmese Death Squads [4:59] 10. A Royal Party [4:43] 11. The Marketplace [2:12] 12. A Small Gift [6:30] 13. Fever [:26] 14. A Letter [5:11] 15. An Attack [2:18] 16. Tuptim [2:05] 17. Kincaid's Information [2:29] 18. Nong Khai [6:50] 19. The White Elephant [7:18] 20. End Titles [3:25]