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Anna and the King
1999 148 min United States of America PG-13 12+
★7.0
Drama, Romance, History
Director: Andy Tennant
📖 Based on the novel
«Anna and the King of Siam»
byMargaret Landon
Trailers
Description
The story of the romance between the King of Siam (now Thailand) and the widowed British school teacher Anna Leonowens during the 1860s. Anna teaches the children and becomes romanced by the King. She convinces him that a man can be loved by just one woman.
Budget:
$75M
US Gross:
$39.26M
Worldwide:
$114M
Starring
Jodie Foster
Actor
Chow Yun-Fat
Actor
Bai Ling
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 2000
— Best Costume Design
Golden Globe 2000
— Best Original Score
Academy Awards 2000
— Best Production Design
Golden Globe 2000
— Best Original Song
Key opinion
Anna and the King is widely celebrated for its lavish production design, exotic atmosphere, and emotionally resonant performances by Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat. While some critics find the adaptation historically loose and the romance melodramatic, most audiences view it as a sincere, visually stunning exploration of cultural collision and unrequited love.
| Production | The film features breathtaking production design, authentic costumes, and lush cinematography that create an immersive, exotic atmosphere. | |
| Score | The musical score is frequently praised for its sympathetic, tender, and evocative contribution to the film's mood. | |
| Acting | Chow Yun-Fat delivers a magnetic, nuanced performance as the King, with many reviewers finding him the standout lead. | |
| Emotion | The film is deeply romantic, successfully conveying an intense, unconsummated love story through subtle gestures and chemistry rather than overt physical displays. | |
| Acting | Opinions on Jodie Foster's performance are split; some praise her intelligent portrayal of a strong heroine, while others criticize her forced accent or find her work less compelling than her co-star's. | |
| Adaptation | Discussions regarding adaptation fidelity are divided; some appreciate the film's mythic, sentimental take, while others criticize it for being a superficial or overly fictionalized departure from the original source material. |