2010 Academy Award Nominations
• Best Art Direction
• Best Costume
• Best Makeup

DESCRIPTION

Starring Emily Blunt, Ropert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson

Starring Emily Blunt as the queen who went on to symbolize the entire British Empire, the film follows Victoria's early struggle to succeed her uncle as the ruler of England, a quest blocked by her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), whose odious “adviser” is Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong).

Widowed at a young age, the duchess has been convinced by Conroy that she must protect Victoria's health at all costs and keep her away from the court in order to preserve her own position – despite the vocal complaints of King William IV (Jim Broadbent, in a very amusing turn), Victoria's uncle, who clearly wants his niece to follow in his footsteps. When Victoria is finally crowned, she's entirely unaware of the potential ramifications of her actions and allows herself to be misled by the dashing Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany), who may be using her youth and inexperience to further enhance his own position. Enter Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), who almost immediately charms Victoria by refusing to stick to the script given him by his scheming and Machiavellian relations. As their love for one another grows, crucial questions remain unanswered: will Victoria listen to Albert's counsel or will her loyalty to Melbourne win out?

The Young Victoria gives us an insightful portrait of the often ruthless machinations that characterized the dealings between royal families, a world where matters of the heart took a back seat, patriotism and family loyalties were labyrinthine in their complications, and battles for leverage and position poisoned even mother-daughter relationships. But Vallée's film is also a true romance; from their very first meeting, we sense a mutual bond between Victoria and Albert, despite the restrictions placed on their interactions. Theirs was moreover a modern romance, it seems, and as they found solutions to the politics that complicated their love, they also developed forward-thinking approaches to some of the social issues of their time. Beautifully directed and exquisitely acted, The Young Victoriais a memorable, sophisticated and very charming exploration of English history. (MPAA Rated PG)

This special presentation of THE YOUNG VICTORIA is presented in association with The State Theatre Modesto, Inc., promoting the upcoming theatrical run of the film in Modesto.

FESTIVALS AND AWARDS

Emily Blunt is nominated for a 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama.

"The Young Victoria" held its World Premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2009. It was the Closing Night film for the prestigious 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, the 2009 Denver International Film Festival and the 2009 Mill Valley Film Festival; and the Audience Award winner at the 2009 Hamptons International Film Festival. View film's IMDB profile page.

READ RAVE REVIEWS

• Los Angeles Times
• Entertainment Weekly

ABOUT DIRECTOR JEAN-MARC VALLEE

Montreal filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée made his ground-breaking feature debut with "Liste Noire" ("Black List"), in 1995. The strikingly stylish erotic thriller was a first for its genre in Quebec cinema, and was honored with nine Genie Award nominations. Ten years later, he returned to French-language features with the internationally acclaimed hit, "C.R.A.Z.Y." Blending a beguiling coming-of-age tale with a magical ode to outsiders of all ages, the powerful yet poignant C.R.A.Z.Y.’s intensely personal story embraces universal themes. The picture became a phenomenon: distributed in over fifty countries and winning some twenty international festival awards – including the prestigious "Best Canadian Film" prize at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, 11 Genie Awards, 15 Jutra Awards, and the Golden Reel Award as Canada’s top-performer at the domestic box office.Jean-Marc has also flirted with Hollywood ("Strangers" -1996, "Los Locos" -1997), as well as completing the first two installments of his short film trilogy devoted to father-son relationships; a theme very close to the filmmaker’s heart. "Les Fleurs magiques" ("Magical Flowers," 1995) and "Les Mots magiques" ("Magical Words," 1998) are individual pieces unified by a dream-like quality, and an eye for their subjects that is both tender, and tortured. Both shorts were awarded numerous festival prizes at home, and abroad.

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SHOWTIMES

SAT. 02/27 at 3:00PM
The State Theatre Modesto

CAST AND CREW

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Screenwriter: Julian Fellowes
Producer: Martin Scorsese, Sarah Ferguson, Tim Headington, Graham King, Colin Vaines
Cinematographer: Hagen Bogdanski
Editor: Jill Bilcock, Matt Garner
Music: Ilan Eshkeri
Sound: Martin Pinsonnault
Principal Cast: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Mark Strong

PRINT SOURCE

Apparition
www.apparition.com

FILM CO-PRESENTER