“The Queen” comes calling at Odell Public Library, 307 S. Madison Street, Morrison, IL, on Thursday, March 20, 2014. The Oscar winning actress Helen Mirren portrays Queen Elizabeth II of England, in a masterful performance of suggestion, implication, and understatement.
The film begins at 2:00 p.m. in the library’s Program Room. A beverage and popcorn will be served. There is no charge, but donations are welcome.
The movie concerns the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and the Royal Family at quiet odds on how to deal with the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Diana was one of the most famous and best-loved women in the world at the time of her death, and the public outpouring and emotion over her demise was immediate and intense. Because of her messy divorce from Prince Charles, the monarchy hesitated to address her passing.
“The Queen” is a spellbinding story of opposition: the Queen who vows to keep the royal family above all this, and Mr. Blair’s keen perception of the public who demand the crown’s public expression of sympathy. Blair sees that the monarchy could be gravely harmed, if not toppled, by the Queen’s insistence on sticking to protocol and not issuing a statement about Diana. The press demands that the flag fly at half-mast at Buckingham Palace as a symbolic gesture. The Queen stands firm.
This film is a story of a strong woman loyal to duties and doctrines of the crown, and the man who is much more pragmatic concerning the public’s emotions and needs. “The Queen” could have been told as a scandal sheet story; instead, it is an hypnotic tale of two views of the same event.
Don’t miss this look at an historical event which occurred in our lifetime.