Hyde Park on Hudson

This is a severely awful movie. The fate of the world hangs in the balance. The two men who could potentially save it meet. What does this movie focus on? Laura Linney gets her feelings hurt. FDR isn't going to take her to the prom. Meanwhile, "The most dangerous woman in Europe" -- as Hitler called her, for her tact, PR smarts, and unfailing support for her husband -- goes berserk about the diplomatic implications of hot dogs and nags her husband for not being his brother. (In fact "David" was despised by his family, who wondered if he might be developmentally delayed.) Weep for the amazing cast and the wasted opportunity to deal with one of the most fascinating weekends in history.

Hyde Park on Hudson is a film that wishes to be seriously esteemed and respected as a minor historical film account of a momentous occasion; but it never gives its audience a serious reason to do so. It isn't a bad movie, it just never becomes the good one that it wants to be. It (primarily) recounts the events of a weekend in June 1939 in upstate New York when the sitting -- this wasn't typed as a pun -- US president Franklin D. Roosevelt (Bill Murray -- Rushmore, Lost in Translation) welcomes the British King and Queen to his country estate. It was notable because a reigning British monarch had never visited America before and England was on the verge of war with Germany. Also in abundance at the estate -- meddling women ... be it mother, wife, secretary or mistress. Laura Linney (Primal Fear, Kinsey) plays Daisy -- a distant cousin to FDR -- who is sent-for to help with FDR's wandering mind and calm him. Over time (the film spans more than a weekend), they become rather close and form another type of kinship. The story is told through Daisy which means we hear lots of narration and are given many snippets of time passing before the weekend (to see them develop a relationship -- which an audience never really does) until the monarchs arrive and it becomes ALL about the weekend. There are plenty of decent moments in Hyde Park on Hudson including Murray as FDR and some wonderful shots of beautiful country landscapes. The film looks nice and the period detail will win some over; but the film fails to ever make a connection with Daisy. As the central character, the audience is given no real reason to want to follow her ... why is she really even here? I don't want to call her bland but the film gives us no reason to believe otherwise and absolutely no real reason as to why her and FDR forged their bond. I appreciated the depictions of the King and Queen (this is the stuttering king Colin Firth won an Oscar for playing a few years ago and Olivia Colman is quite good as the uncomfortable queen) and their struggles with being in America such as their trying to fathom the "rage" about hot dogs. Sadly, most of the rest of the film is empty -- like the Hyde Park estate would be when FDR returned to Washington. This should have been so much more ...

source: Hyde Park on Hudson

Two noticeable aspects on this site - the paucity of reviews of this period piece film and the number of negative comments that seem to blanket the responses to this very quiet little recreation of a moment in history about which few may be aware. In many ways this film, as written by Richard Nelson and directed by Roger Michell, resembles a little European art film: the recreation of conditions in the USA in the post Depression era are remarkably apt and set a fine tenor for the story (including the musical score!). In the end this is a tale about how men in powerful places interrelate in moments of tension and how those same men have flaws both physical and in character that would weigh down ordinary fellows. But the story is about a particular summer in when Britain, on the brink of war with Hitler, visited America, hoping for Allied assistance in the war that was to become World War II. The setting is the home away form the White House - Hyde Park on the Hudson, the home of FDR's mother (Elizabeth Wilson) who still ruled the roost despite her son's political role. FDR is enchantingly portrayed by Bill Murray who is able to show all sides of FDR's personality - his response to being a victim of polio, his wisdom at running a country beaten down by the Depression, and his need for multiple liaisons with women. In one household we meet Missy (Elizabeth Marvel) who has been both secretary and lover of some time, Daisy (Laura Linney) who is FDR's fifth cousin who enters the coterie because of her honesty and genuine affection for FDR, and we hear about 'Mrs Rutherford', yet another of FDR's affairs, and of course there is the presence of Eleanor Roosevelt (a superb Olivia Williams). Though the film seems to want to emphasize the development and course of FDR's affair with Daisy, the story gratefully focuses on the visit from The King and Queen of England - a first: Bertie (Samuel West) stutters his way into the favor of FDR while Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) tolerates her King- husband's lack of social graces and holds a lifted nose to the crude Americans. The highlight of the film is a glorious scene of a conversation between Bertie and FDR regarding their personal physical embarrassments and their joint world views. In the end there is a picnic where all comes to resolution. For this viewer the portrayal by Bill Murray was a revelation for this actor. His version of FDR is a fine blend of humor, vulnerability, pride overcoming his need to be carried everywhere because of his paralysis, and his genuine sense of kindness and caring for his people. If his flaw was promiscuity, given the times and the presence of the powerful and stand-alone wife, it is a minor one. Laura Linney's Daisy is somewhat of a frump, kind and sensitive but clumsy, and has little to do except voice-over narration. But the rest of the cast is superb. This is a film that deserves a much wider audience than it has received. Grady Harp

This is a severely awful movie. The fate of the world hangs in the balance. The two men who could potentially save it meet. What does this movie focus on? Laura Linney gets her feelings hurt. FDR isn't going to take her to the prom. Meanwhile, "The most dangerous woman in Europe" -- as Hitler called her, for her tact, PR smarts, and unfailing support for her husband -- goes berserk about the diplomatic implications of hot dogs and nags her husband for not being his brother. (In fact "David" was despised by his family, who wondered if he might be developmentally delayed.) Weep for the amazing cast and the wasted opportunity to deal with one of the most fascinating weekends in history.

Greetings again from the darkness. It's a bit of a curiosity why the only four-times-elected US President has been portrayed so few times on screen. Without putting much thought into it, the most memorable non-documentary occurrence may have been by Jon Voight during Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor. Bring on Bill Murray as Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the 1939 first ever US visit by British monarchs ... King George VI("Bertie" played by Samuel West) and Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) ... and the stage is set for a behind-the-scenes political tale of the "social" meeting that led to the US and England joining forces in WWII. Unfortunately, that's not really what we get. Director Roger Michell (Morning Glory, Venus) and noted Playwright and screenwriter Richard Nelson (Ethan Frome) just can't seem to make up their mind which story they want to tell. Is it the historical meeting between FDR and the King? Is it the fling between FDR and his 6th cousin Daisy (Laura Linney), whose relationship was uncovered through the diaries and letters left behind when she passed in 1991? Is it the ongoing manipulations by Mrs Roosevelt (FDR's mother, played by Elizabeth Wilson) and the cagey Eleanor (Olivia Williams)? Is it a political statement that all powerful men have insecurities and needs? The film is narrated and mostly told through the viewpoint of Daisy, a local 47 year old spinster, who gets dragged wide-eyed into the FDR mayhem. Mrs Roosevelt, Eleanor and FDR's assistant Missy (Elizabeth Marvel, The Bourne Legacy) all understand the President's reason for allowing Daisy into their inner sanctum. Daisy, a bit slow on the take, learns why once FDR stops the car in a meadow during one of their private, scenic drives. The running story of Daisy is probably the least interesting within the film, and it often deflates whatever momentum might get started. The best and most interesting portion involves the private meeting between FDR and the King that takes place in the study after hours. The two bond as men who are in positions of power, share the same insecurities, and who both curse their afflictions ... the King and his stuttering, and the President with his polio. The best line of the film occurs during this meeting when the President asks "Can you imagine the disappointment when they find out what we really are?" It's a reminder that all great men are just that ... men. This barely qualifies as a historical drama, and the far more interesting personal topic (rather than Daisy) would be the ongoing power struggle between Eleanor and Mrs Roosevelt. FDR does have to remind them that HE is the President! There is acknowledgment of Eleanor's sexual preference, as well as her acceptance of FDR's extra-marital desires and needs. Much is made of the famous American picnic where the King and Queen are served hot dogs, and this story highlights the Queen's paranoia that this is yet another slap in the face meant to dishonor their presence. In fact, it is presented as a shrewd move by FDR to introduce the British royalty as people to be embraced. It must be noted that though the film plays much like a made for TV movie, Bill Murray does a solid job portraying FDR as a man filled with humor, mischief and in full command of the burden he carries. His need for "me" time is understandable and his agreement with the press photographers explains why so few pictures exist of his wheelchair or other challenges in living with the polio. Unfortunately, the film just doesn't keep up with Murray's performance or with the powerful subject he portrays. Sound familiar Mr. Voight?

Bottom line, my wife dragged me to an advanced showing and i am glad I went. You really need to see The King's Speech first because this movie takes place between the time King George gets the crown, and the "speech" about entering WWII. I don't want to reveal any facts about the movie because at least for me, I was blown away by what was going on, and going into the movie cold about anything other than what you see in the previews is best. I can't say enough to see The Kings Speech first or you just won't know enough about King George and Queen Elizabeth to understand their character's motivations. If you like history, then you'll love this movie. No real plot here other than watching something play out. There are some good comedic moments in there as well, and FDR is going to be presented in an entirely new light that would never (and certainly was never) covered in any history books I ever had as a child. Guys - this is a great date movie, and is a bit racy. Take a date and you'll thank me later ;)

In 1939,Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Bill Murray) prepares to host the British King George (Samuel West) and his wife Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) to Hyde Park for a mini summit about the state of the world in wartime. Edward wants the US to help England and join the war, FDR has many isolationists that he must convince in America, before he can get involved in WW II. FDR invites his fifth cousin Daisy (Laura Linney) to join him in Hyde Park, and soon they are constant companions. Is there more to their relationship than meets the eye? Does Edward convince FDR that entering WWII is a worthwhile pursuit? I did not like Hyde Park on Hudson at all. This movie only seems intent on defaming FDR, as a serial philanderer, and feckless husband who has to deal not only with an overbearing wife, but also an overbearing mother as well. Roosevelt happens to be a political hero of mine for many reasons. He won WWII as Commander in Chief, got the economy out of the Great Depression, and did all this while suffering from polio, which he had to hide from the press and public. Social Security, a cornerstone of Roosevelt's New Deal, is still with us today. Like him or not, he fundamentally changed America, and he doesn't deserve that tabloid hatchet job that this movie turns out to be. Whatever they do to FDR, they treat Eleanor even worse. The movie makers treat Mrs. Roosevelt with disdain because she wanted to be inclusive of people who had been left out of the political process, and because she is a strong-minded independent woman with opinions of her own. She should be lauded for her outspokenness and inclusiveness, not condemned for it. The trailer made it seem like the movie would be a light-hearted comedic film about a meeting between the king and President, it was anything but, the characters are anything but likable and the movie on the whole left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The acting is horrendous. I like Bill Murray, in both his dramatic and comedic roles, but Roosevelt had an upstate New York patriarchal voice, and whatever Murray was trying to do with his voice, it didn't work, and proved to be more of a distraction than anything else. Olivia Williams, who plays Eleanor is a Brit, and her accent seeped through her delivery a couple of times. So there was the battle of the accents, Murray trying to put one on, Williams trying to take one off, it was troublesome. Samuel West brings some much needed levity to the proceedings, but really overemphasizes the stuttering. See The King's Speech if you want to see the definitive movie about King George. Olivia Colman plays Elizabeth as a relentless nag, and that gets old fast. Laura Linney plays Daisy as a doormat, a wet dishrag that doesn't inspire much interest. The direction yields a few interesting shots of FDR and Daisy in the countryside, among the wildflowers, but overall the pacing is slow and ponderous. Hyde Park On Hudson: The only thing you have to fear is…watching this film. For more reviews with nothing to hide, visit my blog, reviewswithatude.wordpress.com.

For goodness sake, the entire "plot" of this movie could have easily been handled in about five minutes, as a sideplot, which would have made the audience either yawn, or instantly forget about. Myself and the other theatre goers were thinking, "OK, he had an affair with this broad or that broad, one of whom was a distant cousin, so can we please get on with the REAL story?" Problem was, that is the ENTIRE story! Imagine making a movie about babe Ruth, and start to finish covers one single inning of a single game. Story? What story? Booooooooooo!

In 1939, King George VI (Samuel West) and Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) made the trek across the ocean to visit American President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Bill Murray) at "Hyde Park on Hudson". It was the first trip of its kind and tensions were high. First Lady Eleanor and Mother Roosevelt expected perfection, and the Queen (the eventual Queen Mother) also expected perfection. Roosevelt was in no shape to deliver perfection. Mostly confined to a wheelchair and married to a woman he did not love, Roosevelt reportedly had affairs. The film focuses on one such affair that started just before the King and Queen of England were to arrive. Margaret "Daisy" Suckley (Laura Linney) is FDR's distant cousin and she is excited for this new turn in her life. She essentially moves into the Hyde Park residence, is convinced of Roosevelt's need for her, and won't accept a lesser role in his life. She's a tough pill to swallow and it's unfortunate that she's the main character of the film. The best characters of the film are easily Franklin Roosevelt and Bertie (the King). Murray transforms Roosevelt into such a humanized version of the esteemed President that he's always relatable, always likable and always entertaining despite the pedestal that he's on and despite the pedestal that he probably shouldn't be on. West gives a pitch-perfect, award-deserving portrayal of the humble would-be King providing an understanding confidante for the President. Together they provide the film with an undeniable comedic chemistry and also an honest dynamic that gives it a much needed stability as it tries to find its way as a comedic, dramatic biopic. The other women in the film, notably: First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (Olivia Williams), Mrs. Roosevelt and Queen Elizabeth, were portrayed with a likely honest, indifferent, and distant air. That approach allows the film to make no judgements about these three strong, independent and forceful women who have all forged their way into history. We only see them through their equally strong husbands (and son) and we can form our own opinions. True to its name, "Hyde Park on Hudson" has beautiful cinematography. While it's shot in England rather than New York, it is a suitable substitution, recognizing the source of the inspiration for the name, the architecture and the landscaping of the Presidential family estate in upstate New York.