TRIBUTE TO HELEN MIRREN

Saturday, October 7, 6:30 pm
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
Reception to follow at the Outdoor Art Club

TRIBUTE AND RECEPTION $50 TRIB07P
TRIBUTE ONLY $25 TRIB07R

Helen Mirren is hands down one of the finest actresses of her generation. Combining intelligence, sexuality and sheer presence, she has entranced audiences worldwide with her work on stage, screen and television. While Mirren is widely known in the US for her portrayal of Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the Prime Suspect television dramas, she began her luminous career onstage in Britain, where she brought fresh acuity and complexity to plum roles such as Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra. Mirren’s film work spans more than three decades and includes O Lucky Man! (1973) and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989); she has received two Academy Award nominations, for The Madness of King George (1994) and Gosford Park (2002). She is the only actress to play both Queen Elizabeth I (in Elizabeth I [2005]) and Queen Elizabeth II (The Queen, MVFF 2006). For the former, Mirren won an Emmy. Regarding the latter, during the actual Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday honors in 2003, Mirren was made a Dame of the British Empire in recognition of her well-deserved place in the pantheon of acting royalty.

Please join us for the Tribute program of clips and conversation with Helen Mirren and the screening of The Queen. After the film, the evening will continue with a dinner reception in honor of Dame Helen at the beautiful Outdoor Art Club. Wander in the club’s lovely gardens and sample the fine food of Perry’s Gourmet Catering and delicious wines of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines.

SPONSORED BY
Christopher B. and Jeannie Meg Smith 

THE QUEEN           

UK 2006 103 MINS

Director Stephen Frears
Producers Andy Harries, Christine Langan, Tracey Seaward
Screenwriter Peter Morgan
Cinematographer Affonso Beato Editor Lucia Zucchetti
Cast Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Alex Jennings, Roger Allam, Sylvia Syms
Print Source Miramax Films

After her stunning television performance last year as Elizabeth I, the masterful Helen Mirren returns to reclaim the crown as a very different Queen Elizabeth, England’s present monarch. Director Stephen Frears (My Beautiful Laundrette; Mrs. Henderson Presents, MVFF 2005) focuses on the events of the week following Princess Diana’s death, and the effect of those events on the country, the queen and the people. Tony Blair (brilliantly played by Michael Sheen) had just been elected prime minister and tension was already mounting. When the monarchy remained silent on the subject of Diana, the public became outraged; they loved Diana. Behind the scenes, Blair successfully negotiated a change in position. While details of the queen’s private life are exposed, the film never sensationalizes as it reveals a real sense of the isolation that royalty maintains. Frears has created a fascinating drama with just the right amount of humor and a terrific supporting cast. —G. Meyer