Stage Beauty
(2004)
★ 6.6 IMDb · 148 votes
Year: 2004
Runtime: 106 мин
Country: United Kingdom, United States of America
Director: Richard Eyre
Cast: Клэр Дэйнс, Билли Крудап, Derek Hutchinson, Mark Letheren, Том Уилкинсон, Ben Chaplin, Хью Бонневилль, Fenella Woolgar, Ричард Гриффитс, Клэр Хиггинс
Plot
Humble Maria, who outfits top London theater star Ned Kynaston, takes none of the credit for the male actor's success at playing women. And because this is the 17th century, Maria, like other females, is prohibited from pursuing her dream of acting. But when powerful people support her, King Charles II lifts the ban on female stage performers. And just as Maria aided Ned, she needs his help to learn her new profession.
Based in the 1660's of London's theaters, this film is about the rules of gender roles in theatre production, and means to change them for everyone's benefit. Ned Kynaston is the assumedly gay cross-dressing actor who has been playing female parts in plays for years, particularly Desdemona in Othello, he also has a close relationship with a member of the Royal Court, the Duke of Buckingham. One day however, the rules of only men playing women could change when aspiring actress Maria auditions as Kynaston's praised role, Desdemona, and soon enough, King Charles II decides to make the law that all female roles should be played only by women. Maria becomes a star, while Ned finds himself out of work. But after a while, Ned finds it in his nature to forgive Maria's aspiration, they may even fall in love, and Charles may proclaim women will be played by either gender.