Anna and the King

Theatrical Release Date: 1999 12 17 (USA)

UPC: 024543037569

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Violence]

Summary: The true story of Anna Leonowens' experiences as a governess to the children of an eccentric Asian king has been adapted into a book of memoirs, a biography, a stage play called Anna and the King of Siam -- which was adapted into a 1946 film, a stage musical called The King and I -- made into both the live-action The King and I (1956)) and the animated The King and I (1999) feature films, and a short-lived 1972 TV series. Now the story is brought to the screen yet again, as Jodie Foster stars as Leonowens, hired by the king of Thailand (Chow Yun-Fat) in the 19th century to help care for his children. The king wants the best for his children, but Anna soon discovers that he is a strong-willed but quixotic leader, and her stay in Thailand becomes a struggle for power with romantic overtones, as they decide who will have authority over the royal youngsters. Anna and the King was directed by Andy Tennant, best known for his 1998 variation on the Cinderella story, Ever After. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Epic

Awards: Best Original Score – null Best Original Song – null Best Original Song – null Best Original Song – null Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Costume Design – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Song – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Original Song – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Original Score – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Original Song – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: Commentary by Andy Tennant
Five featurettes
Television special
Six deleted scenes
Theatrical trailer
Music video: "How Can I Not Love You" by Joy Enriquez
Languages: English 5.1 Dolby Surround, Spanish Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English and Spanish
Interactive menus
Scene selection

Anna and the King

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 04/04/2006

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DS Dolby Surround (4.0)

Runtime: 147 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,Spanish,French

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Main Titles (The Englishwoman)
2. The Palace
3. Meeting the King
4. The Royal Family
5. The Royal School
6. Slavery
7. The King's Approval
8. The Rice Festival
9. Burmese Death Squads
10. A Royal Party
11. The Marketplace
12. A Small Gift
13. Fever
14. A Letter
15. An Attack
16. Tuptim
17. Kincaid's Information
18. Nong Khai
19. The White Elephant
20. End Titles

Karl Williams

Nominated for Oscars for its costume design and art direction, this non-musical adaptation of the life of Anna Leonowens is a lavish, solid mix of romance and drama that never quite inflames itself to the level of passion for which it strives. Always accomplished in the role of a stoic, Jodie Foster does a typically proficient job with her role of a stiff-upper-lipped widow whose reserve melts only slightly. Although he'll probably suffer by comparison to the magnetic Yul Brynner, actor Chow Yun-Fat is fine as King Mongkut, playing the royal head of a country with square-shouldered sobriety. But in their scenes together, Foster, Yun-Fat, and director Andy Tennant strive for a kind of standoffish quality meant to imply the characters' mutual mix of antagonism and passion, but which comes off at times like a lack of onscreen chemistry. The story's muddled historical perspective is also something of a burden, but it's doubtful that fans of sweeping romantic melodramas will be much interested in the mishmash that the film makes of real-life events. Regarded as nothing more than a well-mounted movie version of a paperback romance novel, Anna and the King is mostly satisfying within such a realm. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Lawrence Bender  Producer 
Terence Chang  Executive Producer 
Ed Elbert  Producer 
George Fenton  Composer (Music Score) 
Peter Krikes  Screenwriter 
Steve Meerson  Screenwriter 
Andy Tennant  Director 
Jodie Foster  Actor 
Chow Yun-Fat  Actor 
Bai Ling  Actor 
Tom Felton  Actor 
Syed Alwi  Actor 
Keith Chin  Actor 
Randall Duk Kim  Actor 
Lim Kay-siu  Actor 
Melissa Campbell  Actor 
Deanna Yusoff  Actor 

Country: USA