Tea With Mussolini

Theatrical Release Date: 1999 05 14 (USA)

UPC: 027616791825

Studio: MGM

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Mild Violence, Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Adult Language]

Summary: Based in part on his autobiography, director Franco Zeffirelli's Tea With Mussolini is a drama with comic accents about a group of British and American travelers on an indefinite visit to Italy in 1935, when, as one character puts it, "Mussolini was just a man who made the trains run on time." Luca (played by Charlie Lucas) is a boy living in Florence whose family situation is precarious at best; his mother has died and his father has little time for him. Fortunately, he's a welcome guest with Mary (Joan Plowright), a English woman visiting Italy to soak up European culture. Mary and her friends -- high-toned Lady Hester (Maggie Smith), pretentious Arabella (Judi Dench), American art collector Elsa (Cher) and cheerful lesbian Georgie (Lily Tomlin) -- enjoy the cultured, creative atmosphere of life in Italy, and their initial response to the rise of fascism is to arrange a polite meeting with Mussolini to make sure he and his soldiers mean well. After some time, Luca's father becomes concerned that the boy is soaking up too much British influence and enrolls him in a boarding school in Austria; by the time 1940 rolls around, situations have changed radically for everyone. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Comedy Drama

Awards: Best Supporting Actress – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Costume Design – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Costume Design – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Costume Design – British Academy of Film and Television Arts

Features: Colllectible "Making Of" booklet
Original theatrical trailer

Tea With Mussolini

Format: DVD

Release Date: 11/23/1999

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard, 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, 2 PCM stereo

Runtime: 117 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English,French

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 -- WIDESCREEN
0. Scene Selections
1. Logos/ Title/ Credits [3:16]
2. "True English Lady" [1:56]
3. Irresponsible Father [3:25]
4. Sorrow & Refuge [3:21]
5. Artistic Walk [2:35]
6. Wicked Versus Good [4:39]
7. "Vulgar" Americans! [5:54]
8. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes [2:36]
9. Celebration/ "Shindig" [3:00]
10. "Romeo & Juliet" [2:29]
11. "A World Gone Mad" [1:28]
12. "Tea With Mussolini" [4:49]
13. To Austria/ 1936-1940 [5:20]
14. Grown-Up Luca [4:24]
15. "Beauty & Brains" [2:04]
16. "Taken Into Custody" [5:19]
17. "Goodnight, Ladies!" [4:15]
18. A Welcome Visitor [1:43]
19. "Get Out-Fast" [1:43]
20. "Study The Classics" [2:29]
21. Good Deeds/ High Tea [5:31]
22. Lover/ Messenger Boy [4:53]
23. "Enemy Aliens" Unite [4:07]
24. Dancing Cares Away [4:56]
25. "Trust Me!" [2:21]
26. "I'm A Man!" [2:45]
27. Saving Art & Elsa [4:20]
28. The Truth Comes Out [4:05]
29. Unforgettable Elsa [4:57]
30. Risking Life For Art [4:44]
31. Victory At Last! [2:56]
32. After War/ Credits [4:24]
Side #2 -- STANDARD
0. Scene Selections
1. Logos/ Title/ Credits [:11]
2. "True English Lady" [3:16]
3. Irresponsible Father [1:56]
4. Sorrow & Refuge [3:25]
5. Artistic Walk [3:21]
6. Wicked Versus Good [2:35]
7. "Vulgar" American's! [4:39]
8. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes [5:54]
9. Celebration/ "Shindig" [2:36]
10. "Romeo & Juliet" [3:00]
11. "A World Gone Mad" [2:29]
12. "Tea With Mussolini" [1:28]
13. To Austria/ 1936-1940\ [4:49]
14. Grown-Up Luca [5:20]
15. "Beauty & Brains" [4:24]
16. "Taken Into Custody" [2:04]
17. "Goodnight, Ladies!" [5:19]
18. A Welcome Visitor [4:16]
19. "Get Out-Fast" [1:43]
20. "Study The Classics" [1:42]
21. Good Deeds/ High Tea [2:29]
22. Lover/ Messenger Boy [5:30]
23. "Enemy Aliens" Unite [4:53]
24. Dancing Cares Away [4:07]
25. "Trust Me!" [4:56]
26. "I'm A Man!" [2:21]
27. Saving Art & Elsa [2:44]
28. The Truth Comes Out [4:20]
29. Unforgettable Elsa [4:06]
30. Risking Life For Art [4:57]
31. Victory At Last! [4:44]
32. After War/ Credits [2:56]

Brian J. Dillard

This lush, frothy coming-of-age story provides its cast full of British and American grande dames with plenty of beautiful locations and gently comic, slightly cloak-and-dagger scenarios in which to strut their famous personae and acting chops. Cher makes her most enjoyable screen outing in a decade as Elsa, a larger-than-life diva with more affection for her art collection than her many husbands. Lily Tomlin plays another fun, self-mocking lesbian role, while Judi Dench and Maggie Smith work their respective regal and ridiculous schticks to amusing effect. Writer/director Franco Zeffirelli seems to view his war-ravaged childhood through vaguely rose-tinted glasses; the title is meant to be a gentle jab at the proper biddies whose faith in the moral might of the British Empire blinded them to the danger creeping through Europe, but there's a sense here that fascism is simply a backdrop to Auntie Mame-style shenanigans. Although co-writer John Mortimer worked on the screenplay to subtle psycho-horror classic The Innocents, his work here is closer to the hamminess of the Otto Preminger oddity Bunny Lake Is Missing. Still, cinematographer David Watkin and the art team buff the visuals into a gorgeous Merchant-Ivory finish, and the charismatic performances will please fans of low-calorie, vaguely historical treats. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Cast and Crew: John Mortimer  Screenwriter 
Clive Parsons  Producer 
Franco Zeffirelli  Director 
Franco Zeffirelli  Screenwriter 
Alessio Vlad  Composer (Music Score) 
Stefano Arnaldi  Composer (Music Score) 
Giovannella Zannoni  Producer 
Riccardo Tozzi  Producer 
Cher  Actor 
Judi Dench  Actor 
Joan Plowright  Actor 
Maggie Smith  Actor 
Lily Tomlin  Actor 
Baird Wallace  Actor 
Charlie Lucas  Actor 
Massimo Ghini  Actor 
Paolo Seganti  Actor 
Paul Checquer  Actor 
Tessa Pritchard  Actor 
Mino Bellei  Actor 
Claudio Spadaro  Actor 

Country: Italy,UK