Princess Caraboo (film)
| Princess Caraboo | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Michael Austin |
| Produced by | Andrew Karsch Simon Bosanquet Armyan Bernstein Tom Rosenberg Marc Abraham |
| Written by | Michael Austin John Wells |
| Starring | Phoebe Cates Jim Broadbent Wendy Hughes Kevin Kline John Lithgow Stephen Rea |
| Music by | Richard Hartley |
| Cinematography | Freddie Francis |
| Editing by | George Akers |
| Studio | Beacon Communications |
| Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 16 September 1994 (United States) 16 December 1994 (United Kingdom) |
| Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $3,062,530[1] |
Princess Caraboo is a 1994 British-American historical comedy-drama film co-written (with John Wells) and directed by Michael Austin, based on the real-life 19th-century character Princess Caraboo, who passed herself off in British society as an exotic princess who spoke a strange foreign language; she is portrayed by Phoebe Cates.
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[edit] Plot
In 1817, a young woman (Phoebe Cates) appears in the English countryside, wearing exotic garb and speaking gibberish. She also bears unusual tattoos on her legs. Delivered to a nearby manor, the mystery woman is sheltered by the Worralls (Jim Broadbent and Wendy Hughes), who are then persuaded by their suspicious butler Frixos (Kevin Kline) to have the drifter tried for vagrancy and begging, capital crimes. At the hearing, however, the woman persuades the magistrates through pantomime that she is a princess of Polynesian origin named Caraboo, escaped from pirate kidnappers. The Worralls welcome Caraboo back into their home, lavishing upon her the deference due a royal member. A society sensation, Caraboo wins over a linguist (John Lithgow), the prince regent (John Sessions), and even Frixos. Only an Irish reporter, Gutch (Stephen Rea), remains skeptical about Caraboo's origins.
[edit] Cast
- Phoebe Cates as Princess Caraboo/Mary Baker
- Jim Broadbent as Mr. Worrall
- Wendy Hughes as Mrs. Worrall
- Kevin Kline as Frixos
- John Lithgow as Professor Wilkinson
- Stephen Rea as Gutch
- Peter Eyre as Lord Apthorpe
- Jacqueline Pearce as Lady Apthorpe
- John Wells as Reverend Wells
- John Lynch as Amon McCarthy
- John Sessions as Prince Regent
- Arkie Whiteley as Betty
- Jerry Hall as Lady Motley
[edit] Reception
Princes Caraboo received mixed to positive reviews with a 60% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[2]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- 1994 films
- British films
- American films
- English-language films
- 1990s comedy-drama films
- 1990s romantic comedy films
- British comedy-drama films
- British romantic comedy films
- American comedy-drama films
- American romantic comedy films
- Fictional-language films
- Films based on actual events
- Films set in Bristol
- Films set in England
- Films set in the 1810s
- Films shot in England
- Films shot in Wales
- Romantic drama films
- TriStar Pictures films
