The Other Boleyn girl

[Italiangreyhound]

Anyone else watching The Other Boleyn Girl on More 4?

It's making my blood boil!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Other_Boleyn_Girl_(2008_film)

Oh. That was a travesty!

I saw it at the cinema when it first and out. I was outraged too!

I hate the way the two sisters are thrown at the king and the way people are expected to marry for family.

I couldn't watch this. It was so ludicrous.

Not watched the film, I've read the book though.

I haven’t seen it read it. Spoilers please. Why is everyone so angry?

Iwasjustabouttosaythat women as chattel and arranged marriages. Lots of unhappy people.

Oh, so it was well done but life was a bit crap back then? I should add it to my list I suppose... thank you!

Iwasjustabouttosaythat I found it very moving but equally annoying! And yes, well done.

The earlier tv film with Natascha McElhone was far better than the Natalie Portman version.

No the time lines are all wrong. The actors are all wrong. The script Is awful!! Gems of lines such as

'Do you accept the challenge?' (Uncle Norfolk to Anne on getting her to catch the king's eye)

Which had already been 'caught' multiple times at this point by other women anyway- well known affair resulting in a son from Bessie Blount!

Mary tells Anne she merely chatted with the king and didn't flirt. Anne says 'oh really?! Well you must show me how you did that sometime!'

I realise they have to modernise the language a bit but still!!!

They play very fast and loose with the history here.

It's one of my favourite books, and I have read it several times. I loathed the film however. I thought it was hopelessly miscast and it seemed very disjointed.

I liked the earlier BBC(?) adaptation which I thought was done well.

The whole idea of girls being used as pawns on a chessboard, and married off for the sake of the family and to gain advantage and power was all too true however. At the time women, particularly highborn daughters, were seen as chattels with limited rights, and the men in their families pulled the strings. It is completely alien to modern sensibilities (and quite rightly so) but it is undeniable historical fact sadly.

Does anyone know how Mich of it is true?

Why miscast, who would you cast, @HarrietKettleWasHere and @MinesaPinot ?

Does anyone know how Mich of it is true

Well, Henry, Anne and Mary definitely existed but that's about it. Mary wasn't quite as saintly as TOBG makes out, in fact she had a reputation for being bit of a 'goer'. It's highly unlikely her kids were Henry's. Ditto Anne shagging George to conceive another child.

Phillipa Gregory is well known for taking huge liberties with history for her books. Best to take it all with a shovelful of salt and enjoy the ride.

Im not sure who I would cast. Very possibly a young Winona Rider as Anne. It's very hard to capture what I imagine Anne would have been like. You know, less attractive in conventional looks but could completely light up the room with wit and joi du vivre? She was very clever but hot-headed. I'm not sure Natalie captured that essence very well but I'm going to blame the script and direction.

I'm at a loss who to cast as Mary!

Henry never officially recognised his children with her (if they were his at at!) did he? Although, when Elizabeth 1st was on the throne she definitely kept the cousin Letitia Knollys at close eye (was she Mary's granddaughter?) because of possible royal link.

The BBC own the rights to the next book, the Boleyn Inheritance too. I wonder if it'll ever be made.

I thought Portman was incredible. Excellent as Anne. Mary's husband was an utter drip. Cumberbach before Sherloke Holmes!

I liked the film and also the book. But I suppose the two women had a lot better lives than some of the peasant women who were just drudges. No I don't think Henry did recognise these children as his. According to the book that's because she was married. And it wasn't the done thing.

Have you seen Anne of a Thousand Days? It is very good and Genevieve Bujold was excellent as Anne.

I think both Anne and Mary were well cast in Wolf Hall. Clare Foy had just the right amount of contemptuous wit imho.

My gripe with these Anne castings is that apparently she was dark-eyed and sallosallow; neither Foy nor Portman fits the bill physically.

Jodhi May and Natasha McElhone were very good in the TV adaptation which was better than the film.

Love the tv version. Can't bring myself to watch the film.

Love the book but the book but the film was awful. The script was shockingly bad. Towards the end when she was about to be executed the quality of the English improved dramatically which I thought was odd then realised it was the actual speech Anne had made on the scaffold.

Just realised i didn't mean Natalie Portman as not fitting Anne physically. Thinking of someone else....

Anne of a Thousand days is really excellent.

I'm at a loss as to how they thought Eric Bana could fit the bill as Henry VIII!

Eric Bana, Johnathan Rhys Meyers, Ray Winstone with a cockney accent...

None of them for my idea of Henry.

Keith Michell is King Henry for me. Richard Burton was very good.