A Midsummer Night’s Dream

I show my students the 1999 version of this play that stars Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfieffer, Calista Flockhart, Christian Bale, and Rupert Everett, among others.  I love this version of the play, even though they alter the setting to be Italy in the mid-1800's, I believe.  The language is true to the play and the characters' portrayals are very good, in my opinion, particularly Calista Flockhart's turn as Helena.  She is a fantastic "stalker" of Demetrius LOL!

Any other film versions that are good ones that anyone else has seen?

I saw part of the 1930s film with Mickey Rooney as Puck and Olivia de Havilland as Hermia.  De Havilland was wonderful, but I was ready to scream having to watch Mickey Rooney in that role.  Interestingly enough, this was shown to the acting class I was taking as the best example of Puck EVER!  Hmmm...everyone has very different tastes, but this was ridiculous.

I do like the 1999 version, but unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of Calista Flockhart, so her constant whining and screeching had about the same effect on me as Mickey Rooney.  Sigh...perhaps I'm just too critical! :)  But I loved Michelle Pfeiffer as Titania, Rupert Everett as Oberson (hubba hubba), and Kevin Kline as Bottom!!! :)

My favorite is the 1935 version with James Cagney as Bottom. It's probably my favorite because it was the first I ever saw, but it just seemed more "special" to me. I grew up in the 60s and 70s before cable took over the world. Back then, certain movies were events. Every fall, we could watch The Wizard of Oz--which became even more of an event when my family finally got a color TV! Every spring, we got The Ten Commandments and Rogers' and Hammerstein's Cinderella. The old MSND seemed as much of an event as those movies did. Nothing can compare.

That's the one I couldn't stand, Linda...but then, the only reason I couldn't stand it was Mickey Rooney as Puck!!! :)  Wasn't Olivia de Havilland absolutely gorgeous, though?  And I agree with you about Jimmy Cagney - he was GREAT as Bottom!!

I'm with you about the movies being more special - I always think of The Wizard of Oz as a fall movie and The Sound of Music as the spring movie.  Now it seems odd to me to watch them any other time of the year! :)

In reply to #1:

I remember this version being pretty roundly panned when it was released in theaters, but I'm on your side: it's fun! Flockhart was charming, and Kevin Kline was par-for-the-course great. Has anyone seen his Hamlet?

In reply to #5:

I've not seen that version of Hamlet.  I wonder if it is any good...

In reply to #4: I know what you mean. I can't get used to being able to watch The Wizard of Oz anytime I want to. Olivia de Havilland was just plain beautiful. Old Hollywood was gone long before I was born, but I really miss it. I can watch the old movies over and over and over and never get tired of them. I saw Double Indemnity again yesterday (Barbara Stanwyck and Fred Macmurray). I just love The Women.

As for the 1999 version of MSND, I really don't like Calista Flockhart, so having her in the movie clouds my opinion of it.

I haven't yet turned 50, but I guess I'm just an old fogey!

I just turned 40 and suspect we have similar tendencies, Linda!  I think people either really like Flockhart, or they really don't.  I see above that Scott liked her in the 1999 film, too!

When did Kevin Kline do a Hamlet???

Sorry to be a dork, Scott - I just saw the link you included to imdb about Kline's Hamlet.  Looks wonderful - I'm going to see if our local library has it.

In reply to #8: I turned 48 last week, so that means I have to start saying, "Oh, you're just a kid!" to everybody who's younger than I am. Funny thing, though, except for aches and pains and gray hair, I really don't "feel" old.