Stewart Crowned in 'Lion In Winter'

"There's Emmy potential in this impressive remake of James Goldman's classic play," said The Hollywood Reporter of the remake of James Goldman's The Lion In Winter premiering on Showtime this Sunday, starring Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard) and Glenn Close.

A plethora of mostly-positive reviews, many linked from The Patrick Stewart Network, say that Stewart and Close hold their own against the formidable performances of Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn in the classic film based on Goldman's script.

"It can be forcefully argued that the new Hallmark Entertainment remake...yields a rendition that is equally faithful to the biting humor and raw drama with which James Goldman infused his classic play," the Hollywood Reporter said.

The Boston Globe was somewhat less effusive, praising Close's stylized performance but adding that "As Henry, the enthusiastic Stewart is more blandly heroic, and less perversely decadent...Stewart has a tinge of action movie in his manner."

USA Today interviewed Stewart and Close about their roles, quoting Stewart as saying, "It's one of the most brilliant screenplays of the 20th century. Line by line, it's dazzling."

Stewart told Newsday that he deliberately avoided watching O'Toole's performance, which he last saw in school in 1968 when the elder actor earned an Oscar nomination for it.

"He became for me the benchmark for what a charismatic character should be. I was so strongly influenced by him - certainly by his intensity and charisma - that the last thing I needed to do when I was playing this part was to sit down and watch him in the role," Stewart said.

The Patrick Stewart Network has links to many other interviews and reviews related to the production here. The Lion In Winter airs Sunday at 7:30 p.m. EST.

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