- Release Date: 1999
- Runtime: 116 min
- Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
- Starring: Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stanley Tucci, Rupert Everett ... see all
- Director: Michael Hoffman
- Plot: Shakespeare's intertwined love polygons begin to get complicated from the start--Demetrius and Lysander both want Hermia but she only has eyes for Lysander. Bad news is, Hermia's father wants Demetrius... Read more
User Reviews
Pleasant to Watch
Jul 01, 2006
jdenham1986 - yahoo.com
Jul 01, 2006jdenham1986 - yahoo.com
This was a nice movie, with a fine cast that included Christian Bale, Anna Friel, Calista Flockhart, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Sophie Marceau. The costumes and cinematography were nicely done, so it is a visually appealing and artistically beautiful film. Before watching... Full review
A great classic Shakespeare film!
Dec 07, 2005
Sylvia Marciniak - imdb.com
Dec 07, 2005Sylvia Marciniak - imdb.com
I believe that this film version of William Shakespeare's classic, "A Midsummer's Night Dream" is better than the 1968 Royal Shakespeare film version. Now I am not saying that the acting is much better, it could fare better with this cast... Full review
Delightful--Shakespeare for Dummies
Dec 03, 2005
grandfunkfan - imdb.com
Dec 03, 2005grandfunkfan - imdb.com
I somehow managed to get through high school without being forced to read most of the classic stories that so many students dread and fear based on hand-me-down horror stories from siblings and friends. Later in life, natural curiosity drove... Full review
Great Entertainment
Jul 23, 2005
birdmuse - imdb.com
Jul 23, 2005birdmuse - imdb.com
I'm amazed at all of the negative critics out there. I guess there is no accounting for self-styled esoteric esoteric bozos. It is beautifully filmed with an outstanding and sensitive cast(Calista Flockhart has Shakespearian experience, and it shows). We need... Full review
One Movie Buff's Opinion
Dec 12, 2004
Daniel Halton Billings - imdb.com
Dec 12, 2004Daniel Halton Billings - imdb.com
I have seen criticism of this movie saying that the language should have been changed to our post-modern English instead of being the original late-middle/early modern English that Shakespeare used. But those who say that miss the point that what... Full review
Surprisingly faithful adaptation
Oct 19, 2004
Liza-19 - imdb.com
Oct 19, 2004Liza-19 - imdb.com
As a general rule, I normally don't post comments unless I have enough time to write a thorough review, and have given it much thought before hand. I'm sorry, but even though it's 2am, I can't bear to go to... Full review
Excellent Job of a Difficult Task
Jul 25, 2004
tvsterling - imdb.com
Jul 25, 2004tvsterling - imdb.com
I'm a professional live theatre stagehand. People who are too centered on movies will have a hard time with this picture. If you could see the original first run performance of this play in Elizabethan England you would think you... Full review
Misguided attempt at a classic.
Jun 21, 2001
W. Jones - imdb.com
Jun 21, 2001W. Jones - imdb.com
I know, we'll put television stars in a film adaption of Shakespeare-that'll bring in the masses! Someone at some point must have hadthis thought, because this is one woefully miscast film of a play.The one exception- Kevin Kline. His "Bottom"... Full review
DEELIGHTFUL! YES!!
Apr 02, 2001
artzau - imdb.com
Apr 02, 2001artzau - imdb.com
This is a wonderful film and an excellent version of the classic that was done so very, very well in 1935 and 1968. No, this is not the Royal Shakespeare Company, it's Hollywood but damn good Hollywood. Why? How can... Full review
very nice to look at
Aug 09, 2000
andre-71 - imdb.com
Aug 09, 2000andre-71 - imdb.com
I admit, that I have not read the play, so probably all of the credit for the idea goes to Shakespeare himself. But I was also caught by the magic of the pictures. The actors and actresses were so pretty,... Full review
Critics Reviews
| Oct 02, 2008Urban Cinefile
Urdang observes that "A Midsummer Night's Dream," a perennial favorite for school productions, is the one Shakespeare play everyone seems to know.
Actually, the inspiration for Hoffman's desire to write his screen adaptation of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" came from a performance of the play, in which he played Lysander.
... Full Review
| Sep 11, 2008Urban Cinefile
Visually stunning, Midsummer Night's Dream magically weaves Shakespeare's words into an entertaining and imaginative world that is accessible to all.
Following the success of Shakespeare in Love, Midsummer Night's Dream will appeal to a broad cross section of movie-goers - from lovers of cinema, to those who could be drawn by such casting as television actress, Calista Flockhart.
... Full Review
| Oct 01, 2002TotalFilm
Great cast, lavish Italian locations and a fantastic script (hey, old Will knew how to churn out the words) add up to nothing special in Michael Hoffmans lacklustre adaptation of Shakespeares comedy.
Only Kevin Kline and Stanley Tucci (as, respectively, Bottom and Puck) grab the play by the scruff and shake out something special.
... Full Review
| Aug 12, 2001Laramie Movie Scope
The special effects, a key part of the film, are also handled very well.
It makes for an enjoyable, if mostly lightweight, film about romantic follies.
Anna Friel, caught in a tough situation, is excellent, as is Tucci.
... Full Review
| Jun 01, 1999eFilmCritic.com
that's the beauty of film.....Lately, Shakespeare's work has been put to shame by movies like 1995's Romeo and Juliet (what a sad, sad day it was when THAT was released).....made it more enjoyable and more meaningful.....If not, you'll still enjoy it for it's comedy.....Overall, this was a great rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream..... ... Full Review
News
Kohler High School students to present Shakespeare's 'Dream' with a twist
sheboyganpress.com –
2009-11-12
Students at Kohler High School are putting the finishing touches on a new production of a timeless tale. On Friday through Sunday, Nov. 13-15, William Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will come alive on the stage of Kohler Memorial... ... Full Article
Both the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Manchester-based BBC Philharmonic are ardent encouragers of new music. The Philharmonic is to give several first performances this season, mainly as part of the Mahler cycle it is sharing with the... ... Full Article
Shakespeare in leather just doesn't rock
thestar.com –
2009-08-24
By William Shakespeare. Directed by David Grindley. At the Festival Theatre, Stratford, until Oct. 31. 1-800-567-1600 STRATFORD-I don't care how many productions of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream you've seen, I can almost guarantee that you never witnessed anything quite... ... Full Article
A Midsummer Night's Dream
eyeweekly.com –
2009-05-07
Written by Benjamin Britten. Directed by Neil Armfield. Conducted by Anne Manson. Featuring Laura Claycomb, Lawrence Zazzo. Presented by the Canadian Opera Company and the Houston Grand Opera. ... Full Article
An Analysis of the Various Kinds of Humor: Puns and Humor Through Wordplay
associatedcontent.com –
2007-06-04
Humor can be created by the placement of same-sounding or same-spelled words with different meanings in close proximity and/or in the same context, a technique often referred to as "punning," and unduly scorned by the vulgar among men, who fail... ... Full Article


