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A Midwinter's TaleA Midwinter's Tale is a 1996 romantic comedy directed by Kenneth Branagh. "A Midwinter's Tale is a comic look at the actor's eternal despair." Beginning with a monologue by out-of-work actor Joe Harper (Michael Maloney) about his slow decline into depression, this film encapsulates the hilarious and heartbreaking struggle of actor vs. situation vs. life, and often vs. each other. Synopsis The story is set in Hope, England. It's Christmastime, and 'tis the season to put on Shakespeare's most cheery seasonal play: Hamlet. Joe Harper takes the project on as a Final Stand of sorts under the encouragement of his catty agent, advertising the local newspaper for actors at a low price. From the rabble of actors both strange and untalented, he chooses the following: Hamlet: Joe Harper himself. Ophelia: Nina Raymond, a shortsighted well-meaning space cadet who has been using low-calorie mayonnaise for lotion because she can't make out the label. King Claudius: Henry Wakefield, a long-suffering and cynical old Englishman with a sharp tongue and a list of prejudices five miles long, forced to room with Queen Gertrude's player. Queen Gertrude: Terry DuBois, a flamboyantly gay theatrical actor with a preoccupation for costume and an estranged son. Laertes, Fortinbras, and various: Tom Newman, an uptight, self-righteous character who foists his values on everyone else and attempts to distinguish his many characters with a variety of outrageous accents. Horatio, Bernardo: Not-so-subtle Carnford Greville, an alcoholic in denial and a kindly bachelor with no memory for lines whatsoever. Polonius, Marcellus, and the First Gravedigger: Vernon Spatch, the ambitious techie's techie, self-imposed marketing director, and unofficial documentarian of the proceedings. Set Designer: Fadge, just Fadge, specializing in new-age art and obscure statements about "air," "space," and "fog." Close friends call her "Fa".
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