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How could one woman shake the very foundation of a Siam monarchy?

"Anna and the King" is a powerfully mature film based on an English schoolteacher's experiences in faraway Siam. In 1862, widowed Anna Leonowens (played by Jodie Foster) visits Siam with her son, Louis (Tom Felton). She comes to tutor King Mongkut's (Chow Yun-Fat) children. Anna feels alone in the new world, especially with the bewildering customs of Siam. She has never heard of King Mongkut, but she's willing to learn about him and his country.

Anna waits to meet Mongkut for three long weeks. When they finally meet, she realizes they think differently. Anna butts heads with Mongkut over the Siamese lifestyle, as even love is different in Siam. Mongkut is impressed that a woman can have such broad horizons. He also is pleased with how she teaches and loves his fifty-eight children.

Anna soon thinks that Mongkut isn't a close-minded dictator after all. She discovers that he has vision for the virtually unknown Siam, hoping to make it part of the modern world. As this sophisticated drama unfolds, they begin to see eye to eye.

Jodie Foster portrayed Anna gloriously. I understood Anna not just as a teacher, but also as a woman and a mother. Foster consistently keeps her English accent and delivers her lines thoughtfully.

Chow Yun-Fat played a multidimensional king. He conveyed that he was more than just a powerful king revered as a god, but a thoughtful man with a variety of emotions.

The chemistry between Foster and Yun-Fat was mesmerizing. Whether they were disagreeing or conversing, they meshed together famously.

In the movie, Anna feels the pain of a woman named Tuptim (a moving performance by Bai Ling). Tuptim was sent to the palace by her father to become one of Mongkut's many concubines. She desperately wanted to see the lover she left behind. Tuptim was a stirring character and warranted my compassion.

"Anna and the King" was visually stunning. I took in the vivid culture of Siam easily with its busy docks, markets, and lush gardens. The costumes, especially Foster's, were masterpieces.

"Anna and the King" is a beautifully told story with superb actors. It's rated PG-13 for graphic violence and mature themes.

Hear the Music -
Anna & The King
Original Motion Picture Score

Listen to excerpts from the score

Read the Book -
The English Governess at the Siamese Court:
Being Recollections of Six Years in the Royal Palace at Bangkok
by Anna Harriette Leonowens

In 1862 Anna Leonowens went to Bangkok with her child, Louis, to teach the royal children in English and western customs and ettiquette. She spent five and a bit more than one half years there. THis book is quite different from her other book (The Romance of the Harem) because it is written simply as a travel account.

Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2000
by Roger Ebert

In a brand-new concept, Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook contains all the reviews published by Ebert in the last two and a half years, including foreign films, documentaries, indies, and highly negative reviews which were often eliminated from the Companion for space reasons but make entertaining reading as well as aiding in the selection process. The Yearbook also contains all interviews and essays for the year, his Questions for the Movie Answer Man, and film festival coverage. The book also retains in the back a list of all movies previously appearing in Video Companions with Roger's star ratings.

Meet the Author:
Lisa Williams Kline
author of "Eleanor Hill"  - a novel
Interview and FREE excerpt
hosted by Joanne Spataro
Lisa Williams Kline, who lives in Mooresville, South Carolina, paints a vivid picture of life in Eleanor’s small fishing village, called Atlantic Grove. Eleanor Hill, her first ever book, is loosely based on Kline’s grandmother, Eleanor Hill Verra. Eleanor Hill, in the book, is a strong character that will inspire other young girls to shoot for the stars.