Evita (1996)

Director:

Alan Parker

Writers (WGA):

Tim Rice (book)
Alan Parker (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 January 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Musical

Tagline:

The Most Anticipated Motion Picture Event of The Year

Plot:

The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, a B-picture Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president and dictator Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.

Plot Keywords:

Argentina | Actress | Broadway Musical | Political | Poverty

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 8 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Madonna	...	Eva Perón
Antonio Banderas	...	Ché
Jonathan Pryce	...	Juan Perón
Jimmy Nail	...	Agustín Magaldi
Victoria Sus	...	Doña Juana
Julian Littman	...	Brother Juan
Olga Merediz	...	Blanca
Laura Pallas	...	Elisa
Julia Worsley	...	Erminda
María Luján Hidalgo	...	Young Eva (as Maria Lujan Hidalgo)
Servando Villamil	...	Cipriano Reyes
Andrea Corr	...	Perón's Mistress
Peter Polycarpou	...	Domingo Mercante
Gary Brooker	...	Juan Bramuglia
Maite Yerro	...	Julieta (as Mayte Yerro)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements, images of violence and some mild language.

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #34775) | Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | Sweden:11 | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Germany:12 (bw) | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Spain:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Argentina

Company:

Hollywood Pictures

Trivia:

Oliver Stone was planning to make a film about Eva Perón, but after several disagreements with Argentinian President Carlos Menem he abandoned the project. Stone receives a token credit as a writer for this film, despite having made no input to the script.

Goofs:

Continuity: The glass cover over the croissants on the bar counter to Evita's left.

Quotes:

Ché: The choice was your's and no one else's You can cry for a body in despair Hang your head because she is no longer there To shine, or dazzle, or betray. How she lived, how she shined But how soon the lights were gone
Voices: Eyes, hair, face, image All must be preserved Still life displayed forever No less than she deserved

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Jennifer Love Hewitt/Beastie Boys (#24.7)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

The Art of the Possibles

Beautiful to See and Hear

"Evita" is an opera, albeit a rock opera, in the true sense of the word -- there can't be fifty words of spoken dialogue in the entire movie. Music drama is a highly stylized form, which admittedly is not everyone's cup of tea. Perhaps that is why the overall rating given the film by IMDb voters, 6.3 out of 10, is as low as it is. To those of us who like the operatic form, though, this is an outstanding film, beautiful to look at, well acted, and most importantly well sung. The only weakness I found was the one that inheres in every Andrew Lloyd Webber piece: too much recycling of too few musical themes over two-plus hours. Nevertheless, Tim Rice's lyrics are wonderful, they are consistently inventive and drive the story. Madonna was good in the title role but Antonio Banderas's performance as Ché was great, both dramatically and musically. "Evita" is highly recommended, 8 out of 10.