Product: Gods and Monsters (1998)
Rating: 5.0
"He's never met a princess before, only queens."
The 1998 film "Gods and Monsters" is a thought-provoking film that speculates on the final days of an early Hollywood film director named James Whale (1889-1957), who had directed two classic Hollywood monster films: "Frankenstein" (1931) and "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935). Portrayed by the brilliant actor Ian McKellan (best known for his portrayal of the character Gandalf in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy between 2001 and 2003, as well as the character Magneto in the "X-Men" films of 2000 and 2003), James Whale lived a relatively solitary life in his later years, except for the companionship of his housekeeper Hanna (Lynn Redgrave). James Whale was also gay and found his new gardener, Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser), quite attractive. After talking with Clayton, James was able to convince Clayton to model for him, as James was also an artist. However, James was always reluctant to show Clayton what he had drawn. Not being gay himself, Clayton didn't always feel comfortable around James; but the relationship that developed between them was one of mutual. Clayton was interested in James' stories about his early Hollywood years, as well as his military career during World War I, and James even invited Clayton to go with him to a posh Hollywood party. Unfortunately, James was not as healthy as he wanted to be (having survived a stroke). This became an increasingly pressing issue for him as time passed, but he had not shared this issue with Clayton until an intensely emotional night.To its credit, "Gods and Monsters" won the Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. Ian McKellan received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and Lynn Redgrave received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. With a fascinating cast of characters, wonderful acting and an engaging plot, I rate "Gods and Monsters" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. Other memorable characters include Edmund Kay (Jack Plotnick), Boris Karloff (Jack Betts), Princess Margaret (Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy), and the young James Whale (Brandon Kleyla).