It’s tough to try and express my opinion about Hyde Park on Hudson, the newest film this year to study a beloved president (this time the president is Franklin Delano Roosevelt). On one hand, the movie is supported by some phenomenal performances, including leading man Bill Murray as FDR. On the other, there is nothing much in terms of a plot.
The film takes place during the very beginning of World War II, as the United States is still undecided on whether to enter the war or not. Attempting to persuade the U.S, the King and Queen of England are paying FDR and his family a visit at his mother’s estate at Hyde Park. At the same time, FDR has taken up having an affair with one of his distant cousins Daisy, a girl whose life had little excitement before the president took interest in her.
The main attraction of the film is Murray’s performance, as he plays a much more subtle role than he is known for. He plays Roosevelt with warmth, wit and general concern for those around him. The other characters in the movie, just as we the audience, feel this way. The cast is also supported by Olivia Williams as FDR’s wife Eleanor and Laura Linney as FDR’s adulterer Daisy.
It is difficult at first to get into the roles of the King and Queen of England because they were played so expertly by Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter in The King’s Speech. However, Samuel West and Olivia Coleman do an admirable job, even if they didn’t bring the same gravitas that Carter and Firth did.
Another attraction to the film is the expert cinematography by Lol Crawley. It’s the beautiful meadows and other summer scenery that truly makes this film feel like a romantic vignette that occurred many years ago, and it helps strengthen our belief in FDR and Daisy’s relationship.
While the film may have these elements, it suffers from, frankly, a dull screenplay by Richard Nelson. The film feels more like a photograph in the life of FDR than a story because it lacks so much substance and replaces that substance with charm.
I suppose that’s the best way I could describe Hyde Park on Hudson: it’s a very charming movie, with playful performances by its cast and beautiful cinematography. But apart from that, there’s not much else to this biopic. Some will find it amusing enough to enjoy it, but it’s perfectly reasonable to also say this film will bore others.
