"Queen" (1993) TV mini-series

Director:

John Erman

Writers (WGA):

Alex Haley (story)
David Stevens (teleplay)

Release Date:

14 February 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Discover The Roots Of A New Generation.

Plot:

A plantation owner's son falls in love with a slave named Easter and together they have a light-skinned daughter named Queen...

Plot Keywords:

Plantation Owner | Passing For White | Slave | Post Civil War | Struggle

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Christopher Allport	...	Union Officer
Ann-Margret	...	Sally Jackson
Bob Banks	...	Slave #1
Suzi Bass	...	Server
Halle Berry	...	Queen
Dan Biggers	...	George
Lane Bradbury		(as Janette Lane Bradbury)
Leo Burmester	...	Henderson
Jerry Campbell	...	White Man #1
Patricia Clarkson	...	Lizzie
Frances Conroy	...	Mrs. Benson
Tim Daly	...	Col. James Jackson Jr.
Ossie Davis	...	Parson Dick
David Dwyer	...	Policeman
Michael Edwards	...	Judge
Tom Even	...	Male Guard
Victor Garber	...	Digby
Sue Ann Gilfillan
Danny Glover	...	Alec Haley
Ed Grady	...	Doctor
John Griesemer	...	Doctor
George Grizzard	...	Mr. Cherry
Tim Guinee	...	Wesley
Jasmine Guy	...	Easter
Linda Hart	...	Mrs. Henderson
Dennis Haysbert	...	Davis
Tommy Hollis	...	Fred
Martin G. James	...	Young Confederate Soldier (as Martin Grapengeter)
Richard Jenkins	...	Mr. Benson
Christine Jones	...	Sarah Jackson
Erik King
Jane Krakowski	...	Jane
Ron Leggett	...	Guard
Patrick Malone	...	Simon
Peter Maloney	...	Perkins
James McDaniel
Lonette McKee	...	Alice
Kenn Michael	...	Henry at 11 (as Kenny Blank)
Bob Minor	...	Poor Black Man
Daryl Mitchell	...	Abner (as Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell)
Charlotte Moore	...	Mrs. Perkins
Danny Nelson	...	Warden
Michael L. Nesbitt	...	Porter
Alan North	...	Bishop
Tom Nowicki	...	Kirkman
Mary Nell Santacroce	...	Woman at Coachstop
Martin Sheen	...	James Jackson Sr.
Madge Sinclair	...	Dora
Lonnie R. Smith	...	Redneck #2
Jussie Smollett	...	Simon (age 11)
Sada Thompson
Lorraine Toussaint	...	Joyce
Eric Ware	...	Micah
Annabelle Weenick	...	Female Guard
Elizabeth Wilson
Paul Winfield	...	Cap'n Jack
Samuel E. Wright	...	Alfred

Also Known As:

Alex Haley's Queen

Runtime:

282 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Boone Hall Plantation - 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Elliot Friedgen & Company

Trivia:

The fourth book published by Alex Haley, it would be the second title to be produced for television.

Quotes:

Queen: Home is where you are loved.

Splendid, gorgeous, beautiful, human: right up there with "North and South"

One of those grandiose episodic films, in this case based on Alex Haley's mother Queen (Halle Berry) living through the traumatic experiences of the end of slavery. This is a great slice of American history, beautifully filmed and with an extraordinary cast and excellent ambientation. Such that you feel you are right there with them in the tobacco plantations, enjoying and suffering throughout Queen's life her happy and anguishing moments. The gorgeous (any other adjectives, anybody?) Halle Berry enacts the best rôle of her life. You will never see anything better by her.

Shown here on Spanish National Television (RTVE) in just one episode in the middle of the summer a few years ago: you might say 260 minutes (plus the advertisement breaks) for an epic saga is pure masochism. No; not at all: this is a gripping and powerful production, masterfully portraying human feelings, suffering, joy…….. OK: you need to get up, take a walk around the house during the commercials, make a pot of coffee, phone your mother-in-law and tell her what she is missing, take a cold shower around the 180 minute break, and so on – but it is worthwhile. Apart from 'North and South' (1985/1986) nothing else is comparable. And that is what most surprises me: very few voters on IMDb and nobody has troubled to write a commentary (as of August 2001).