Overview
Genre: Romantic Epic
Language: English
Production Status: Start of PP Spring 2005
Synopsis
In this sexy romantic epic, ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ meets ‘Amadeus’ in the form of Scotland’s greatest poet, Robert Burns. Bringing together a superlative ensemble cast, BURNS is at once a celebration of love and its passions, and a powerful, emotional look at a man’s journey in search of his true self. Before Robert Burns (GERARD BUTLER) became Scotland’s most famous son, and one of the world’s most revered poets, he was a poor farmer, forbidden to marry his sweetheart Jean (JULIA STILES) by her imperious father (BRIAN COX). Furious, he decides to head for the West Indies, but with no money to his name, he is advised by his friend Hamilton (JOHN HANNAH) to publish his poems to pay for the trip – the rest, as they say, is history… With his book in almost every house in West Scotland, the ‘ploughman poet’ moves to Edinburgh where his fame is immediate and spectacular, quickly elevating his status in the city’s high society – whereupon he recklessly challenges and seduces at every turn. Burns becomes the focus of countless female admirers, which Burns, already with a reputation for the ladies, is powerless to resist. But Burns soon tires of these easily won trophies and searches out an altogether headier brew in the form of Nancy McLehose – an elegant and mysterious woman of high status. For once Burns has met his match and the two of them joust along delicious and increasingly sexual lines. Eventually Burns realises that he must choose between the hedonistic world that has enveloped him and the truer, simpler more complete life offered by his first love Jean… Such was the power of his work and the epic sweep of his passionate life, the world still sings his infamous ‘Auld Lang Syne’ every New Year’s Eve, and celebrates his birthday on 25th January in Burns’ Night Suppers all over the world from Tokyo to Cape Town.
BURNS: his heart straining at the leash, his emotions running wild – a man in search of love.
Cast + Crew
Director: Vadim Jean
Writer: Alan Sharp
Producer: Andrew Boswell, Vadim Jean, Jolyon Symonds
Line Producer: Mairi Bett
Executive Producer: James Cosmo
Cast: Gerard Butler, Julia Stiles, John Hannah, Brian Cox, Kelsey Grammer, James Cosmo, James McAvoy, David O’Hara, Robert Cavanah, David Hayman, Kathleen McDermott
Director of Photography: Danny Ruhlmann
Production Designer: Michael Philips
Editor: Stephan Evans
Costume Designer: Emily Seresin
Distributors
US Distributor:
Festivals
