Tea with Mussolini
“A story of civilized disobedience”
Synopsis
In 1930s fascist Italy, adolescent Luca just lost his mother. His father, a callous businessman, sends him to be taken care of by British expatriate Mary Wallace. Mary and her cultured friends - including artist Arabella, young widow Elsa, and archaeologist Georgie - keep a watchful eye over the boy. But the women's cultivated lives take a dramatic turn when Allied forces declare war on Mussolini.
Top Cast
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Maggie Smith
Lady Hester Random
Judi Dench
Arabella
Joan Plowright
Mary Wallace
Cher
Elsa Strauss-Almerson
Lily Tomlin
Georgina "Georgie" Rockwell
Baird Wallace
Luca
Charlie Lucas
Luca (Child)
Michael Williams
British Consul
Paul Chequer
Wilfred Random, aka Miss Lucy
Massimo Ghini
Paolo
Paolo Seganti
Vittorio Fanfanni
Tessa Pritchard
Connie Raynor
Claudio Spadaro
Benito Mussolini
Roberto Farnesi
Maurizio
Chris Larkin
Major Gibson
Giacomo Gonnella
First Carabiniere
Allan Caister Pearce
American Dealer
Hermann Weiskopf
German Officer
Release History & Theatrical Window
May 13, 1999
Wide Cinema Exhibition
December 31, 1999
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$12M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$21M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.75x
+$9M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Franco Zeffirelli
- Screenplay & Story
- John Mortimer
- Original Score
- Alessio Vlad, Stefano Arnaldi
- Original Title
- Tea with Mussolini
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom, Italy
- Spoken Languages
- English, Italian, Russian
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
- Production Budget
- $12M
- Worldwide Gross
- $21M
- Production Studios
- Cattleya, Cineritmo, Film and General Productions, Medusa Produzione
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Franco Zeffirelli
John Mortimer, Franco Zeffirelli
Alessio Vlad, Stefano Arnaldi
David Watkin
Tariq Anwar
Marco Chimenz, Clive Parsons, Frederick Muller, Giovannella Zannoni, Riccardo Tozzi
Department Leadership Roster
John Mortimer
Screenplay
Tariq Anwar
Editor
Marco Chimenz
Producer
Clive Parsons
Producer
David Watkin
Director of Photography
Franco Zeffirelli
Director
Jenny Beavan
Costume Design
Alberto Spiazzi
Costume Design
Anna Anni
Costume Design
Frederick Muller
Producer
Giovannella Zannoni
Producer
Riccardo Tozzi
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Tea with Mussolini.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Tea with Mussolini.
War: World War II
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Frequently Asked Questions About Tea with Mussolini
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Tea with Mussolini about?
In 1930s fascist Italy, adolescent Luca just lost his mother. His father, a callous businessman, sends him to be taken care of by British expatriate Mary Wallace. Mary and her cultured friends - including artist Arabella, young widow Elsa, and archaeologist Georgie - keep a watchful eye over the boy. But the women's cultivated lives take a dramatic turn when Allied forces declare war on Mussolini.
Who directed Tea with Mussolini?
Tea with Mussolini was directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
Who stars in Tea with Mussolini?
The principal cast of Tea with Mussolini includes Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Cher, Lily Tomlin.
When was Tea with Mussolini released and how long is it?
Tea with Mussolini was released in 1999 with a total runtime of 1h 57m.
What was the box office and production budget of Tea with Mussolini?
Tea with Mussolini had a reported production budget of $12M and grossed $21M at the worldwide box office (1.75 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for Tea with Mussolini?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Tea with Mussolini was composed by Alessio Vlad, Stefano Arnaldi.
Is Tea with Mussolini based on a book or true story?
Tea with Mussolini is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Franco Zeffirelli".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Tea with Mussolini?
Tea with Mussolini holds official age classifications: DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).