One Night with the King
Encyclopedia
One Night with the King is a historical epic film
that was released in 2006
in the United States. Based on the novel Hadassah: One Night with the King
by Tommy Tenney
and Mark Andrew Olsen, One Night with the King is a dramatization of the Old Testament
Bible
story of Esther
, who risked her life by approaching the king to request that he save the Jewish people.
The movie was produced by Matt Crouch
and Laurie Crouch of Gener8Xion Entertainment It was ninth on the list of highest-grossing motion pictures during the week it was released. This film received a 2007 CAMIE Award, as did Luke Goss for his portrayal of King Xerxes
. The film was chosen to be shown at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
The movie was directed by Michael O. Sajbel of Gener8Xion Entertainment It was ninth on the list of highest-grossing motion pictures during the week it was released. This film received a 2007 CAMIE Award,[1] as did Luke Goss for his portrayal of King Xerxes.
All beautiful virgin women in the stronghold of Susa are brought in so Xerxes could leave behind a queen to keep the kingdom unified. Under the command of her foster-father, “Uncle Mordecai” (who was one of the king’s scribes and worked in the palace), Hadassah does not reveal her nationality or family and changes her name to “Esther” (after of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar). She is taken in with the rest of the selected women and given cosmetics, perfumes, and treatments under the care of Hegai, the king’s royal eunuch. Through her quick wit, intelligence, and integrity, she becomes Hegai’s favorite contestant.
On their night with the king, the contestants are allowed to bring whatever they wished with them from the harem. They went in the evening and returned in the morning to a second harem to another royal eunuch who was custodian to the concubines. They would not be able to return to the king unless she pleased him and he summoned her by name. During their preparation, Hegai discovers Esther could read and listens to her reading to the other contestants. He admires her bravery, and stamina. Late into the night, he brought her to King Xerxes to read to him. She startas reading from the assigned scroll and then began telling the love story of Jacob and Rachel (from the Old Testament). He is amused and intrigued and dismisses her, saying she would read to him again. From this interaction, Esther falls in love with the King. When it is Esther’s turn for her ‘one night with the king’, she only wears what Hegai advises. She wins the kings favor by revealing her heart to him. He chooses her and crowns her queen.
Simultaneously, Haman is promoted to the highest-ranking official. He has all the king’s servants at the royal gate to kneel before him. Mordecai refuses, declaring he will only kneel before God and the king. He announces himself before Haman to be a son of Abraham, a Jew. Because of this, Haman, filled with vengeance and hatred, sought to destroy Mordecai and all his people.
Esther discovers the plot and breaks protocol by going before the king unsummoned, risking her life to plead for her people. The king lowers his scepter to her and spares her life out of his love for her. She invites the king and Haman to a banquet and there reveals her nationality and the Haman’s plot to kill the Jews. The king, overwhelmed by her revelation, leaves the banquet. Haman then assaults Esther. The king saves her and, in his fury, commands Haman be hung on the gibbet he erected to hang Mordecai for revenge.
Luke Goss as King Xerxes I of Persia, Esther's love interest and King of Susa
John Rhys-Davies as Mordecai, Esther's cousin.
Omar Sharif as Prince Memucan, one of the few truly loyal Princes of the Face.
Tommy Lister, Jr. as Hegai, the Royal Eunuch, the harem's bodyguard.
John Noble as Prince Admatha, a scheming Prince of the Face who plots to become king himself.
James Callis as Haman, the Agagite, the film's main antagonist, Haman plans to use his position of power to kill the Jewish inhabitants of Persia.
Peter O'Toole as Prophet Samuel
Jyoti Dogra as Queen of Persia Vashti
Tom Alter as King Saul of Israel
Aditya Bal as Amalekite King Agag
Production
The movie’s Premiere Night took place at Mann Bruins Theater in L.A. California. The movie was filmed entirely in the state of Rajasthan, India. One Night with the King was released in theaters on October 13, 2006. During its opening weekend, it earned $4,120,497 in theaters. By the end of its theatrical run, the film received $13,395,961 domestically, with $13,728,450 worldwide.
One Night with the King received a generally negative reception from the mainstream press, garnering a 19% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 26 reviews, with a composite average of 4.3 out of 10. The majority of the critics stated that the scripting was what accosted the film.[6] The film was awarded four Doves by The Dove Foundation and received the Dove Family-Approved Seal.[7] The movie has been endorsed by the American Bible Society.[8]
Cast
Production
The movie was filmed entirely in the state of Rajasthan
, India
.
. The film's trailers showed before One Night With The King.
, based on 25 reviews, with a composite average of 4.3 out of 10. The film was awarded four Doves by The Dove Foundation and received the Dove Family-Approved Seal. The movie has been endorsed by the American Bible Society
.
External links
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
that was released in 2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
in the United States. Based on the novel Hadassah: One Night with the King
Hadassah: One Night with the King
Hadassah: One Night with the King is a 2004 novel by Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen based upon a retelling of the Biblical Book of Esther. However, "One Night with the King" follows almost identically the novel "Esther" by Nathaniel Weinreb in plot, including direct quotes and events in the...
by Tommy Tenney
Tommy Tenney
Tommy Tenney is an American preacher, best known for his message of "God Chasing".In his book The God Chasers , Tenney relates experiences of being "in the presence of God", including one occasion when a pulpit was purportedly divinely split in two...
and Mark Andrew Olsen, One Night with the King is a dramatization of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
story of Esther
Esther
Esther , born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther.According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus...
, who risked her life by approaching the king to request that he save the Jewish people.
The movie was produced by Matt Crouch
Matthew Crouch
Matthew W. Crouch is an American Christian broadcaster and television network executive with as Vice President of the Trinity Broadcasting Network , which was founded by his parents Paul F. Crouch, Sr., and Janice Bethany Crouch...
and Laurie Crouch of Gener8Xion Entertainment It was ninth on the list of highest-grossing motion pictures during the week it was released. This film received a 2007 CAMIE Award, as did Luke Goss for his portrayal of King Xerxes
Xerxes I of Persia
Xerxes I of Persia , Ḫšayāršā, ), also known as Xerxes the Great, was the fifth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire.-Youth and rise to power:...
. The film was chosen to be shown at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
One Night with the King – The Story of Esther
One Night with the King is a historical epic film that was released in 2006 in the United States. Based on the novel Hadassah: One Night with the King by Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen, One Night with the King is a dramatization of the Old Testament Bible story of Esther, who risked her life by approaching the king to request that he save the Jewish people.The movie was directed by Michael O. Sajbel of Gener8Xion Entertainment It was ninth on the list of highest-grossing motion pictures during the week it was released. This film received a 2007 CAMIE Award,[1] as did Luke Goss for his portrayal of King Xerxes.
Synopsis
This biblical drama chronicles the legend of Hadassah (Tiffany Dupont), a beautiful Jewish orphan who rises to become Queen Esther of Persia and saves Persian Jews from genocide. By revealing her heritage to the king, Esther thwarts the evil prime minister's plan to annihilate all Jews in the Persian Empire, which becomes the inspiration for the annual festival of Purim.Plot
The movie setting takes place in Susa. King Xerxes holds a great feast for all the people to attend. Hadassah (the main protagonist) longs to go to Jerusalem to see the Holy Land and prepares to leave with the caravan along with her suitor, Jesse Ben-Joseph. They stop by the King’s feast before marching to war to avenge his father’s death. Hadassah and Jesse witness the King summoning Queen Vashti. Queen Vashti was opposed to the war, desiring King Xerxes to enhance his kingdom instead. She holds her own feast in protest to the war. When the king summons her to his own feast, she refuses to come stating, “I am queen, and I will not lower my dignity… or shame my crown by wearing it before your drunk, and thinly veiled war council.” Because of this, King Xerxes is advised to banish her and select a more worthy queen.All beautiful virgin women in the stronghold of Susa are brought in so Xerxes could leave behind a queen to keep the kingdom unified. Under the command of her foster-father, “Uncle Mordecai” (who was one of the king’s scribes and worked in the palace), Hadassah does not reveal her nationality or family and changes her name to “Esther” (after of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar). She is taken in with the rest of the selected women and given cosmetics, perfumes, and treatments under the care of Hegai, the king’s royal eunuch. Through her quick wit, intelligence, and integrity, she becomes Hegai’s favorite contestant.
On their night with the king, the contestants are allowed to bring whatever they wished with them from the harem. They went in the evening and returned in the morning to a second harem to another royal eunuch who was custodian to the concubines. They would not be able to return to the king unless she pleased him and he summoned her by name. During their preparation, Hegai discovers Esther could read and listens to her reading to the other contestants. He admires her bravery, and stamina. Late into the night, he brought her to King Xerxes to read to him. She startas reading from the assigned scroll and then began telling the love story of Jacob and Rachel (from the Old Testament). He is amused and intrigued and dismisses her, saying she would read to him again. From this interaction, Esther falls in love with the King. When it is Esther’s turn for her ‘one night with the king’, she only wears what Hegai advises. She wins the kings favor by revealing her heart to him. He chooses her and crowns her queen.
Simultaneously, Haman is promoted to the highest-ranking official. He has all the king’s servants at the royal gate to kneel before him. Mordecai refuses, declaring he will only kneel before God and the king. He announces himself before Haman to be a son of Abraham, a Jew. Because of this, Haman, filled with vengeance and hatred, sought to destroy Mordecai and all his people.
Esther discovers the plot and breaks protocol by going before the king unsummoned, risking her life to plead for her people. The king lowers his scepter to her and spares her life out of his love for her. She invites the king and Haman to a banquet and there reveals her nationality and the Haman’s plot to kill the Jews. The king, overwhelmed by her revelation, leaves the banquet. Haman then assaults Esther. The king saves her and, in his fury, commands Haman be hung on the gibbet he erected to hang Mordecai for revenge.
Modification
The film generally adheres to the main plot of the Biblical version. However, the film adds stylistic elements not present in the Biblical story. The biblical version of the relationship between Hadassah and Ahasuerus was not a love story, but a forced marriage in which Esther had no choice but was still very happy. The story presents many facets that could have happened rather than strictly sticking to biblical texts.Cast
Tiffany Dupont as Hadassah/Esther, the main protagonist.Luke Goss as King Xerxes I of Persia, Esther's love interest and King of Susa
John Rhys-Davies as Mordecai, Esther's cousin.
Omar Sharif as Prince Memucan, one of the few truly loyal Princes of the Face.
Tommy Lister, Jr. as Hegai, the Royal Eunuch, the harem's bodyguard.
John Noble as Prince Admatha, a scheming Prince of the Face who plots to become king himself.
James Callis as Haman, the Agagite, the film's main antagonist, Haman plans to use his position of power to kill the Jewish inhabitants of Persia.
Peter O'Toole as Prophet Samuel
Jyoti Dogra as Queen of Persia Vashti
Tom Alter as King Saul of Israel
Aditya Bal as Amalekite King Agag
Production
The movie’s Premiere Night took place at Mann Bruins Theater in L.A. California. The movie was filmed entirely in the state of Rajasthan, India. One Night with the King was released in theaters on October 13, 2006. During its opening weekend, it earned $4,120,497 in theaters. By the end of its theatrical run, the film received $13,395,961 domestically, with $13,728,450 worldwide.
One Night with the King received a generally negative reception from the mainstream press, garnering a 19% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 26 reviews, with a composite average of 4.3 out of 10. The majority of the critics stated that the scripting was what accosted the film.[6] The film was awarded four Doves by The Dove Foundation and received the Dove Family-Approved Seal.[7] The movie has been endorsed by the American Bible Society.[8]
Cast
- Tiffany DupontTiffany DupontTiffany Dupont is an American actress, known for playing the lead character, Hadassah, a Jewish girl, who will become the Biblical Esther, Queen of Persia, in the Hollywood film One Night with the King...
as Hadassah/EstherEstherEsther , born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther.According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus...
, the main protagonist. - Luke GossLuke GossLuke Damon Goss is an English singer and actor. Since 1994, he has been married to backing singer Shirley Lewis, , and has one stepdaughter, Carli. In January 2007, he and wife Shirley moved permanently to Los Angeles, but still maintain a residence in London...
as King Xerxes I of PersiaXerxes I of PersiaXerxes I of Persia , Ḫšayāršā, ), also known as Xerxes the Great, was the fifth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire.-Youth and rise to power:...
, Esther's love interest and insecure in his new position as king and therefore almost submits to the influence of the Princes of the Face. - John Rhys-DaviesJohn Rhys-DaviesJohn Rhys-Davies is a Welsh actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films and the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
as MordecaiMordecaiMordecai or Mordechai is one of the main personalities in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. He was the son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin.-Biblical account:...
, Esther's Uncle. - Omar SharifOmar SharifOmar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
as Prince Memucan, one of the few truly loyal Princes of the Face. - Tommy Lister, Jr. as HegaiHegaiHegai is a character from the Biblical Book of Esther, verses 8 & 15. He is an eunuch placed in charge of Ahasuerus's harem....
, the Royal EunuchEunuchA eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
, the harem's bodyguard. - John NobleJohn NobleJohn Noble is an Australian film and television actor, and theater director of more than 80 plays. He was born in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia and is currently starring as scientist Walter Bishop in the J. J. Abrams television series Fringe.He made occasional appearances on the...
as Prince Admatha, a scheming Prince of the Face who plots to become king himself. - James CallisJames CallisJames Callis is a British actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, and Bridget Jones' best friend in Bridget Jones's Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason...
as HamanHamanHaman can be a surname which is a corruption of the German Hamann. It is also a biblical surname as described below. It also refers to:*Haman , appears in the Book of Esther and is the main antagonist in the Jewish holiday of Purim....
, the AgagiteAgagiteThe term Agagite is used in the Book of Esther as a description of Haman. The term is understood to be an ethnonym although nothing is known with certainty about the people designated by the name...
, the film's main antagonist, Haman plans to use his position of power to kill the Jewish inhabitants of Persia. - Peter O'ToolePeter O'ToolePeter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...
as Prophet Samuel - Jyoti Dogra as Queen of Persia VashtiVashtiQueen Vashti is the first wife of King Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, a book included in the Hebrew Bible and read on the Jewish holiday of Purim. She is banished for her refusal to appear at the king's banquet, and Esther is chosen to succeed her as queen. In the Midrash, Vashti is described...
- Tom AlterTom AlterTom Alter is an Indian actor of American origin. As a thespian and television actor, he is best known for his work in Bollywood, but has also worked in the theatre...
as King SaulSaul-People:Saul is a given/first name in English, the Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Shaul from the Hebrew Bible:* Saul , including people with this given namein the Bible:* Saul , a king of Edom...
of Israel - Aditya Bal as AmalekiteAmalekThe Amalekites are a people mentioned a number of times in the Hebrew Bible. They are considered to be descended from an ancestor Amalek....
King AgagAgagAgag was the name of two kings of the Amalekites mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. It has been conjectured that the name was a standing title of the kings of the Amalekites...
Production
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Promotion
The Genius Club from writer/director Tim Chey was also released theatrically in 20062006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
. The film's trailers showed before One Night With The King.
Box office
One Night with the King was released to theaters on October 13, 2006. During its opening weekend, it earned $4,120,497 in theaters. By the end of its theatrical run, the film received $13,395,961 domestically, with $13,728,450 worldwide.Reviews
One Night with the King received a generally negative reception from the mainstream press, garnering a 16% positive rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, based on 25 reviews, with a composite average of 4.3 out of 10. The film was awarded four Doves by The Dove Foundation and received the Dove Family-Approved Seal. The movie has been endorsed by the American Bible Society
American Bible Society
The American Bible Society is an interconfessional, non-denominational, nonprofit organization, founded in 1816 in New York City, which publishes, distributes and translates the Bible and provides study aids and other tools to help people engage with the Bible.It is probably best known for its...
.
External links