The duchess
(Movies) 

Originally produced as a motion picture in 2008.

Based on the book "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire" by Amanda Foreman.

Widescreen presentation, aspect ratio 2.35 : 1; enhanced for 16:9 TVs.

Special features: How far she went--Making "The Duchess" [featurette] (23 min.); Georgiana in her own words [featurette] (7 min.); Costume diary [featurette] (6 min.); Previews (13 min.)

Director of photography, Gyula Pados ; editor, Masahiro Hirakubo ; music by Rachel Portman ; production designer, Michael Carlin ; costume designer, Michael O'Connor; makeup designer, Daniel Phillips; hair designer, Jan Archibald.

Keira Knightley (Georgiana), Ralph Fiennes (The Duke), Charlotte Rampling (Lady Spencer), Dominic Cooper (Charles Grey), Hayley Atwell (Bess Foster), Simon McBurney (Charles Fox), Aidan McArdle (Richard Sheridan), John Shrapnel (General Grey).

Based on a true story it is, in its way, a horror story, this portrait of a dazzling young woman at the mercy of the misfortunes of love and the inequalities of the age in which she lived. Married off as an innocent 17-year-old to a much older man, his only interest in the match is her ability to produce a male heir. Installed within the gilded cage of marriage, she discovers he expresses more affection for his dogs than for her. When the first child is female, he takes a mistress and ignores her, until she finds true love--insisting on his lordly right to thwart her. Although she fights hard for her own piece of happiness, eventually, she has to make a choice many, many women will recognize.

MPAA rating: Rated PG-13, for sexual content, brief nudity and thematic material.

DVD, region 1, NTSC, widescreen; Dolby digital 5.1 surround.

For private home use only.

In English, dubbed French or Spanish with optional subtitles in English, French, or Spanish; closed-captioned.

Academy Awards, 2009: Best Achievement in Costume Design (O'Connor)