Evita
Movie artwork
Pictures
Cast
Madonna: Eva 'Evita' Duarte de Perón
Antonio Banderas: Ché
Jonathan Pryce: President/Colonel Juan Perón
Jimmy Nail: Agustín Magaldi
Victoria Sus: Dona Juana
Julian Littman: Brother Juan
Olga Merediz: Blanca
Laura Pallas: Elisa
Julia Worsley: Erminda
María Luján Hidalgo: Young Eva
Servando Villamil: Cipriano Reyes
Andrea Corr: Perón's Mistress
Peter Polycarpou: Domingo Mercante
Gary Brooker: Juan Bramuglia
Maite Yerro: Julieta
Adriá Collado: Carlos
Movie info
Many directors had already envisioned a movie remake of Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous musical about the life of Eva Peron. When Oliver Stone gave up, Alan Parker gave it a try and he succeeded.
Lots of speculation surrounded the casting of the leading role: famous actresses as Michelle Pfeiffer and Meryl Streep showed intrest in the role. Eventually it was Madonna who convinced Parker by sending him a long letter, argumenting she was perfect for the job. She included her video for Take A Bow, which showcased a look, inspired by Evita. Nobody knows what convinced Alan Parker the most, but fact is that Madonna's road to fame resembles a lot the one of Eva Peron.
Movie synopsis
The movie starts with a flash forward of Evita's death in July 1952. We go back to see the little girl Eva Duarte, as she escapes her small birth town and goes to Buenos Aires. It's a difficult struggle to survive, but she makes it as an actress and eventually she gets to meet Colonel Juan Peron. They fall in love and get married. When Peron is elected president, his wife grows out as the popular first lady, adored by the people. Her story is a success, but doesn't last long...
Production info
Directed by: Alan Parker
Play written by: Tim Rice
Screenplay written by: Alan Parker & Oliver Stone
Produced by: Alan Parker, Robert Stigwood, Andrew G. Vajna, Lisa Moran & David Wimbury
Locations: Argentina, Hungary, Spain and the UK
Date of filming: Feb. 1996 - 30 May 1996
Budget: $ 55 million
Release info
Released as: Evita
Released in theatres: Dec. 1996 (US); Jan. 1997 (Eur.)
Released on DVD: March 24, 1998 (US); June 1, 1999 (Eur.)
Runtime: 134 minutes
Genre: Drama/Musical
MPAA rating: PG for thematic elements, images of violence and some mild language.
Box office: $ 50 million (US) / $ 91 million (Non-US)
Trivia
Madonna convinced Alan Parker that she was perfect for the role by sending him her Take A Bow video, in which she's inspired by Evita.
During the filming of the movie, Madonna got pregnant with Lola, after which the filming dates were drastically restructured.
With Evita, Madonna holds the record for the most number of costume changes in a film. The record was previously held by Elizabeth Taylor for the 1963 film Cleopatra (65 costume changes). In Evita, Madonna changed costumes 85 times (which included 39 hats, 45 pairs of shoes and 56 pairs of earrings).
The song "You Must Love Me", which was written specifically for the film, has since been added to productions of the show on stage.
Awards
1997 Academy Awards (Oscars):
Award for 'Best Song' (You Must Love Me)
Nomination for 'Best Art Direction'
Nomination for 'Best Cinematography'
Nomination for 'Best Film Editing'
Nomination for 'Best Sound'
1997 Golden Globe Awards:
Award for 'Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture' (Madonna)
Award for 'Best Song' (You Must Love Me)
Award for 'Best Motion Picture'
Nomination for 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture' (Antonio Banderas)
Nomination for 'Best Director' (Alan Parker)
1997 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards:
Award for 'Favorite Song from a Movie' (Don't Cry For Me Argentina)
Nomination for 'Favorite Actrice (Madonna)
Nomination for 'Favorite Soundtrack'
1997 Golden Satellite Awards:
Award for 'Best Motion Picture'
Award for 'Best Costume Design'
Award for 'Outstanding Original Song' (You Must Love Me)
Nomination for 'Outstanding Art Direction'
Nomination for 'Outstanding Cinematography'
1997 MTV Movie Awards:
Nomination for 'Best Female Performance (Madonna)
Nomination for 'Best Movie Song (Don't Cry For Me Argentina)
Soundtrack
Read more about the movie soundtrack in our Discography section.