Joan of Arc (miniseries)

Joan of Arc is a 1999 Canadian two-part television miniseries about the 15th-century Catholic Saint of the same name. The miniseries stars Leelee Sobieski as Saint Joan. A joint production of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Alliance Atlantis Communications, it was shown internationally in 1999.

The miniseries received thirteen Primetime Emmy Awards nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations.

Plot

The miniseries tells the story of Joan of Arc, from her birth in 1412 until her death at (approx.) 19 in 1431.

Joan of Arc is born in 1412 in the village of Domrémy, at the height of the Hundred Years' War. During her youth, she often witnesses the horrors inflicted by both the English and French forces, and when 11 years old she starts hearing divine voices. Her spirit is kept high by the legend of the "Maiden of Lorraine", which states that a young woman, guided by God, will unite France and end the war.

At 17, Joan's village is invaded and burned, and her blind best friend, Emile, killed. She begs God to tell her what she said to deserve this, and the visions come back, telling her to find Charles, the flippant young prince who has neglected his duty, and place him on the throne of France.

Joan leaves her small village to find Charles. She jumps into a livestock cart that is supposedly being taken to the king. Instead, she is taken to Vaucouleurs, where the disbelieving locals refuse to help her to get to Charles. Starving and alone, she finds refuge with a sympathetic nun, who helps her unite the people of Vaucoleurs and build defenses against the English and their Burgundian allies. With this unification and defense work, rumor starts spreading that Joan is the Maid of Lorraine.

Although Joan doesn't seem to believe that she is The Maid, she goes along with it to give the people hope. The lord of Vaucouleurs finally accepts Joan's claims and gives her an escort, a suit of armor, and an introduction to Charles and his court. Joan further demonstrates her gifts when Charles, in an act of spite, attempts to humiliate her by switching identities with one of his couriers; she sees through the imposter's disguise and bows before Charles, declaring that he is the true king.

Cast

• Leelee Sobieski as Joan d'Arc
• Jacqueline Bisset as Isabelle d'Arc
• Powers Boothe as Jacques d'Arc
• Neil Patrick Harris as King Charles VII of France/The Dauphin
• Maury Chaykin as Sir Robert de Baudricourt
• Olympia Dukakis as Mother Babette
• Jonathan Hyde as Duke of Bedford
• Robert Loggia as Father Monet
• Shirley MacLaine as Madame de Beaurevoir
• Peter O'Toole as Bishop Pierre Cauchon
• Maximilian Schell as Brother Jean le Maistre
• Peter Strauss as La Hire
• Chad Willett as Jean de Metz
• Ron White as Jean de Dunois
• Jaimz Woolvett as Duke of Burgundy (as Jaimz Wolvett)
• Ted Atherton as Jean d'Estivet
• Robert Haley as Georges de la Trémoille
• Matt Hoffman as Raymond
• Justin Peroff as Pierre d'Arc
• Chandra Engstrom as Young Joan

Awards and nominations