DON QUIXOTE (TV)

Summary

A television film based on the 17th-Century Spanish novel of the same name, about a deluded Spanish nobleman attempting to resurrect old chivalric traditions by undertaking a "quest" of his own. Alonso Quijano, a 17th-Century gentleman of the Spanish countryside of La Mancha, becomes mentally unbalanced and, inspired by reading many volumes of chivalric and knightly lore, decides to emulate the knights of old and wander the land performing good deeds and earning honor. He is motivated partially by a desire to escape his seemingly dull and monotonous life and go on a grand adventure. He renames himself "Don Quixote de La Mancha," and enlists reluctant aid from his neighbor, the peasant Sancho Panza, whom he dubs his "squire." Sancho Panza is motivated by Don Quixote's promise that he might one day become the governor of his own island. Don Quixote sells some of his land to pay for his "great journey," assembling some makeshift medieval armor, a lance, and a horse. His actions worry his household servants, as well as his young niece Antonia. He selects Aldonza, a local peasant girl soon moving to the village of Toboso, to be his "lady love." Despite her objections, he dubs her "Dulcinea del Toboso," announcing that he will ride off so that he might fight for her honor and defend her in the knightly tradition. That night he and Sancho Panza sneak off to begin their journey. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza soon encounter a group of windmills, which Don Quixote mistakes for rampaging giants. Sancho Panza, recognizing the obvious, nevertheless cannot stop Don Quixote from charging down the windmills with his lance. The lance becomes lodged in the sails of the windmill, and Don Quixote is carried into the air by it before taking an injurious fall. Don Quixote is undaunted, believing that an evil wizard, "Malfato," magically changed the giant into a windmill to defeat him. Armed with an improvised lance to replace his old one, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza set off again, this time arriving at an inn which Don Quixote believes is a grand castle. His delusions continue, mistaking wenches for fair maidens and the innkeeper as the lord of the castle, whom he hopes can officially grant him the status of a knight. Periodically, Don Quixote hallucinates that Dulcinea is speaking to him, encouraging him in his "quest." That night, Don Quixote gets into a fight with several of the inn's guests before the innkeeper halts the fight by performing a "knighting ceremony" on Don Quixote. The following morning, however, Don Quixote rides off without paying his bill for food and lodging, leaving Sancho Panza to bear the brunt of his punishment. While stopping for a picnic, Don Quixote hallucinates that a pair of sheep herds is actually two enemy armies preparing for a battle. He charges into "battle," believing that he sees figures from his chivalric tales preparing for confrontation. The sheep and their shepherds are frightened by Don Quixote's mad charge and flee, making him believe that he has achieved a great victory. Next, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza come upon a chain gang being escorted by soldiers. Don Quixote believes that they are prisoners of Malfato and doesn't seem to understand the soldiers' explanation that they are criminals being imprisoned. Even after having the nature of their crimes explained to him, Don Quixote incites the prisoners to break their chains and drive off the soldiers. However, he comes to blows with the newly-freed criminals when they insult Dulcinea, and they overpower Don Quixote and Sancho Panza and escape. Sancho Panza convinces Don Quixote to retreat, but only by agreeing to keep the events of the encounter a secret. Later, Don Quixote chases after a dentist and obtains his basin, believing that it is the lost "golden helmet" of a famous warrior. That night, one of the freed criminals steals Sancho Panza's beloved donkey while he and Don Quixote are asleep. Don Quixote sees Dulcinea in his dreams and bids Sancho Panza to deliver a letter he has written to her. They agree to meet back with each other at a later date. Sancho Panza returns to Don Quixote's estate and tells Antonia and the servants about Don Quixote's misadventures. The local priest burns Don Quixote's letter and helps devise a plan to get Don Quixote to give up his journey and return home. Meanwhile, Don Quixote comes across a traveling stage play depicting a medieval scene and mistakes it for the real thing, rushing in to save a "maiden" from the clutches of a villain. He is confused when, at the conclusions, the actors come out to take their bows, and consider Don Quixote to be merely part of the act. He and Sancho Panza reunite at an inn, where the priest and Don Quixote's barber are waiting for them in disguise. They implore Don Quixote to aid them against "Malfato," and Don Quixote does not see through their disguises and believes their story. That night, they trick Don Quixote into engaging in combat with a "giant" before the priest appears before him as "Malfato" and, with some help, blindfolds and captures Don Quixote, returning him to La Mancha. While he sleeps, Antonia and the other servants surmise that Don Quixote's collection of chivalric literature is the cause of his madness, and decide to burn the entire collection and wall off his library for good measure. Upon awakening, Don Quixote is highly distressed to find his library gone; he believes that some further "enchantment" has been cast upon him. Despite their efforts, Don Quixote seems more determined than ever to continue his "adventure." The priest seeks out the aid of his nephew, Sansón Carrasco, an expert in knightly traditions and master swordsman, to help rid Don Quixote of his delusions. Much to their surprise, Sansón appears to play into Don Quixote's delusions and encourages him to take up his "quest" once again. He explains to Antonia that he hopes to inundate with Don Quixote so much of his fantasy that he becomes sick of it and returns home of his own volition. Thus Don Quixote sets off again, joined by Sancho Panza, who still believes he can attain governorship of an island by following along. They search for Dulcinea at Toboso, where Sancho Panza makes Don Quixote believe that she has left and traveled to the west. Secretly, Sancho Panza feels guilty about failing to deliver Don Quixote's letter, despite the fact that it was addressed to an imaginary person. Sancho Panza tries to make Don Quixote believe that Dulcinea is among a trio of rude old country ladies traveling along the road, who do their best to bypass the duo. Don Quixote perceives them as they truly are, despite Sancho Panza's insistence otherwise. Sancho Panza "explains" that the wizard Malfato has tricked Don Quixote yet again. Sansón, disguised as the "Knight of the Mirrors," challenges Don Quixote to a joust by insulting Dulcinea, and Don Quixote accepts. During the fight, Sansón's horse refuses to move, allowing Don Quixote the opportunity to unhorse him and win the match, choosing to spare his life. Before they depart, Sancho Panza recognizes the "knight's" squire as Don Quixote's barber, but doesn't seem to get through to Don Quixote. A local duke and duchess learn about Don Quixote and Sancho Panza and are quite amused at tales of their encounters. They decide to invite the pair into their lavish estate to amuse themselves further by tricking them and playing pranks on them. At a banquet in their honor, Don Quixote becomes insulted when one of the guests calls him a "fool," and proclaims that his life of a knight errant has more meaning in it than the safe complacency of their rich existence. The duke tricks Don Quixote into believing that he will be traveling "beyond the stars" to determine the next leg of his journey and break the "enchantments" placed on Dulcinea. He and Sancho Panza are brought onto a wooden horse and blindfolded, made to believe that they are traveling through outer space and speaking to some sort of celestial being; it says that Don Quixote will find Dulcinea when his journey has come to an end, after facing his greatest challenge. Sancho Panza is then tricked into thinking that he has at last gained governorship of an island, although the duke's servants continue to find ways to torment him. Meanwhile, Don Quixote is waited on by maidens constantly, much to his confusion. Both soon decide that such lives no longer suit them and wish to leave. Suddenly the "Knight of the White Moon" (Sansón in disguise again) approaches the estate and challenges Don Quixote, and he accepts. His stipulations state that if Don Quixote loses, he must return to his home and give up the life of a knight, but that if he wins, the knight's life is forfeit. They hold a joust for the duke, duchess, and their retinue, and Don Quixote is unhorsed and defeated. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza return home, both of them morose that they will have "no more adventures." Don Quixote is especially upset that he will never get to see Dulcinea. Antonia is relieved when her uncle returns home, but Don Quixote's health soon starts failing and he sinks into depression. Believing that his end is near, he makes out his will with Sansón, leaving his estate to Antonia and some money to Sancho Panza; he signs the will with his true name, Alonso Quijano. Sansón reveals that he played the part of both knights that Don Quixote faced. Sancho Panza visits the dying Don Quixote, revealing that he has found "Dulcinea," bringing her before Don Quixote. Don Quixote only recognizes her as Aldonza, recalling meeting her once long ago. He then concedes that perhaps she is "both." She kisses him on the forehead and, with his goals fulfilled after a fashion, Don Quixote passes away. Commercials deleted.

Details

• NETWORK: TNT
• DATE: April 9, 2000 Sunday 8:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 1:01:25
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:59746
• GENRE: Drama
• SUBJECT HEADING: Drama
• SERIES RUN: TNT - TV, 2000
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Robert Halmi Sr. … Executive Producer
• John Lithgow … Executive Producer
• Dyson Lovell … Producer
• Chris Thompson … Line Producer
• Peter Yates … Director
• John Mortimer … Writer
• Miguel de Cervantes … Based on the novel by
• Roger Hartley … Music by
• John Lithgow … Cast, Don Quixote de La Mancha/Alonso Quijano
• Bob Hoskins … Cast, Sancho Panza
• Isabella Rossellini … Cast, The Duchess
• Vanessa Williams … Cast, Dulcinea, Aldonza
• Lambert Wilson … Cast, The Duke
• Amelia Warner … Cast, Antonia
• Tony Haygarth … Cast, Barber
• Peter Eyre … Cast, Priest
• Lilo Baur … Cast, Teresa
• James Purefoy … Cast, Sansón Carrasco
• Trevor Peacock … Cast, Innkeeper
• Linda Bassett … Cast, Housekeeper
• Barry Stanton … Cast, Chaplain
• Alun Raglan … Cast, Rodriguez
• Michael Feast … Cast, Doctor
• Amparo Valle … Cast, Mother Panza (Older)
• Alicia Borrachero … Cast, Mother Panza (Younger)
• Ruth Sheen … Cast, 1st Wench/Young Lady
• Rosemary Smith … Cast, 2nd Wench/Young Lady
• Sean Gilder … Cast, Captain
• Amador Pita Gonzales … Cast, Prisoner 1
• Ben Thomas … Cast, Prisoner 2
• Larry Sheridan … Cast, Prisoner 4
• Francis Magee … Cast, Ginisella de Parapille
• Tete Delgado … Cast, Hostess 2nd Inn
• Eileen Bell … Cast, 1st Country Girl
• Ruth Silvestre … Cast, 2nd Country Girl
• Jessica Oyelowo … Cast, 1st Handmaiden
• Natasha Estelle Williams … Cast, 2nd Handmaiden
• Hannah Mosle-Hughes … Cast, Sanchina
• Mike Kemp … Cast, Mayor
• Rory Edwards … Cast, Duke's Man
• Jorge Cadalduero … Cast, 1st Officer
• Leandro Gimenez … Cast, 2nd Officer
• Christopher Neal … Cast, Boy Alonso
• Stephen Giffen … Cast, Herald
• Paco Nones … Cast, Duke's Man
• Balbino Lacosta … Cast, Dentist
• Victoria Navarrete Mandly … Cast, Damsel
• Antonio Gil Martinez … Cast, Magician
• Lloyd Williams … Cast, Giant
• Guy E. Williams … Cast, Giant
• Big Greg Essex … Cast, Giant
• Phil Downes … Cast, Giant