Adapted by Robert Bolt and Constance Willis from Bolts hit stage play, A Man for All Seasons stars Paul Scofield, triumphantly repeating his stage role as Sir Thomas More. The crux of the film is the staunchly Catholic Mores refusal to acknowledge King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw)s break from the church to divorce his first wife and marry Anne Boleyn (an unbilled Vanessa Redgrave). Sir Thomas willingly goes to the chopping block rather than sacrifice his ideals. Director Fred Zinnemann retains the plays verbosity without sacrificing the films strong sense of visuals. The impeccably chosen cast includes Wendy Hiller as Sir Thomas likably contentious wife Alice, John Hurt as the deceitful Richard Rich (Mores put-downs of this despicable character provide some of the films biggest laughs), Orson Welles as a dour Cardinal Woolsey, Leo McKern as the ambitious Thomas Cromwell, and Susannah York as Mores daughter Margaret. The Common Man, an important bridging-the-scenes character in the original play, is removed from the film version, which does just fine without him. A Man for All Seasons won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, as well as seven British Film Academy awards. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide