Probably one of the cleverest scripts to grace a historical costume drama in the past 40 years. Katharine Hepburn gives one of her best 'sunset years' performances and it was a shame she had to share half of her oscar with Barbara Streisand in '68. Would make a good double feature with 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' if you are in the mood for a good marital brawl. Peter O'Toole is almost a little too over the top, but you can't deny, there is nobody better at 'being kingly', and Anthony Hopkins gives a great early performance as the repressed homosexual Richard and Timothy Dalton holds his own as the slimy young King Phillip. Lots of nasty skeletons in these closets, and they all come tumbling out in spectacular fashion.
Some other fun 'brit history lessons': Anne of the Thousand Days, A Man For All Seasons, Beckett, Elizabeth, The Queen (the last three I haven't seen yet, but I've heard they are pretty good)