Brian Helgeland

Knight's Tale Brian Helgeland

In the Middle Ages, before television or professional sports, there's only one form of competition to separate the men from the boys: jousting tournaments. William Thatcher (Heath Ledger), a poor and humble squire, has always dreamed of proving himself worthy as a knight in a jousting match. When he gets a lucky chance seeing an opportunity to disguise himself in the identity of a knight William decides to maintain the illusion for as long as possible. He is aided by his friends Wat (Alan Tudyk), Roland (Mark Addy), and Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany), a writer with a knack for forging official papers. Under his new title, Sir Ulrich of Liechtenstein, William wins tournaments and receives monetary awards. However, the only way for William to prove himself as truly noble and win the heart of the beautiful Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon) is to beat all of his enemies, including the arrogant and undefeated Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell), in a series of jousts. Writer-director Brian Helgeland creates a unique blend of rousing adventure, comedy, and modern sensibility in A KNIGHT'S TALE, giving a contemporary make-over to the medieval genre with a soundtrack that includes hit songs from Queen, David Bowie, Sly & the Family Stone, and Thin Lizzy.