Mr Burton is a 2025 biographical drama about the early bond between Welsh schoolteacher Philip Burton and his pupil Richard Jenkins, who later became the actor Richard Burton. Directed by Marc Evans, it stars Harry Lawtey as young Richard and Toby Jones as Philip. It is a dramatized feature, not a documentary.
What is Mr Burton about?
The film focuses on Richard Jenkins’s difficult early life in Port Talbot and his relationship with Philip Burton, the teacher who recognized his aptitude for acting and helped him develop it. The story’s central subject is mentorship: how a teacher’s attention and guidance could help a young person imagine a life beyond the circumstances around him.
That premise is based on the real relationship between Philip Burton and Richard Burton, but scenes and dialogue in the film are dramatic reconstructions. They should not be treated as a documentary record of exactly what either man said or did. BBC News describes Philip as the teacher who spotted Richard’s potential, tutored him and became his legal guardian; more specific claims about the family or guardianship need to be understood in the context of that reporting rather than assumed from a scene in the film. BBC News: “Mr Burton: The teacher who helped to propel Richard Burton to fame”
Who made the film?
Marc Evans directed Mr Burton, with a screenplay by Tom Bullough and Josh Hyams. Harry Lawtey plays the young Richard Jenkins, Toby Jones plays Philip Burton, and Lesley Manville is also among the principal cast. Severn Screen identifies the project as a 2025 feature; the British Council’s UK Films Database classifies it as a drama and records its production as complete.
#1 Best Overall
![Mr. Burton [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/417dj--VLJL._SL160_.jpg)
- School, mentor, heart warming, coming of age, BAFTA award winner
Production participants listed by the British Council include Severn Screen, Revolution Films, Independent Entertainment and Promise Pictures, with support from BBC Wales and Ffilm Cymru Wales. See the Severn Screen production page and the British Council UK Films Database entry.
When was Mr Burton released, and how long is it?
BBC News reported that the film opened in UK cinemas on 4 April 2025. That is the reported UK release date, not a guarantee of current screenings or a release date for every country. The British Council database lists a running time of 124 minutes and says the page was last updated on 12 May 2025.
Rank #2
- Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey, Lesley Manville
Where can you watch Mr Burton?
Prime Video has a catalog listing for Mr Burton, but a listing by itself does not confirm that the film is currently playable in your country, or whether access requires a subscription, rental or purchase. Check the Prime Video listing for your territory and account before making plans. The UK cinema date above is historical, so it does not establish whether cinemas are screening it now.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Mr Burton a documentary?
No. It is a biographical drama about a real teacher and his pupil, not a documentary. Its historical subject is the early relationship between Philip Burton and Richard Jenkins, but the film presents that subject through dramatized storytelling. For the production credits, runtime and classification, consult the British Council film record; for the historical relationship as described in news reporting, see BBC News.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Format: DVD
- Language: English
- Subtitle: English, Spanish, French, Korean, None (All removable)
- Region Code: Region 0 (1/2/3/4/5/6)
- Screen: NTSC / Wide Screen Color
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