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The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
August 1981 (UK) moreTagline:
She was lost from the moment she saw him.Plot:
A film is being made of a story, set in 19th century England, about Charles, a biologist who's engaged to be married... more | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 12 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(13 articles)
June. It's a Wrap (From FilmExperience. 1 July 2009, 7:05 AM, PDT)
Streep at 60: Chamaeleonidae Erotica
(From FilmExperience. 30 June 2009, 6:29 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Cunning, parallel lives-romance moreUS TV Schedule:
| Tue. July 7 | 2:45 AM | TCM |
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Meryl Streep | ... | Sarah / Anna | |
| Jeremy Irons | ... | Charles Henry Smithson / Mike | |
| Hilton McRae | ... | Sam | |
| Emily Morgan | ... | Mary | |
| Charlotte Mitchell | ... | Mrs. Tranter | |
| Lynsey Baxter | ... | Ernestina | |
| Jean Faulds | ... | Cook | |
| Peter Vaughan | ... | Mr. Freeman | |
| Colin Jeavons | ... | Vicar | |
| Liz Smith | ... | Mrs. Fairley | |
| Patience Collier | ... | Mrs. Poulteney | |
| John Barrett | ... | Dairyman | |
| Leo McKern | ... | Dr. Grogan | |
| Arabella Weir | ... | Girl on undercliff | |
| Ben Forster | ... | Boy on undercliff |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
124 minCountry:
UKLanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
Iceland:12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Finland:S | Norway:16 | Sweden:11 | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2001) | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:R (certificate #26244) | West Germany:12Fun Stuff
Trivia:
An attempt to adapt the novel was made in the 1970's, to star Vanessa Redgrave, but a satisfactory script couldn't be written, and funding was a problem. moreGoofs:
Continuity: Early in the film, as Charles is going on to the jetty to warn Sarah, his cape changes in how it is buttoned from shot to shot. moreFAQ
See Jeremy Irons discuss this filmmore
more
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An operatic romance, kept sharp and constrained by a parallel plot involving the actors as actors. This is no intermediary narration but a second, alternative tale of romance which takes its lead from the marvellous novel by John Fowles who splits his ending off into a fate-forked coda.
It's possible to watch the period drama in a mental bubble with its corset-busting tumescence, wave-crashing symbolism and fine acting from the deeply committed principals. However, Karel Reisz really makes the modern tracking story work in tandem with the period yarn, turning a misty romance into a mysterious metaphysical matinée. 6/10