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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Isabel Allende (novel)
Bille August (writer)
Release Date:
1 April 1994 (USA) more
Plot:
Chile, second half of the 20th century. The poor Esteban marries Clara and they get a daughter, Blanca... more | add synopsis
Awards:
11 wins more
NewsDesk:
Streep Inspired Ryder's Happiness
(From WENN. 28 May 2009, 12:15 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Bad directing, good theme and characters more (63 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Meryl Streep | ... | Clara del Valle Trueba | |
| Glenn Close | ... | Férula Trueba | |
| Jeremy Irons | ... | Esteban Trueba | |
| Winona Ryder | ... | Blanca Trueba | |
| Antonio Banderas | ... | Pedro Tercero García | |
| Vanessa Redgrave | ... | Nívea del Valle | |
| Maria Conchita Alonso | ... | Tránsito Soto | |
| Armin Mueller-Stahl | ... | Severo del Valle | |
| Jan Niklas | ... | Count Jean de Satigny | |
| Sarita Choudhury | ... | Pancha García | |
| António Assunção | ... | Man at Cattlemarket (as António Assumpção) | |
| Julie Balloo | ... | Young Lady | |
| Frank Baker | ... | Intelligence Officer | |
| João Cabral | ... | Soldier | |
| Miguel Guilherme | ... | Soldier |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Åndernes hus (Denmark)
A Casa dos Espíritos (Portugal)
Das Geisterhaus (Germany)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong sexuality, and for violence.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
140 min | Germany:141 min | Spain:146 min
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Brazil:16 | Netherlands:16 | Iceland:16 | UK:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:R (Ontario) | USA:R | Finland:K-16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Sweden:15 | Germany:12 | Australia:M
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Alba is eating KFC, but the KFC name/logo wasn't adopted until the 1990s (it was formerly Kentucky Fried Chicken), it's in a basket instead of a box, and the chain wasn't franchised in South America in the 1970s anyway. more
Quotes:
Férula Trueba: I'm so sorry. It's just I'm not used to people hugging me or touching me. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Mavra mesanyhta: (#1.19)" (2008) more
Soundtrack:
La Cumparsita more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (63 total)
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I've never been a fan of Bille August, and this film has only furthered my opinion of his work. I found the directing, as well as the editing, choppy and incoherent. Mr. August tried too hard to be mystical and discreet in his telling of the tale--to the point of being annoyingly aloof and superficial.
The take-home message is, however, refreshing in its complexity and layers. The events all seem to come full circle and continue through the generations of the family, as Clara verbalized in her diaries, "the relationships between events." Lende's message was that evil begets evil, and nothing good came from malice. Such is sadly noted upon reflection that many misfortunes stemmed from poor judgment, and unacknowledged or unrectified wrongdoings in the past.
I thought the characters Farula and Esteban were the best-written and the best-acted, by far. Glenn Close exuded every bit of the torn and love-deprived spinster sister, her very gaze a window to her harsh and barren life. Jeremy Irons' portrayal of the dark and contradictory Esteban was brazen yet vulnerable, between his political persona and love for his wife.