The Bostonians

This one did not hold up. Not very interesting

The greatest 02 hours: and 02 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The story is better than the script.

You know I'm kind of sick of it but also it hasn't happened in a while, James Ivory makes the same damn movie every time in his career from the 80's to 90's. Seriously if I stumbled on this on TV without a label, I could easily confuse it for Room with a View, Howard's End, or Remains of the Day. Some of the acting is fine it's just such a drag to get through. Of course in any James Ivory movie, the costumes, art direction, and production design are wonderful but story is just not a factor in this

Nominated for 2 Oscars, a fascinating look at an era we can only dream about, post Civil War Boston. Marvelous costuming, sets, this movie is truely unusual for today's audiences (it requires a brain). Ostensibly about the suffreget (woman's rights) movement, this film depicts several subplots. One about a love affair and the other about sustaining a woman's movement. [img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRbgB0DEkh67nKt-xfZBXTvlOjxoi5E2JITbh8rBvZpX6BiGugeig[/img] Christopher Reeve "The Bostonians is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in The Century Magazine in 1885-1886 and then as a book in 1886. This bittersweet tragicomedy centers on an odd triangle of characters: Basil Ransom, a political conservative from Mississippi; Olive Chancellor, Ransom's cousin and a Boston feminist; and Verena Tarrant, a pretty, young protégée of Olive's in the feminist movement." -- Wikipedia [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/86/TheBostonians.jpg/200px-TheBostonians.jpg[/img] While this is slow paced and high drama, its not for everyone and doubt for anyone in the post-2000 generation. Still one can only hope that quality cinema has an appeal even in the action-adventure era. NOTES: 1 Mark Twain vowed that he would rather be damned to John Bunyan's heaven than read the book. 2 To put it mildly, The Bostonians [as a book] was not well received by contemporary critics, especially on the western side of the Atlantic. Author James' portrayal of Boston reformers was denounced as inaccurate and unfair, especially because some felt James had satirized actual persons in the novel. 3 Vanessa Redgrave's performance received high marks, however, 1984 Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress. Further, the movie earned other award nominations for costume design and cinematography. [img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR1AJkcJbvM9QGXU8elfnk4ttfIUVJuN5RJ1BGVYtbC8GRLDideIw[/img] SEE the entire film here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4L-qel7AQs [img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTG3zvMJvVA1G6d_Bu9TtE5RnMfFuDMIQZClj2tjq6BUW07wJ5E[/img] REVIEWS: 40% viewed on 5/9/05 (Sun) I think there are few standard things you can look forward in the Merchant Ivory movies. Great cinematography. Great performan... 30% Awful. A poor script by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, woefully miscast, and poorly directed. True, the basic story line from the Henry James novel is intrigu... [img]http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTPqYQZXf2JGjRgQ8wwZK0Wb3l9e7DXJV0hXxazdjOVhXVerCiKpA[/img] Cast Christopher Reeve - Basil Ransom Vanessa Redgrave - Olive Chancellor Jessica Tandy - Miss Birdseye Madeleine Potter - Verena Tarrant Nancy Marchand - Mrs. Burrage Wesley Addy - Dr. Tarrant Barbara Bryne - Mrs. Tarrant Linda Hunt - Dr. Prance Charles McCaughan - Music Hall Police Officer Nancy New - Adeline John Van Ness Philip - Henry Burrage Wallace Shawn - Mr. Pardon Awards 1985 National Society of Film Critics Won: Best Actress - Vanessa Redgrave 1985 Golden Globes Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Vanessa Redgrave 1985 Academy Awards Nominated: Best Actress in a Leading Role - Vanessa Redgrave Nominated: Best Costume Design - Jenny Beavan, John Bright 1985 BAFTA Awards Nominated: Best Costume Design - Jenny Beavan, John Bright [img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRFbZk3xc10bP4PxO3m0DQaNbM5EPA_R2CbzS4R0JJy8jQP35DGGQ[/img] Directed by James Ivory Produced by Ismail Merchant Written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala Based on The Bostonians by Henry James Cinematography Walter Lassally Distributed by Almi Pictures (USA) Release date(s) 2 August 1984 (United States) Running time 122 minutes Country United Kingdom United States [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0a/The_Bostonians.jpg/220px-The_Bostonians.jpg[/img]

viewed on 5/9/05 (Sun) I think there are few standard things you can look forward in the Merchant Ivory movies. Great cinematography. Great performances. Nice costumes. Nice music. But do please expect something on the boring side. With all respect, with a bow. I think I like THE REMAINS OF THE DAY most. It is adapted from a novel by Henry James which is basically about one morbid old maid (as correctly described by a character) and a man figthing over a girl. Yup. Lesbianism, all in the name of feminism. The ending is queer too. Pun not intended. So what's the message in that speech? In the movie? Ok, there is one pleasant surprise, 'Superman' Christopher Reeve is good with that Southern accent. Rating: C

Fair attempt at showing the roots of the US suffrage movement, although it's not the only theme as this is also an old-fashioned love story. The problem with it is that there is very little stimulus within the script.

Awful. A poor script by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, woefully miscast, and poorly directed. True, the basic story line from the Henry James novel is intriguing. Not good enough. And it's not even worth my explaining in detail the many deficiencies of this picture.

A bit Slow but interesting Film about a an unusual Love Triangle between two Suffragette's(Vanessa Redgrave & Madeleine Potter) & a Spoiled Upper Class Cousin(Christopher Reeve) of one of them, during the struggle for Women's Equality in the 19th Century Boston.This Lovely Actress/Speaker becomes caught in an Emotional Love "Taffy Pull" between two very controlling, Want To Be, Lovers, Olive(Redgrave) & Basil(Reeve), & her Loyalties are pulled & tugged at till it nearly breaks her.This Book must have been very controversial at the time as it hints at Lesbianism that is suppressed by the times.A Lovely & Historically Provocative film, albeit a bit slow.

Like many of the Merchant Ivory films, this one is dull. Not even Vanessa Redgrave could save the day.