Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > The Bostonians (1984)

The Bostonians (1984) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 14 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   675 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
James Ivory
Writers:
Henry James (novel)
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Bostonians on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
September 1984 (UK) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
A BEAUTIFUL FILM . . . An intimate and exquisite probe of the feminist heart. [Australia Theatrical]
Plot:
19th-century Boston woman dedicated to the suffrage movement, meets a faith healer's daughter, a Mississippi lawyer also has eyes for the young woman. more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
May Flowers, Kathleen Turner
 (From FilmExperience. 12 May 2009, 8:24 AM, PDT)

Producer Ismail Merchant Dies at 68
 (From IMDb News. 25 May 2005)

User Comments:
Merchant/Ivory offering falls flat more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Christopher Reeve ... Basil Ransome

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 Policeman
Nancy New ... Adeline

Jon Van Ness ... Henry Burrage (as John Van Ness Philip)
Wallace Shawn ... Mr. Pardon
Peter Bogyo ... Mr. Gracie
Martha Farrar ... Mrs, Farrinder
Dusty Maxwell ... Newton Tarrant
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
USA:122 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The climatic scene at the "Boston Music Hall" was actually filmed at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, New York, finished in 1875. The Boston Music Hall was pulled down in the 1950s. But the film required a civic hall with a pipe organ in it for plot reasons. While we see the 1882 Odell organ in the Troy hall, the organ itself didn't work very well in 1983, so the music was actually recorded on the organ at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The Wandering Company (1984) (TV) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
1 out of 3 people found the following comment useful:-
Merchant/Ivory offering falls flat, 30 October 2007
5/10
Author: chaplinj@hotmail.com from Minneapolis, MN

Well meant production from the magical Merchant/Ivory/Jhabvala team. This one was made before they hit their stride, however. The first mistake was casting Christopher Reeve in the lead. He always looks like he's acting, there's nothing natural about it. His performance here is in par with cheap 70's pornography acting. He is supposedly classically trained as an actor, but I guess anyone who pays for and attends acting classes can say the same. Some have it and some don't, he doesn't. The costumes, art direction and sets are all lavish and appealing. The dialog is far too updated to make one believe that it's taking place in another century, it's almost like a high school production in that aspect. Redgrave and Marchand both give good performances, nothing remarkable at all, but acceptable. The rest of the cast is a mish-mash of mostly b-listers. Scriptwriter Jhabvala has proved herself time and again to be quite the artist, but the script here is flat. Perhaps the book it was based on is this dull and unconvincing. I was left simply unaffected by any message they were trying to convey about the period. I'm a fanatic when it comes to Merchant/Ivory pictures, but this one just didn't cut it. It seems they were more in their element with their amazing and opulent European productions. The quality of their American films seems to be quite cheap in production in comparison. I'm simply left wondering what a masterpiece this could have been had it been set in and filmed in England. If you're an Ivory/Merchant fan, stick with their better titles "A Room With A View" & "Sense And Sensibility", they both surpass this effort by leagues.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Bostonians (1984)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Europeans The Golden Bowl The Portrait of a Lady Under the Tuscan Sun The Hotel New Hampshire
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb UK section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.