The Wings of the Dove (1997)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Iain Softley

Writers:

Henry James (novel)
Hossein Amini (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A couple with everything but money. An heiress with everything but love. A temptation no one could resist.

Plot:

An impoverished woman who has been forced to choose between a privileged life with her wealthy aunt and her journalist lover, befriends an American heiress. When she discovers the heiress is attracted to her own lover and is dying, she sees a chance to have both the privileged life she cannot give up and the lover she cannot live without.

Plot Keywords:

Aunt | Journalist | Heiress | Marriage | Wealth

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 16 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Helena Bonham Carter	...	Kate Croy
Linus Roache	...	Merton Densher
Alison Elliott	...	Millie Theale
Charlotte Rampling	...	Aunt Maude
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Susan 'Susie' Stringham
Michael Gambon	...	Lionel Croy, Kate's Father
Alex Jennings	...	Lord Mark
Ben Miles	...	First Journalist
Philip Wright	...	Second Journalist
Alexander John	...	Butler
Shirley Chantrell	...	Opium Den Lady
Diana Kent	...	Merton's Party Companion
Georgio Serafini	...	Eugenio
Rachele Crisafulli	...	Concierge

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) | Belgium:KT | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:6 | Japan:R | Mexico:B | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #35341)

Filming Locations:

Brompton Cemetery, Fulham Road, West Brompton, London, England, UK

Company:

Miramax Films

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The tile pattern on the Underground stations the train passes through at the beginning of the film are identical in pattern and color for each station. Each station on the Piccadilly line had it's own tile pattern and color scheme so that the illiterate could still recognize their station without needing to read the station name.

Quotes:

Merton: I wish I had wings of the dove so I could fly away.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Academy of Robots' Choice Awards Special (1998) (TV)

An exceptional film with my all-time favorite female performance.

This one really took me by surprise, in the best way possible. The story is a perfect blend of suspense and romance that is flawlessly engaging from start to finish. I couldn't help but keep my eyes glued to the screen the entire time. It flows beautifully and never moves too far ahead or too slow for the viewer. There wasn't a single second where I was bored or waiting for the film to end. I'm not usually the biggest fan of a period romance, but I was blown away by this one. The score is incredible. It sets the perfect ambiance for the film and makes you feel like you are with these characters. The ending left me in a complete catharsis. I was just numb, staring at the screen in disbelief. Helena Bonham Carter is unexplainably phenomenal. She is one of a rare breed of actors who can display more emotion simply with her eyes than most actors can with their entire body. I feel blessed to watch her perform. Her extreme versatility and authenticity is unparalleled. Her performance is the best from a female that I've ever seen. The Academy should be in jail for giving the Oscar to the mediocre Helen Hunt over Bonham Carter's flawless tour de force.