Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for Sommersby

Sommersby

Seen it?

1993 | 109 min | Drama, Thriller, Mystery, Romance

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It made about 5 times its budget. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing and romantics. If you loved Reds or Rear Window, start here.
The mood
Tense, warm and romantic.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 49 min.
What might put you off
Rated PG-13: peril. Probably too much for younger kids.

Set in the South just after the US Civil War, Laurel Sommersby is just managing to work the farm without her husband, believed killed in battle. By all accounts, Jack Sommersby was not a pleasant man, thus when he suddenly returns, Laurel has mixed emotions. It appears that Jack has changed a great deal, leading some people to believe that this is not actually Jack but an imposter. Laurel herself is unsure, but willing to take the man into her home, and perhaps later into her heart.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    63% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.4 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerStrong

    $140 million worldwide on a $30 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 145K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Jon Amiel

  • Jodie FosterLaurel Sommersby
  • Richard GereJohn Robert Sommersby / Horace Townsend
  • Bill PullmanOrin Meecham
  • James Earl JonesJudge Barry Conrad Issacs
  • Lanny FlahertyBuck
  • William WindomReverend Powell
  • Wendell WellmanTravis
  • Brett KelleyLittle Rob
  • Clarice TaylorEsther
  • Frankie FaisonJoseph