Secrets & Lies
Seen it?1996 | 142 min | Drama
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (96% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it collected a shelf of major awards. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 22 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
After her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, a successful black optometrist, seeks out her birth mother. She's shocked when her research leads her to Cynthia, a working class white woman.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 92 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.6 out of 10
- AwardsVery strong
Won 1 Golden Globe: Golden Globe Awards: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. Won 3 BAFTAs: British Academy Film Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role, British Academy Film Awards: Best British Film, British Academy Film Awards: Best Original Screenplay. Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Best Actress. Won 2 Independent Spirit Awards: Independent Spirit Awards: Best Foreign Film, Independent Spirit Awards: Best Foreign Director. Also nominated for 5 Oscars, 2 more Golden Globes and 1 SAG Award. Plus 10 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$13 million worldwide on a $5 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 147K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Mike Leigh
- Brenda BlethynCynthia Rose Purley
- Marianne Jean-BaptisteHortense Cumberbatch
- Timothy SpallMaurice Purley
- Phyllis LoganMonica Purley
- Claire RushbrookRoxanne Purley
- Lee RossPaul
- Lesley ManvilleThe Social Worker
- Elizabeth BerringtonJane
- Michele AustinDionne
- Ron CookStuart