White Nights
Seen it?1985 | 136 min | Drama, Thriller
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It won an Oscar and it's still drawing plenty of interest, though it had middling reviews (46% on Rotten Tomatoes) and soft box office. 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. If you loved The Long Good Friday, start here.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 16 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
After his plane crashes in Siberia, a Russian dancer, who defected to the West, is held prisoner in the Soviet Union. The KGB keeps him under watch and tries to convince him to become a dancer for the Kirov Academy of Ballet again. Determined to escape, he befriends a black American expatriate and his pregnant Russian wife, who agree to help him escape to the American Embassy.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
46% on Rotten Tomatoes, 46 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.7 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best Original Song. Won 1 Golden Globe: Golden Globe Awards: Best Original Song – Motion Picture. Also nominated for 1 more Golden Globe. Plus 1 other award.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$42 million worldwide
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 166K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Taylor Hackford
- Mikhail BaryshnikovNikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko
- Gregory HinesRaymond Greenwood
- Jerzy SkolimowskiColonel Chaiko
- Helen MirrenGalina Ivanova
- Geraldine PageAnne Wyatt
- Isabella RosselliniDarya Greenwood
- John GloverWynn Scott
- Stefan GryffCaptain Kirigin
- William HootkinsChuck Malarek
- Shane RimmerAmbassador Larry Smith