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Poster for The Belly of an Architect

The Belly of an Architect

Seen it?

1987 | 118 min | Drama

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office and little lasting buzz. 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 loves a strong drama.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 58 min.
What might put you off
Rated R: meant for adults.

Stourley Kracklite, a driven, detail-obsessed architect, travels from America to Rome with his much younger wife, Louisa, to oversee an architectural homage to a personal hero, 18th-century master builder Etienne-Louis Boullée. En route by train, Stourley and Louisa conceive a much-wanted child — but Stourley's obsession with his wife's expanding belly, her perceived infidelity, and his own recurrent bouts of abdominal pain reach epic and dangerous proportions.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    85% on Rotten Tomatoes, 56 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.8 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 24K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Peter Greenaway

  • Brian DennehyStourley Kracklite
  • Chloe WebbLouisa Kracklite
  • Lambert WilsonCaspasian Speckler
  • Sergio FantoniIo Speckler
  • Stefania CasiniFlavia Speckler
  • Vanni CorbelliniFrederico
  • Alfredo VarelliJulio
  • Geoffrey CoplestonCaspetti
  • Francesco CarneluttiPastarri
  • Marino MaséTrettorio