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Poster for The Decline of the American Empire

The Decline of the American Empire

Seen it?

1986 | 101 min | Comedy, Drama

Saturday Specialearly rating

Why it’s a Saturday Special

It earned strong reviews (86% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it made about 17 times its budget, despite little lasting buzz. A strong pick for the weekend.

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

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who wants a laugh. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Funny with heart.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 41 min.
What might put you off
It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

Four very different Montreal university teachers gather at a rambling country house to prepare a dinner. Remy (married), Claude (a homosexual), Pierre (involved with a girlfriend) and Alain (a bachelor) discuss sex, the female body and their affairs with them. Meanwhile, their four female guests, Louise (Remy's wife of 15 years), Dominique (a spinster), Diane (a divorcée) and Danielle (Pierre's girlfriend) are spending the time at a downtown health gym. They also discuss sex, the female body and, naturally, men. Later in the evening, they finally meet at the country house and have dinner. A ninth guest, named Mario, who used to know Diane, drops in on the group for some talk and has a surprise of his own.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 60 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.7 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Best Foreign Language Film. Also nominated for 1 Oscar. Plus 13 other awards.

  • Box office & staying powerStrong

    $30 million worldwide on a $2 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 18K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Denys Arcand

  • Dominique MichelDominique
  • Dorothée BerrymanLouise
  • Louise PortalDiane
  • Pierre CurziPierre
  • Rémy GirardRémy
  • Yves JacquesClaude
  • Geneviève RiouxDanielle
  • Daniel BrièreAlain
  • Gabriel ArcandMario
  • Évelyn RegimbaldTheresa