The Constant Gardener
Seen it?2005 | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It won an Oscar, it earned strong reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it was a solid box office hit. 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 likes to be kept guessing. If you loved The Parallax View or Blood Diamond, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, harrowing.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 9 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Justin Quayle is a low-level British diplomat who has always gone about his work very quietly, not causing any problems. But after his radical wife Tessa is killed he becomes determined to find out why, thrusting himself into the middle of a very dangerous conspiracy.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
83% on Rotten Tomatoes, 82 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.0 out of 10
- AwardsVery strong
Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress. Won 1 Golden Globe: Golden Globe Awards: Best Supporting Actress. Won 1 SAG Award: Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. Won 1 BAFTA: British Academy Film Awards: Best Editing. Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film. Won 1 Venice award: Venice Film Festival: Young Cinema Award for Best International Film. Also nominated for 3 more Oscars, 2 more Golden Globes and 9 more BAFTAs. Plus 16 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$82 million worldwide on a $25 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 235K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
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Blood Diamond Saturday SpecialAnother drama, and a Saturday Special.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
- Ralph FiennesJustin Quayle
- Rachel WeiszTessa Quayle
- Danny HustonSandy Woodrow
- Bill NighySir Bernard Pellegrin
- Pete PostlethwaiteLorbeer
- Richard McCabeArthur Hammond
- Donald SumpterTim Donohue
- Juliet AubreyGloria Woodrow
- Hubert KoundéDr. Arnold Bluhm
- Archie PanjabiGhita Pearson