The Winter Guest
Seen it?1997 | 108 min | Drama
Weeknight Watchearly ratingWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With soft box office and little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
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. If you loved Hamlet, start here.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 48 min.
- What might put you off
- Nothing much for most grown-ups.
It's winter in a small Scottish village near the sea, and multiple lives intersect in a day. Frances has just lost her husband to an early death, so her mother, Elspeth, travels to Frances' house to reconnect with her daughter and grandson, Alex. Meanwhile, old women Chloe and Lily go to a funeral, youngsters Sam and Tom cut class, and Alex gets a crush on tomboy Nita.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsSolid
65% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsWeak
0 wins and 1 nomination from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$1 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 37K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Alan Rickman
- Emma ThompsonFrances
- Phyllida LawElspeth
- Sheila ReidLily
- Sandra VoeChloe
- Arlene CockburnNita
- Gary HollywoodAlex
- Sean BiggerstaffTom
- Tom WatsonMinister
- Alan RickmanMan in street
- Douglas MurphySam