Henry Thomas Movies
Known to millions of early-'80s filmgoers as Elliot, the young boy who befriends a leathery, long-necked alien, Henry Thomas rocketed to fame with his starring role in Steven Spielberg's 1982 blockbuster E.T. the Extra-terrestial and then, just as quickly, plummeted out of sight. Unlike countless other child actors who seem to fall off the face of the earth with the onset of their first pimple, however, Thomas remained somewhat active in low-profile projects while maturing in the relative obscurity of his native Texas. When he eventually re-emerged on the big screen in the mid-'90s, he did so in a variety of projects that emphasized his versatility, until he was granted a sort of second coming, with his acclaimed supporting turn as a wandering cowboy in Billy Bob Thornton's 2000 epic All the Pretty Horses.By the time he was cast in E.T. the Extra-terrestial, Thomas had already made an impressive screen debut as Sissy Spacek's son in the 1981 drama Raggedy Man, which also starred Sam Shepard. A native of San Antonio, where he was born the son of a hydraulics mechanic on September 9, 1971, he returned to Texas after all of the hype surrounding E.T. the Extra-terrestial, acting in film and on TV from time to time while attending school and generally leading the life of a regular kid. In 1989, he appeared in his most high-profile project since E.T., playing the chivalrous young man who dispatches Colin Firth's titular ne'er-do-well in Valmont, Milos Forman's adaptation of Choderlos DeLaclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Although the film was nowhere near as successful as Stephen Frears' adaptation of the same work the previous year, it did give Thomas exposure in one of his first adult roles.
Substantially greater exposure followed for the actor in 1994, when he was cast as one of Anthony Hopkins' three sons in Edward Zwick's Legends of the Fall. Co-starring with Hopkins, Brad Pitt, and Aidan Quinn, Thomas was on the screen for a relatively brief length of time, but the popularity of the lavish, big-budget film did allow the young actor to make an impression on audiences who hadn't seen him since E.T. He subsequently switched gears to portray a troubled drifter in the independent production Niagara Niagara (1997), in which he co-starred with Robin Tunney, and then returned to large budgets and lavish production values when he won a major role in the most hotly anticipated project to date of his adult career, Thornton's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. Featuring stunning Southwestern cinematography and equally photogenic turns by co-stars Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz, the film cast Thomas as Lacey Rawlins, Damon's best friend. Although the film came in for very mixed reviews, most critics were in agreement about Thomas' wry, low-key performance, with some even asserting it was the best thing about the picture. Despite the adulation surrounding his work, Thomas kept a low profile, playing in his band the Blueheelers and spending time in Italy to shoot Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York (2001) alongside the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Liam Neeson, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Thomas continued to work throughout the 2000's on a wide variety of projects, completing at least a few films a year, including the horror film Dead Birds and the comedy Tennis, Anyone?.... In 2007, he signed up to star alongside Anne Heche, Carrie Fisher, and David Boreanaz in the Alan Cumming-directed black comedy Suffering Man's Charity.
~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
Director Lasse Hallström and screenwriter Jamie Linden collaborate to adapt author Nicholas Sparks' novel about a young soldier who falls for an idealistic college girl. Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) was on spring break when she first met John Tyree (Channing Tatum), who was home on temporary leave. For the smitten soldier it was practically love at first sight. Over the course of the next seven years, when each deployment seemed more treacherous than the last, the love letters that Savannah sent to John were one of the only things that kept him going. However, those loving and heartfelt correspondences would ultimately yield consequences that neither the brave soldier nor his one true love could have ever foreseen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, (more)
- 2007
A failed composer takes in an aspiring novelist/dilettante, only to find himself pushed to the edge of insanity when his charity is taken for granted in this simmering black comedy from director Alan Cumming. John Vandermark (Cumming) has a sizable weak spot for handsome young artists. Upon meeting down-on-his-luck writer Sebastian St. German (David Boreanaz), the sympathetic musician is stirred to help the budding novelist by offering him room and board. It doesn't take long, however, for the generous host to realize that his good will is being trampled by his brash young tenant. When Vandermark discovers that St. German has been sleeping with every woman in sight while casually brushing off his own thinly-veiled advances, the stage is set for an explosive confrontation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Cumming, David Boreanaz, (more)
Michael Landon Jr. directs this period drama set in 1850s Appalachia and concerning a young girl who carries a crushing burden. Ten-year-old Cadi Forbes' (Liana Liberato) sister has died as the result of a tragic accident, and now the surviving sibling can't help feeling somewhat responsible for her sister's untimely death. Desperate to shake the guilt she feels and absolve her dearly departed kin from her Earthly sins, Cadi seeks out the assistance of the one person rumored to have the power of achieving both goals -- the mysterious Sin Eater (Peter Wingfield). In the midst of her redemptive quest, however, young Cadi uncovers a malevolent secret that threatens to destroy her family and divide her tightknit community. Only after discovering the truth about Jesus Christ and the human condition does Cadi realize that there is only one man capable of providing absolution of sin, and the word of that man can only be found in the Holy Bible. Henry Thomas and Louise Fletcher star in a feature adaptation of the novel by best-selling Christian author Francine Rivers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Louise Fletcher, Henry Thomas, (more)
Masters of Horror creator Mick Garris joins forces with literary horror icon Stephen King for this, the pair's sixth onscreen collaboration. In the wind-swept Nevada town of Desperation, a malevolent sheriff (Ron Perlman) delivers arrestees to a jail cell from which, by all accounts, no one has emerged alive. The streets are littered with the corpses of dead residents, and it appears that a sinister supernatural force has tightened its deadly grip on the once-thriving community. Arrested by the sinister lawman and subsequently thrown behind bars, a vacationing family, a traveling writer (Tom Skeritt), and a drifting hitchhiker (Steven Weber) narrowly thwart death by escaping their cold metal confines. Upon coming into contact with a mysterious prepubescent boy named David (Shane Haboucha) who seems to possesses an eerie insight into the ancient evil that haunts the town, the brave group boldly determines to solve the combat the evil that has infected this desolate landscape. Despite some notable help from the surviving town veteran (Charles Durning) and the dejected female half of a married couple (Annabeth Gish) who recently incurred the wrath of the nefarious sheriff, this unlikely band of weakened mortals seems no match for the powerful evil that now inhabits the town of Desperation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Skerritt, Steven Weber, (more)
Henry Thomas and David Boreanez play two uniquely different men with one very similar problem in director Ari Ryan's fast-paced crime thriller. Paul Weston (Thomas) and Roger Hargitay (Boreanez) are perfect strangers, but their deep debts are about to place them on very familiar terms. With little time left to raise the money that could save their lives, Paul and Roger each determine that the only way to raise some quick cash is to join a gang and take part in a heist. Though at first the inside job promises to be an easy score, this desperate duo is about to find out that there's always a hitch to the perfect crime. Gary Busey, Vera Farmiga, Peter Weller, and Bruce Dern co-star in a tale of crime that doesn't stop twisting until the final credits. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Thomas, David Boreanaz, (more)
Executive producer Mick Garris, the driving force behind the Masters of Horror series on Showtime, writes and directs this episode, Chocolate. Garris is best known for directing several Stephen King adaptations, including the made-for-TV versions of The Stand and The Shining, but here he is working from his own short story. Henry Thomas stars as Jamie, a repressed, recently divorced lab technician. At work in the lab with his aging rocker co-worker, Wally (Matt Frewer), Jamie designs artificial flavorings to simulate the foods he craves, but won't allow himself to eat. One night, he has what seems to be a powerful hallucination, in which he tastes expensive fine chocolate. He goes to see Wally's band play, and seems to temporarily lose his hearing. While driving home, he has a vivid visual episode that almost results in a car wreck. He picks up a girl (Leah Graham) at the supermarket, and they really hit it off, but he has another episode at the most inopportune time, ruining their budding romance. As these episodes increase in their frequency and duration, Jamie begins to realize that he's sharing the experiences of Catherine (Lucie Laurier), a beautiful young woman who lives in another city. Jamie believes there must be a reason for his connection to Catherine, and after witnessing a particularly violent and disturbing scene, he decides to track her down. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Thomas
A handful of thieves discover they have more to worry about than the law in this independent horror story, set during the Civil War. William (Henry Thomas) is the leader of a group of runaway Confederate soldiers who, with the help of an escaped slave and an Army nurse, stage a daring robbery at a bank holding a cache of rebel gold. The heist does not go smoothly, and William's associates soon fall into in-fighting as they head toward Mexico with their stolen fortune. Needing a place to rest for the night, the criminals set up camp in a mansion overlooking an abandoned plantation, but it soon becomes obvious that the old house is not as empty as they thought, as a handful of angry ghosts make their presence known while William and his cohorts fight over the gold. Also featuring Isaiah Washington, Patrick Fugit, and Michael Shannon, Dead Birds was the first feature film from director Alex Turner. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Thomas, Patrick Fugit, (more)
Zev Berman's thriller Killing Edgar stars Dominique Swain as Inez Macbeth, a woman married to the volatile criminal Edgar (Henry Thomas). She has grown tired of their marriage and strays outside of her vows. Edgar finds out and proceeds to hold her prisoner in her own house with the help of his associate, Flowers (Arie Verveen). Inez figures out a dangerous escape plan, but will she be able to get away before it is too late? ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dominique Swain, Henry Thomas, (more)
Greg Marcks' 11:14 intertwines five different storylines that all lead up to a series of events that happen one evening at 11:14. The audience is made privy to connections between the characters that they themselves are unaware of. The audience will see how various lies and deceptions lead to murder. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Thomas, Blake Heron, (more)
Based on the novel by Dodie Smith (101 Dalmatians), director Tim Fywell's comic romance follows 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain (Romola Garai) and her quirky family as they attempt to make the best of their meager existence in a crumbling English castle. While her father (Bill Nighy) has been struggling for over a decade to repeat the success of his debut novel, her beautiful sister Rose (Rose Byrne) frequently voices her displeasure with their current situation, and nudist stepmother Topaz (Tara Fitzgerald) proves little help at much of anything. The arrival of American landlord Simon Cotton (Henry Thomas) and his brother Neil (Marc Blucas) provides a glimmer of hope as the initially repelled Rose soon takes a liking to Simon and the two arrange to marry. Lost in the chaotic shuffle of marriage plans and increasingly complicated relationships, the hapless Cassandra soon begins to blossom into womanhood as she experiences aspects of life that were heretofore unknown to her. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Romola Garai, Rose Byrne, (more)
A single New York woman endures a series of blind dates in search of the perfect spouse in director Jon Sherman's romantic comedy I'm With Lucy. Looking back on her search as she prepares for her wedding, Lucy (Monica Potter ) recalls the physical chemistry of her and Gabriel (Gael García Bernal), the love of Walt Whitman that she shared with orthopedist Luke (David Boreanaz), her fling with former pro-basketball player Bobby (Anthony LaPaglia), her memorable connection with affectionate computer salesman Barry (Henry Thomas), and her mysterious relationship with the shifty Doug (John Hannah). One of these men will be waiting for Lucy at the alter, but one thing keeps nagging at our protagonist's conscience -- has she made the right choice when it comes to the man she'll spend the rest of her life with? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monica Potter, Julianne Nicholson, (more)
The violent rise of gangland power in New York City at a time of massive political corruption and the city's evolution into a cultural melting pot set the stage for this lavish historical epic, which director Martin Scorsese finally brought to the screen almost 30 years after he first began to plan the project. In 1846, as waves of Irish immigrants poured into the New York neighborhood of Five Points, a number of citizens of British and Dutch heritage who were born in the United States began making an open display of their resentment toward the new arrivals. William Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), better known as "Bill the Butcher" for his deadly skill with a knife, bands his fellow "Native Americans" into a gang to take on the Irish immigrants; the immigrants in turn form a gang of their own, "The Dead Rabbits," organized by Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). After an especially bloody clash between the Natives and the Rabbits leaves Vallon dead, his son goes missing; the boy ends up in a brutal reform school before returning to the Five Points in 1862 as Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio). Now a strapping adult who has learned how to fight, Amsterdam has come to seek vengeance against Bill the Butcher, whose underworld control of the Five Points through violence and intimidation dovetails with the open corruption of New York politician "Boss" Tweed (Jim Broadbent). Amsterdam gradually penetrates Bill the Butcher's inner circle, and he soon becomes his trusted assistant. Amsterdam also finds himself falling for Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz), a beautiful but street-smart thief who was once involved with Bill. Amsterdam is learning a great deal from Bill, but before he can turn the tables on the man who killed his father, Amsterdam's true identity is exposed, even though he has concealed it from nearly everyone, including Jenny. Gangs Of New York was the first film in two years from actor Leonardo DiCaprio; ironically, it was at one time scheduled to open on the same day as Catch Me if You Can, the Steven Spielberg project that DiCaprio began filming immediately after Gangs wrapped. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, (more)
Young, rich, and randy Gloria (Dominique Swain) takes the family motorboat for some fun in the sun off the coast of Brazil. Along with her are her longtime boyfriend Danny (Scott Bairstow), his best friend Jeff (Henry Thomas), and the son of an important and infinitely influential client, Marcos (Sebastian DeVicente). It probably wasn't a good idea to take three gorgeous men the same age out on a boat with a bikini-clad beauty who lately has been questioning her relationship with her main squeeze, but it gets even worse than expected. There's tragedy, betrayal, and more tragedy as the faulty value systems of the wealthy brats spin out of control. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
Director Billy Bob Thornton explores coming of age in this Western based on Cormac McCarthy's prize-winning novel of the same name. John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) and Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas) are young Texan men who seek a more fulfilling life as cowboys in the slowly fading Old West, circa 1949. One night, the duo head for Mexico in hope of finding some adventure and employment, and along the way run into Blevins (Lucas Black), an even younger drifter who has supposedly stolen a horse from private property. Begrudgingly, Cole and Rawlins take him under their wing before they eventually find themselves in Mexico, working for a wealthy landowner (Ruben Blades). His stalwart and beautiful daughter Alejandra (Penelope Cruz) develops a romantic interest in Cole, which threatens the friendship between him and Rawlins, not to mention their living quarters, where Alejandra's watchful aunt (Miriam Colon) warns Cole that she has professed allegiance to her. Cole and Rawlins' thrill-seeking adventures with Blevins and the stolen horse catch up to them, however, and they are held prisoners in a brutal penitentiary, where their cowboy instincts are put to the ultimate test. Cole, meanwhile, wants nothing more than to get back to Alejandra and resume their love affair. The film also features Bruce Dern in a small role as a judge who eventually gives much-desired guidance to Cole. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi
- Starring:
- Matt Damon, Henry Thomas, (more)
An alienated young man begins to question his own sanity in the wake of a horrible crime in the psychological thriller Fever. Nick Parker (Henry Thomas) is an aspiring artist who spends his evenings working on paintings and teaches art at the local YMCA to make ends meet. Nick has an apartment in a run-down building, where he often finds himself arguing with the landlord, Sidney (Sandor Tecsy). One night, Nick is disturbed by loud noises from the apartment above; he soon discovers the room has been rented to Will (David O'Hara), a threatening character who doesn't particularly care that Nick asked for an apartment without upstairs neighbors so he could work in peace. When Sidney is soon found murdered, Nick is questioned by a police detective (Bill Duke); Nick tells him he saw Sidney arguing with a drunk he evicted a few days before. However, when Nick passes the story along to Will, Will angrily replies that the old rummy wasn't capable of such a brutal crime. Before long, Nick starts sinking deeper into paranoia, wondering if his occasional rages might have something to do with his building's sudden crime wave. Fever was directed by Alex Winter, best known for his role opposite Keanu Reeves in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure; the film was screened in the Directors Fortnight series at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Thomas, David Patrick O'Hara, (more)
A small town's secrets prove deeper and more mysterious than they initially seemed in A Good Baby. Toker (played by Henry Thomas) is a young man living in a small North Carolina community, where he prefers to keep to himself. One day, while taking a walk in the woods, Toker finds a baby, and ventures into town to find out to whom it belongs. However, no one seems to know who the child's parents are, and no one will claim it as their own. Toker soon draws the attention of an attractive woman named Roby (Cara Seymour), who is interested in him, but will have nothing to do with the baby. Toker, however, has grown to love the child and does not want to turn it away. The arrival of a mysterious salesman (David Strathairn) eventually leads to the discovery of the child's true parentage. The directorial debut for Katherine Dieckmann, A Good Baby was screened at the 1999 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Thomas, David Strathairn, (more)
- 1998
- PG
Director Franc Roddam and co-scripter Anton Diether adapted Herman Melville's 1851 classic for this four-hour TV miniseries sea adventure. Ishmael (Henry Thomas) ignores the warnings of dockside prophet Elijah (Bruce Spence) and joins the crew of the whaling ship Pequod. Ismael befriends Polynesian harpooner Queequeg (Maori actor Piripi Waretini), hears a sermon by Father Mapple (Gregory Peck, star of the 1956 Moby Dick), and meets the obsessed Captain Ahab (Patrick Stewart), who lost his leg to the great white whale Moby Dick and now seeks vengeance on the looming leviathan. For effects, Roddam used a three-sectioned Moby Dick, added computer graphics, and shot Pequod footage in a tank at an Australian military base. TV Guide described Stewart's performance as "mesmerizing and passionate." The $20 million production aired March 15-16, 1998 on the USA Network. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patrick Stewart, Henry Thomas, (more)
- 1997
This sci-fi thriller is set in Los Angeles. The year is 2010 and the mega-corporation Nanolabs is feverishly preparing to market its latest medical marvel: a microscopic "engine" that can regenerate organic tissue at a cellular level and thereby provide the first real cure for cancer. Unfortunately, back in the lab, young scientist Buck Hogan (Henry Thomas) becomes increasingly concerned, as animal subjects implanted with the machines begin dying at an alarming rate. He voices his worries to the company CEO, but he is too interested in reaping the product's profits and decides to release the unsafe substance anyway. Later, Buck is captured and knocked out. When he awakens, he discovers himself sans one kidney. In its place is a biodegradable sack filled with acid that will kill him if he doesn't get the antidote. The one who performed this ghastly deed, has even more evil plans for poor Buck who, before the story ends, will end up a human time bomb with very few seconds left on his life clock. If Buck cannot stop it, he will not only die, but the deadly new cancer cure will be released, thereby endangering the entire city. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Thomas, Mädchen Amick, (more)
- 1997
- NR
A supposedly powerless production assistant shows a major movie mogul just how important he can be in this satiric comedy. Kevin Conroy (Henry Thomas) is a film student from Michigan who moves to Hollywood in hopes of getting his foot in the door of the movie industry. Kevin has a script he's been trying to shop around entitled "Three Days in a Salt Mine," but in the meantime he gets a job as a production assistant on the upcoming summer blockbuster Moby Dick II. Michael Lawrence (Mark Metcalf), the film's producer, has made a career out of taking classic novels and turning them into money-spinning tripe, and he expects this will be no exception; Michael is a terror to work for, and his lazy and stunningly foul-mouthed assistant Russell Bernside (Scott Thompson) is even worse. But Kevin and his roommate Tad Sheen (Neil Mandt) come up with a plan that will allow Kevin to get revenge and funding for his own project at the same time. One of Kevin's many jobs is to supervise the shipping of the exposed film to the processing lab; by hijacking Moby Dick II's very expensive special effects sequences and holding them for ransom, he's taken the future of the very expensive project into his own hands, though things hardly work out the way he expected. Hijacking Hollywood marked the feature debut for writer and director Neil Mandt, who also plays Tad. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Thomas, Scott Thompson, (more)
Television director Peter O'Fallon made his feature film debut with this independent film that pays obvious homage to the style of Quentin Tarantino, with plenty of violence and funny, talkative hit men. Suave gangster Charlie Barrett (Christopher Walken) meets four young men who have taken over his regular booth at a popular bistro. Charmed by the swaggering kids, he agrees to take a ride with them, but they give him a sedative and he awakens in a deserted mansion, taped to a chair with one of his fingers missing. One of his abductors, Avery (Henry Thomas), says that he has a sister who has been kidnapped and they need two million dollars to get her back, as well as a finger to exchange for her severed digit. Charlie phones his lawyer Marty (Cliff De Young), who calls a henchman, Lono (Denis Leary), who investigates the kidnappings and gives Charlie enough information to start playing each of his inexperienced abductors against the others. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christopher Walken, Denis Leary, (more)
- 1997
Two emotionally scarred young people find both love and tragedy as they run away together in this drama. Marcy (Robin Tunney) and Seth (Henry Thomas) meet while shoplifting at the same department store; Seth is the son of an angry, abusive father and steals out of rebellion, while Marcy suffers from Tourette's Syndrome, which causes her to compulsively curse, flail about, and indulge in anti-social behavior. The two misfits find a common ground in each other, and they decide to hit the road. Marcy has always wanted a black "You Do The Hairdo" Barbie doll head, and they drive off to Toronto to find one. However, when a pharmacy along the way refuses to refill Marcy's prescription for her Tourette's medication, she and Seth decide to rob the drugstore, and Seth is shot by the pharmacist. An aging tow truck driver named Walter (Michael Parks) shows mercy on them, but his hospitality proves short-lived thanks to Marcy's increasingly violent outbursts. Robin Tunney's performance in Niagara Niagara earned her the prize as Best Actress at the 1997 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robin Tunney, Henry Thomas, (more)
- 1996
Based on a popular Zane Grey novel, this well-wrought western centers on a plucky female rancher who incurs the wrath of the local clergy when she boldly refuses to marry a deacon. To get revenge, the town preacher and his followers begin harassing the woman and her ranch hands until a sympathetic gunslinger rides into town and decides to help her out. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, (more)
- 1995
- R
- Add Indictment: The McMartin Trial to Queue Add Indictment: The McMartin Trial to top of Queue
Originally broadcast on HBO, Indictment: The McMartin Trial is a docudrama concerning the infamous McMartin child abuse case. In 1984, seven employees of Los Angeles' prestigious McMartin Preschool, including four members of the McMartin family, were arrested and charged with child abuse and sexual molestation. The film centers on the story of lawyer Danny Davis, an opportunistic attorney who agrees to defend the McMartins. Initially, Davis takes the case solely for the publicity, but as he investigates further, he becomes convinced of his clients' innocence. Meanwhile, however, the family is pronounced guilty by the media, which airs heated allegations of "Satanic rituals" and a "nationwide conspiracy of sexual predators," in an increasing frenzy that the film compares to a modern-day witch trial. To convince the jury of the falsehood of these charges, however, he must overcome opposition from zealous prosecutor Lael Rubin and discredit Kee McFarlane, the child therapist that Davis believes has unfairly manipulated the McMartin Preschool children into giving damaging testimony. At the time of its airing, the film met with controversy; while some found its case convincing, others alleged that the filmmakers were unfairly biased in favor of the McMartin family. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Woods, Mercedes Ruehl, (more)
The sweeping, melodramatic saga of three brothers, their powerful father, and a beautiful woman, the popular period drama Legends of the Fall presents a romanticized view of rugged masculinity against lush Montana scenery. Based on a novel by Jim Harrison, the film covers decades in the lives of Alfred (Aidan Quinn), Tristan (Brad Pitt), and Samuel (Henry Thomas) Ludlow, the sons of retired military man William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins). Raised by the unorthodox Ludlow after the departure of their mother, the boys grow up close, sharing an appreciation of the land and a pioneering spirit. The family becomes divided, however, when young Sam enlists in World War I over his father's objections, and his brothers follow suit to protect him. Despite these efforts, Sam dies in battle, leaving Alfred and Tristan to return home and deal with the lingering torment. Further complicating matters is the presence of Sam's beautiful fiancée, Susannah (Julia Ormond). After Sam's death, she attracts the romantic attention of both the responsible Alfred and the brooding Tristan, a conflict that threatens to drive the brothers apart. Aspiring to epic status, the film utilizes period detail and attractive landscapes as a backdrop for tragic, doomed romance. While some critics complained that the film resembled a romance novel writ, veering at times into the overwrought, audiences embraced the combination of emotion and grand historical scale, making the film a box-office success. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, (more)
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