Kristin Scott Thomas Movies
Early in her career, it looked as though actress Kristin Scott Thomas was going to be relegated to playing the kind of elegantly bloodless British women she portrayed in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), but with her role as the aristocratic but passionate Katharine Clifton in The English Patient (1996), Scott Thomas broke the mold, proving herself capable of projecting a good deal of sensuality and heat as her character embarked on a tragic affair with a Hungarian adventurer (Ralph Fiennes).The daughter of a Royal Navy pilot who died in an air crash when she was five, Scott Thomas was born the eldest of five children, in Cornwall, on May 24, 1960. When she was 11, tragedy struck again when her stepfather, also a military pilot, met a demise identical to her father's. Scott Thomas was left to help her mother look after the family and -- in contrast to what her film roles would suggest -- her situation was far from aristocratic. Although she had an interest in acting, her mother loathed the idea and sent her daughter to the Cheltenham Ladies College. Scott Thomas dropped out at age 16, spent some time in a convent, and eventually enrolled at London's Central School of Speech and Drama to take a teacher training course. Unable to resist the call of the stage, however, Scott Thomas quietly began studying drama. Unfortunately, the school's drama department advised her to pursue other professions. Scott Thomas was 18 at the time and in addition to being hurt by the drama department's rejection, she was also fed up with school. Seeking to gain perspective on her life, she went to visit some friends in Paris. What originally began as a two-week vacation ended in a permanent change of residence, after Scott Thomas took an au pair job and then fell in love with a Frenchman (she eventually married obstetrician François Olivennes, with whom she has two sons and a daughter).
Though her new French friends teased her for being a funny little English girl, Scott Thomas found herself at home in Paris and decided to try acting again. At the encouragement of her friends, she enrolled in L'Ecole Nationale des Arts et Techniques de Theatres, honing her skills and finding the French school to be more supportive than its English counterpart. She gained experience playing small roles on-stage and soon went on to do some television work. After an inauspicious debut playing a headstrong heiress in Prince's Under the Cherry Moon (1986), she worked in a number of French films. In 1988, she was given her first lead in an English film, playing a cool-blooded aristocrat in A Handful of Dust.
It wasn't until the 1990s that Scott Thomas began to attain recognition outside of Europe. Two years after starring as Hugh Grant's wife in Roman Polanski's Bitter Moon (1992), she came to the attention of an international audience in Four Weddings and a Funeral. Her second outing with Grant, the film was a sleeper hit, becoming the highest-grossing British film in the country's history. Following the film's success, Scott Thomas applied her talents to smaller films, appearing as Alfred Hitchcock's thorny assistant in the French-Canadian Le Confessionnal (1994) and a plain-Jane entomologist who finds herself embroiled in family dysfunction in Angels & Insects (1995). In 1996, the year of The English Patient, Scott Thomas fully stepped into the glare of the international spotlight, earning a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her role in the widely acclaimed film. That same year, she did less-heralded but no less respectable work in Richard III, in which she played the enigmatic Lady Anne, and Mission: Impossible, her first truly big-budget film.
With Hollywood now taking full notice, Scott Thomas was cast in a coveted lead role in Robert Redford's 1998 adaptation of Nicholas Evans' The Horse Whisperer. The film proved something of a disappointment, although the actress was praised for her strong performance. The following year, she found herself involved in another high-profile project, starring opposite Harrison Ford in Random Hearts. Playing a woman who discovers that her husband, who died in a plane crash, was having an affair with Ford's wife, who also died in the crash, Scott Thomas again got to demonstrate her ability at embracing roles that went far beyond the confines of the tea-sipping British aristocracy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Based on a novel by Evelyn Waugh, Handful of Dust is set amongst Britain's aristocracy of the 1930s. At sumptuous Hetton Abbey, tradition-bound country squire James Wilby and his wife Kristin Scott Thomas open their doors to well-connected but impoverished Rupert Graves. Graves returns Wilby's hospitality by having an affair with Scott Thomas, while Wilby gamboles about his estate without a clue of what is going on. Wilby's cloistered world comes tumbling down when Scott Thomas coolly demands a divorce, shortly after the accidental death of their young son. Wilby discovers that his divorce settlement will cost him Hetton Abbey; he faces this circumstance by not facing it at all, preferring to escape to South America, stiff upper lip intact, in the company of a dotty explorer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Wilby, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
- 1987
Amanda Weber (Catherine Deneuve) is a museum employee who seeks to discover how and why her nephew (Tom Novembre) was murdered in this dull thriller. She knows her nephew was witness to a government project in which a busload of tourists were killed by a mysterious poisonous gas. Alex (Richard Bohringer) is a villainous government agent with orders to kill anyone with knowledge of the cover-up. Amanda soon becomes a target for the callous veteran assassin. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Bohringer, Catherine Deneuve, (more)
- 1997
The debate between gender roles and the nature of masculinity and femininity in the '90s provides the basis of this romantic comedy. Dan is divorced and designs ladies lingerie for a living. Sarah is a powerful business executive. She and Dan spend one night making passionate love and then lose track of each other. This is unfortunate, for each is interested in knowing the other better. Sensitive Dan spends much of the film discussing his plight to macho married-man Simon while career-oriented Sarah shares her thoughts with Michelle, a young beauty who allows herself to be abused by her married lover. As the four converse, they offer insight into the plight of modern men and women in a modern society. In the end, a pleasant twist of fate reunites the lonely Dan and Sarah. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Braoudé, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
- 1995
A 19th-century British naturalist falls in love with the beautiful daughter of a wealthy aristocrat, but he soon discovers that her family's perfect facade disguises unexpectedly grim secrets. Director and co-screenwriter Philip Haas's adaptation of A.S. Byatt's Morpho Eugenio eschews the usual gentility of Victorian period pieces in favor of subtle creepiness. The unsettling mood is emphasized by the film's detailed attention to its protagonist's scientific endeavors, which center on the study of insects and their behavior. In fact, it is his love of insects that brings William (Mark Rylance) to the well-heeled Reverend Alabaster (Jeremy Kemp), who takes a personal interest in William's welfare when a shipwreck leaves William practically penniless. William is welcomed into the Alabaster home, and he resumes his entomological studies while courting the reverend's daughter, Eugenia (Patsy Kensit). Close-up glimpses of insect society parallel this aristocratic world and hint at the dark secrets with which William soon becomes unexpectedly familiar. As in Haas's previous film, The Music of Chance, an unusual, highly symbolic filmmaking approach creates an effective drama, with the potentially detached intellectualism balanced by unusual characterizations and an absorbing attention to detail. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
- 1990
Bruno is bored and frustrated. His attempts to woo Juliette, an attractive hairdresser in the village next to his have fallen flat, and he just plain doesn't like his life. He decides to do something to spice things up and at the same time impress Juliette that he's really smitten with her. That is why he takes a gun and hijacks a school bus, demanding to be taken to Juliette's village. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvan Attal, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
- 1989
Based on a popular novel with the English title Devil in the Flesh by Alexandre Jardin, this little drama tells the story of Virgile (Thomas Langmann), a sixteen-year old boy who has grown tired of being a virgin, and decides to seduce Carla (Kristin Scott-Thomas), an older woman. Rather to his surprise, despite his callowness, she proves to be quite willing. One highlight of the film is the performance of veteran screen actress Danielle Darrieux as Virgile's grandmother, L'Arquebuse. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Langmann, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
A perverse, dark-humored comedy drama, Bitter Moon crosses the line into intentional camp more often than not in its tale of a kinky cripple Oscar (Peter Coyote) and his beautiful wife Mimi (Emmanuelle Seigner). Oscar ensnares a proper British man, Nigel (Hugh Grant) on an ocean-liner and makes him listen to the twisted tale of his relationship with Mimi (related in lengthy flashbacks) and how erotic obsession turned to homicidal hatred. Nigel is married to Fiona (Kristin Scott-Thomas), but is captivated by Mimi and listens to Oscar's grotesque stories because of his fascination. Naturally, the whole thing ends in tragedy, but it's wicked fun getting there, as director Roman Polanski paces the film quite well and the cast (particularly Coyote) is wonderful. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Emmanuelle Seigner, (more)
A Manhattan shopaholic (Isla Fisher) whose buying sprees have buried her in immense debt lands a columnist gig dishing out financial advice in this Touchstone comedy based on Sophie Kinsella's series of books. P.J. Hogan (My Best Friend's Wedding) directs, with producing duties being handled by Jerry Bruckheimer. Rebecca Bloomwood (Fisher) can't seem to break her habit for making impulsive purchases, and while she's always decked out in the latest styles, her credit card bills are as thick as a telephone book. If Rebecca could somehow manage to land her dream job at a high-profile fashion magazine, perhaps she could transform what is now a simple addiction into something that could really benefit her professionally. When Rebecca becomes an advice columnist at a financial magazine published by the same company as her favorite fashion magazine, her fresh approach strikes a chord with readers and she quickly becomes the toast of the town. Meanwhile, her bank account is still bone dry, wreaking havoc on her love life and placing her career in jeopardy. As Rebecca teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, she gradually begins to reassess her priorities in life. Joan Cusack, John Goodman, Hugh Dancy, and Krysten Ritter co-star in the Touchstone Pictures production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, (more)
A glamorous American woman enters into a spirited battle of wits with her disapproving English mother-in-law in this period romantic comedy. John Whittaker (Ben Barnes) and Larita Huntington (Jessica Biel) married in haste following a whirlwind romance. But reality comes knocking when the couple arrives to visit John's parents and his mother has an allergic reaction to her new daughter-in-law. As the battle of wits between the two women escalates, John and Larita's marriage begins to suffer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Biel, Ben Barnes, (more)
- 1995
This episodic French comedy chronicles 10 minutes in the lives of seven people living in the same apartment block. The stories are set in early May at 7:50 p.m., ten minutes before the name of the new president of France is to be announced on television. The episodes are all presented in real time and as they progress, they eventually come together and give the viewer a complete picture of all that is happening in that single building. Within are scenes of a Mideast wedding that disintegrates into a brawl, an unemployed executive who cracks under stress and accidentally shoots his wife, and a pretty nurse who makes bold sexual advances to her biker-neighbor after she goes to borrow a cup of flour. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrée Damant, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
- 1989
Force Majeure (Uncontrollable Circumstances) begins with a drug deal involving tourists Phillipe (Patrick Bruel) and Daniel (Francois Cluzet), and a Dutch stranger. Two years pass: the Dutchman has been arrested in an unspecified Asian country, where the penalty for drug trafficking is death. Phillipe and Daniel agree to admit that the hashish partly belongs to them, which will reduce the Dutchman's sentence, but also subject the twosome to a prison sentence themselves. Malcolm Forrest (Alan Bates), a representative of Amnesty International, does what he can to aid all three of the unfortunate young men. Force Majeure was co-written by Michele De Broca, wife of director Philippe De Broca. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Bruel, François Cluzet, (more)
This acclaimed British comedy centers on the intermittent romance between a charming (if slightly bumbling) Englishman and a beautiful American woman, who seem to always run into each other at weddings. Indeed, it is at the first of the title's four weddings that Charles (Hugh Grant) and Carrie (Andie McDowell) meet, enjoying a brief but fleeting connection. The spark is rekindled several months later, when they unexpectedly meet at another wedding. Unfortunately, however, Carrie has become engaged to another, a fact that complicates matters for them both. The story may seem simple, but the film is elevated by screenwriter Richard Curtis' ear for witty dialogue and a colorful supporting cast. Director Mike Newell's sympathetic attention to character keeps the proceedings believable, and prevents the film's more serious moments from seeming mawkish. These elements, along with Grant's star-making performance as Charles, helped the film achieve unexpected international success, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, (more)
Made for cable TV, Framed top-bills Jeff Goldblum as Wiley, a talented but somewhat naïve art forger. Wiley's big chance to score a con is cleverly foiled by another scam artist, Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas). Eager for revenge, Wiley seeks out Kate for a showdown; instead, the two become partners in crime. The likability of the leading performers keeps Framed alive from start to finish. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Goldblum, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
Maverick American filmmaker Robert Altman takes a witty and absorbing look at the foibles of the British class system in this intelligent murder mystery set in the early '30s. Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) are a pair of wealthy British socialites who have invited a variety of friends, relatives, and acquaintances to their mansion in the country for a weekend of hunting and relaxation. Among the honored guests are Constance (Maggie Smith), Lady Sylvia's matronly aunt; Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), William's cousin who is also a well-known actor and songwriter; and Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban), an American film producer who is friendly with Ivor and researching an upcoming project. Observing the proceedings are the domestic staff of the mansion, including imperious butler Jennings (Alan Bates); footmen George (Richard E. Grant) and Arthur (Jeremy Swift); Probert (Derek Jacobi), a valet to Sir William; housekeeper Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren); Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins), who oversees the kitchen; and Elsie (Emily Watson), a maid. Also on hand are the guests' personal servants, including Mary (Kelly Macdonald), Constance's maid; Henry (Ryan Phillippe), Weissman's valet; and Parks (Clive Owens), a butler. While the servants are required to display a high level of decorum, they are expected to be passive observers who do not comment on what they see, though the gossip among them travels thick and fast once they retire to the servants' quarters downstairs. And it turns out that there's plenty worth gossiping about, especially after Sir William turns up dead, and everyone is ordered to stay at the mansion while the police investigate the killing. Gosford Park also features Charles Dance, Tom Hollander, Natasha Wightman, and Ron Webster; the screenplay was written by Julian Fellowes, based on a story by Altman and co-star Bob Balaban. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, (more)
Their relationship fractured when older sister Juliette is sentenced to 15 years in prison, two siblings wage an emotional battle to rebuild their relationship, overcome the secrets that keep them apart, and finally express the thoughts that have lain dormant for well over a decade. The moment Juliette was convicted, her parents declared that they wanted nothing to do with her. Now, after 15 years behind bars, Juliette is a free woman and in desperate need of a human connection. When Juliette's younger sister, Léa, is approached by a prison social worker and asked if she would be willing to provide her recently paroled sibling with a place to live, she doesn't hesitate to open her doors and share her home. But Léa is happily married with two adopted daughters, and her husband, Luc, is uneasy with the arrangement. Still, the house is large, the couple is used to having company, and the two young girls are thrilled to have a new aunt. As Juliette gets settled, Léa does her best to make her feel welcome. Likewise, Léa's colleague Michel and emigrant couple Samir and Kaïsha also offer to help Juliette readjust to life on the outside. Along the way, Juliette slowly begins to emerge from her shell and Léa realizes just how much she missed her sister. Perhaps if she can put aside her feelings of guilt long enough to truly understand her sister's plight, these two strangers can finally remember what it means to be family. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristin Scott Thomas, Elsa Zylberstein, (more)
Niall Johnson's comedy Keeping Mum concerns the family of a vicar who are beset by a variety of problems. Reverend Walter Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) is a well-meaning but hapless religious figure in his town. His son, Petey, is a wimp, forever terrorized at school. His daughter, Holly, enjoys the company of a variety of different boyfriends. Wife Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas) has had enough of her husband and is considering leaving him for a golf teacher (Patrick Swayze). The family starts to come back together after hiring housekeeper Grace (Maggie Smith), a woman who knows a thing or two about keeping secrets. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
- 1988
This uneven comedy of manners concerns a young film projectionist (Jerome Ange) who sets out to find a marriageable woman. He sets his sights on two women he has lived with for nearly ten years (Kristin Scott-Thomas and Sylvie Orcier). For some reason, the projectionist encourages one of the women to hire a private detective (Patrice Kerbrat) to monitor his romantic activities. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerome Ange, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
- 1990
Based on a semi-autobiographical novel by the director, actress Marie-France Pisier, this drama tells the story of a failing marriage between Charles Forestier (Didier Flamand), a stuffy colonial official stationed on New Caledonia (a French colony in the south Pacific), and his exciteable and athletic young wife (Kristin Scott-Thomas), as seen by their eleven-year old daughter Théa (Vanessa Wagner). Every morning, Mrs. Forestier goes off riding by the seashore, but when she comes back from her ride one day with a torn outfit, rumors begin to fly. Everyone says she has been seeing a young doctor. Tensions within the family build to a climax during their attendance at a ball the colony's governor is giving for a visiting dignitary. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristin Scott Thomas, Didier Flamand, (more)
- 1994
Two different narratives, separated by 37 years, interconnect in this feature debut from acclaimed Canadian theater director Robert Lepage. In 1952, Alfred Hitchcock (here played by Ron Burrage) is in Quebec, filming I Confess. While the great director's presence adds a bit of Hollywood excitement to the usually sleepy city, Rachel (Suzanne Clement), a 16-year-old girl who works at a church being used for filming, is in turmoil. She's become pregnant and has nowhere to turn, so she speaks of her dilemma to the priest in the confessional, secure that it will remain confidential. In 1989, Pierre (Lothaire Bluteau) has returned to Quebec after three years in China to attend the funeral of his father. He encounters his adopted brother Marc (Patrick Goyette), and together they begin searching for answers to their difficult questions about their true heritage. Kristin Scott Thomas appears in a supporting role as Hitchcock's assistant. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lothaire Bluteau, Patrick Goyette, (more)
This French WW II action-adventure is based on a fascinating footnote in history. Set just after the Franco-German armistice was signed in June 1940, it chronicles the courage of a compassionate French officer who defied his superiors and, acting alone, redirected a train full of German refugees to a neutral country thereby saving them from execution. Some of these refugees represented Germany and Austria's intellectual and artistic elite and included a Nobel-prize winner, the scientist who invented cortisone, and artist Max Ernst. The French officer was Charles Perrochon, a WWI veteran and military reservist who despite the fact that he had only one lung was suddenly called back to helm Les Milles, one of the camps where the refugees are to be interred. Among those distinguished prisoners is a famous soccer player and this thrills Perrochon, a pragmatic fellow not easily impressed by mere intellectuals. Visiting the camp is a female reporter for the Boston Globe, Mary Jane Cooper. At this point the armistice has not been signed. According to the treaty, these prisoners are to be returned to the Nazis. Knowing the fate that awaits them at home, the refugees send Perrochon a petition imploring him to allow them to save themselves. Perrochon tries to assure them that the French will not allow them to be killed, but deep down he knows the truth. Sure enough, as soon as the treaty is signed, Perrochon learns that his superiors care nothing for the refugees and are only too happy to send them back home to certain death. The refugees are placed upon a train. They do not want to go because they don't realize that Perrochon has taken over a train and paid the crew to take the prisoners safely to Casablanca. It is a dangerous 72-hour trip and the suspense lies in whether or not they reach their destination. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Pierre Marielle, Ticky Holgado, (more)
Kevin Kline stars as George, a down-on-his-luck architect in this tearjerker from Irwin Winkler (At First Sight, Guilty By Suspicion). A disdainful local character who draws disapproval from the community, particularly his neighbor played by Mary Steenburgen, George sets out to change his life after suddenly losing his longtime job and discovering he's terminally ill (he has cancer). Attempting to reconnect with his estranged and troubled son, Sam (Hayden Christiansen), George endeavors to spend the summer they have together building his dream home by the sea. The laborious process leads to the rebuilding of dissipated relationships, the birth of new ones, and all-around healing. ~ Rachel Deahl, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
