Fresh
Though there is a near vaccuum at the center of the film, Sommersby is never boring, largely because of Ms. Foster's beautifully self-possessed presence.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
Sommersby
She knew his face. His touch. His voice. She knew everything about him ... But the truth.
1993 · 1h 49m · PG-13
Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Directed by
Jon Amiel
Overview
Set in the South just after the US Civil War, Laurel Sommersby is just managing to work the farm without her husband, believed killed in battle. By all accounts, Jack Sommersby was not a pleasant man, thus when he suddenly returns, Laurel has mixed emotions. It appears that Jack has changed a great deal, leading some people to believe that this is not actually Jack but an imposter. Laurel herself is unsure, but willing to take the man into her home, and perhaps later into her heart.
Director and cast
- Jon Amiel Director
- Jodie Foster as Laurel Sommersby
- Richard Gere as John Robert Sommersby/Horace Townsend
- Bill Pullman as Orin Meecham
- James Earl Jones as Judge Barry Conrad Issacs
- Lanny Flaherty as Buck
- William Windom as Reverend Powell
- Wendell Wellman as Travis
- Brett Kelley as Rob
- Clarice Taylor Cast
- Frankie Faison Cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
63%
Tomatometer
Fresh
From start to finish, it is a well-crafted film: part love story, part mystery, and all drama.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Rotten
A square peg pounded into a round hole -- or, more exactly, a medieval European story that has been unsuccessfully updated to the period of the American Civil War.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Fresh
It's really an old-fashioned hankie-soaker with Gere and Foster ably jerking tears. An odd yet convincing couple, they won't replace Rhett and Scarlet, and frankly, my dears, who can? But belles wring and bosoms heave in a manner most pleasing.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Fresh
If you're looking for a picturesque romance -- with a little intrigue on the side -- you could do worse than Sommersby.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
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- Runtime
- 2h 2m
- Director
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- Cast
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IMDb
6.9
Rotten Tomatoes
55%
Metacritic
55
Comments
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