Carol (2015)
85%RT Audience Score: 74%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 6 Oscars
77 wins & 254 nominations total
Shaped by Todd Haynes’ deft direction and powered by a strong cast led by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol lives up to its groundbreaking source material
Carol is the kind of movie that makes you want to fall in love, but also makes you realize that love is complicated and messy. It’s a beautiful and elegant film that will leave you feeling both melancholic and hopeful. The performances by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are simply stunning, and the direction by Todd Haynes is masterful. If you’re looking for a movie that will make you feel all the feels, Carol is definitely worth a watch. Just make sure you have some tissues handy.
Production Company(ies)
Strong Heart, Demme Production Orion Pictures,
Distributor
Weinstein Co.
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for a scene of sexuality/nudity and brief language
Year of Release
2016
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 58m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United Kingdom
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 8, 2016 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 15, 2016
Genre(s)
Romance/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, John Magaro, Cory Michael Smith, directed by Todd Haynes, written by Phyllis Nagy, romance, drama, LGBTQ+, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Grace Manger, Heather Hogan, Kristen Yoonsoo Kim, Sara Michelle Fetters, Wesley Morris, Udita Jhunjhunwala, Cody Dericks, Brian Eggert, Zofia Wijaszka, Nikki Baughan, Ben Turner, Kip Mooney, produced by Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, Christine Vachon, MPAA rating R, 1950s Manhattan, department store, love affair, unconventional relationship, Carter Burwell’s music, New York, production design, Edward Lachman’s cinematography, Judy Becker’s production design, Sandy Powell’s costume design, nuanced performances, subtle facial expressions, eavesdropping secrecy, taboo relationship, complex social issues, Far From Heaven, devastating love story, struggle with freedom of expression
Worldwide gross: $40,272,135
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $49,635,349
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,330
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 5,412,797
US/Canada gross: $12,711,491
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $15,666,894
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,484
US/Canada opening weekend: $253,510
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $312,451
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,526
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $11,800,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $14,543,483
Production budget ranking: 1,529
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $7,831,666
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $27,260,200
ROI to date (est.): 122%
ROI ranking: 848
Rooney Mara – Therese Belivet
Sarah Paulson – Abby Gerhard
Jake Lacy – Richard
John Magaro – Dannie
Cory Michael Smith – Tommy
Director – Todd Haynes
Producer – Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, Christine Vachon
Writer – Phyllis Nagy
Director(s)
Todd Haynes
Writer(s)
Phyllis Nagy
Producer(s)
Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, Christine Vachon
Film Festivals
Cannes, Telluride
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 6 Oscars
77 wins & 254 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (317) | Top Critics (88) | Fresh (298) | Rotten (19)
A wonderful and all-too-rare film.
February 9, 2021
Grace Manger
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
It makes me wish the word “epic” hadn’t been completely diluted so I could bring the full weight of its meaning to bear on this love story. Extraordinary? Singular? Remarkable? Yes, all of those things too.
June 26, 2018
Heather Hogan
Autostraddle
TOP CRITIC
To call Carol a Christmas miracle feels like a gaudy understatement, but that’s sort of exactly what it is.
February 27, 2017 | Rating: 4.5/5
Kristen Yoonsoo Kim
Complex
TOP CRITIC
The smile of recognition and understanding that closes things out is an unforgettable celebratory stunner that shook me right to my very core.
August 16, 2016 | Rating: 4/4
Sara Michelle Fetters
MovieFreak.com
TOP CRITIC
This is a slender movie that Haynes gives plenty of antique atmosphere.
August 16, 2016
Wesley Morris
Grantland
TOP CRITIC
A showcase for the towering talents of Blanchett and Mara, Carol is a sumptuous watch.
June 21, 2016
Udita Jhunjhunwala
Scroll.in
TOP CRITIC
A masterpiece of melancholy longing that manages to miraculously avoid being devastatingly tragic or dramatic.
June 30, 2022 | Rating: 9/10
Cody Dericks
Next Best Picture
Haynes, an experimental filmmaker whose dramatic work may seem straightforward yet is anything but, knows just how to fold his audience into a moment.
April 23, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Todd Haynes and Phyllis Nagy created a compelling, extraordinary tale about love and its meanders in life. The time passes, but Carol remains the most critical romantic story with a happy ending. For me, it will always mean a lot.
February 13, 2022 | Rating: A
Zofia Wijaszka
In Their Own League
Poised, elegant and desperately moving, it’s yet another tour de force turn from an actress who has clearly defined herself as the best of her generation.
September 29, 2021
Nikki Baughan
AWFJ Women on Film
Veering toward moments of heightened drama, Haynes shows measured restraint in maintaining the focus that essentially this is a story about love, rather than heading into cheaper plot devices.
September 2, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Ben Turner
The Pink Lens
A gorgeous, complicated and absolutely captivating film.
August 10, 2021 | Rating: A
Kip Mooney
Central Track…
Plot
In an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s seminal novel The Price of Salt, CAROL follows two women from very different backgrounds who find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. As conventional norms of the time challenge their undeniable attraction, an honest story emerges to reveal the resilience of the heart in the face of change. A young woman in her 20s, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store and dreaming of a more fulfilling life when she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), an alluring woman trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage. As an immediate connection sparks between them, the innocence of their first encounter dims and their connection deepens. While Carol breaks free from the confines of marriage, her husband (Kyle Chandler) begins to question her competence as a mother as her involvement with Therese and close relationship with her best friend Abby (Sarah Paulson) come to light.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises the “exceptional lead performances” of Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in Carol.
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