Sunshine (2000)
83%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
73 wins & 111 nominations total
Sunshine is a film that defies categorization, blending elements of historical drama, family saga, and philosophical inquiry into a heady and intoxicating brew. Director István Szabó weaves a complex tapestry of characters and themes, exploring the tensions between duty and desire, tradition and progress, and the individual and the collective. At the center of it all is Ralph Fiennes, delivering a tour-de-force performance as three generations of a Hungarian Jewish family struggling to survive and thrive in the face of war, revolution, and personal tragedy. With its sumptuous visuals, haunting score, and richly layered script, Sunshine is a film that rewards repeated viewings and invites endless interpretation. It’s a rare gem that shines with intelligence, empathy, and humanity, and reminds us of the power of cinema to illuminate the darkest corners of the human experience.
Sunshine is a movie that will make you feel like you’re getting a history lesson, but in a good way. It’s got all the intelligence and empathy you could ask for, and it’s not afraid to tackle some weighty ideas. Plus, the shifting hues of humanity will leave you impressed and maybe even a little bit emotional. It’s like a warm hug from a really smart friend who knows how to make you think. So grab some popcorn and settle in for a treat that’s both gripping and beautiful, just like the music of the spheres.
Production Company(ies)
Jalem Productions,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Montauk, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, some drug and sexual content
Year of Release
2004
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:DTS Dolby SDDS
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:3h 0m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States, United Kingdom
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 13, 1999 Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2001
Genre(s)
History/Drama
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $74,036,715
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $116,791,912
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 949
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 12,736,304
US/Canada gross: $34,400,301
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $54,266,007
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,033
US/Canada opening weekend: $8,175,198
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,896,264
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 866
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $20,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $31,549,728
Production budget ranking: 1,128
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $16,989,529
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $68,252,655
ROI to date (est.): 141%
ROI ranking: 796
Rosemary Harris – Valerie Sors
Rachel Weisz – Greta
Jennifer Ehle – Valerie Sonnenschein
Molly Parker – Hannah Wippler
Deborah Kara Unger – Major Car
Director(s)
István Szabó
Writer(s)
István Szabó, István Szabó, Israel Horovitz
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
73 wins & 111 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (65) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (17)
There’s no denying the rare ambition of a film with intelligence and empathy to burn: You go in expecting a history lesson and emerge impressed by the shifting hues of humanity.
January 18, 2018
Matt Wolf
Associated Press
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B+
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
August 4, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
Well-intentioned but never entirely engaging …
April 4, 2007
Eddie Cockrell
Variety
TOP CRITIC
It’s an absorbing, weighty picture, which worries at still important ideas about duty and inheritance, and at how we may define ourselves against the tide of history.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
What does it mean to live in a country where one finds oneself both at home and still a stranger? Szabó’s masterpiece brings us close to the heart of this enduring dilemma.
August 17, 2018
István Deák
The New York Review of Books
Much like her character holds together her family, Harris’s warm and robust performance holds together Sunshine.
January 7, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
Sunshine has done the impossible by reinventing the concept of “high stakes,” it’s a marvelous treat…gripping and beautiful, twining the music of the spheres with the reptilian brain inside us all.
August 16, 2007 | Rating: 4.5/5
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina
August 14, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk
August 11, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals
August 4, 2007 | Rating: B
Daniel Kasman
d+kaz. intelligent movie reviews…
Plot
Much to his surprise, timid Joel Barish is shocked to discover that the love of his life, sparky Clementine, has had him erased from her memory. To pay her back in the same coin, poor Joel summons up the courage to undergo a painless but intricate medical procedure to do the same, utterly unaware that darkness is an essential part of the light. Now, as hurt and angry Joel’s ugly recollections of Clementine gradually fade away, giving way to a soulless black void, suddenly, he begins having second thoughts, toying with the idea of stopping the irreversible process. In the end, is ignorance really bliss?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Ralph Fiennes plays three different characters in the film: Ignatz Sonnenschein, Adam Sors, and Ivan Sors.
István-Szabó.jpg
