The Portrait of a Lady (1996)
60%RT Audience Score: 52%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
5 wins & 15 nominations total
Jane Campion’s adaptation of Henry James’ Portrait of a Lady is a visually stunning film that captures the essence of the novel’s characters and themes. While some critics may find the pacing slow, Campion’s deliberate approach allows for a deeper exploration of Isabel Archer’s inner turmoil and the societal constraints that shape her choices. The film’s haunting score by Wojiech Kilar adds to the overall atmosphere of the film, and the performances by Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, and Barbara Hershey are all top-notch. Overall, Portrait of a Lady is a thought-provoking and visually captivating film that is sure to leave a lasting impression on its viewers.
If you’re looking for a movie that’s like a fancy party with beautiful people and music, but with no excitement, then Portrait of a Lady is the perfect film for you! It’s like revisiting a place that never gets better, no matter how many times you go. But hey, at least it’s cinematically intelligent and faithful to the original novel, right? And if you’re into unruly costume dramas, then you’ll love this adaptation of Henry James’ classic. Just don’t expect to get behind the eyes of the heroine or to know where all of this is going. But hey, it’s a stunning period piece with beautiful imagery, so there’s that.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros.,
Distributor
Gramercy Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Palazzo Pfanner, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for mature sensuality and some brief nudity
Year of Release
1997
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:2h 24m
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Language(s):English, Italian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 24, 1996 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 13, 2009
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Barbara Hershey, Mary-Louise Parker, Shelley Winters, Shelley Duvall, Richard E Grant, Martin Donovan, Viggo Mortensen, directed by Jane Campion, written by Laura Jones, drama, PG-13, box office gross $3.7M, reviewed by David Ansen, Desson Thomson, Todd McCarthy, Michael O’Sullivan, Geoff Andrew, Josh Larsen, Brian D Johnson, Louise Keller, Rob Blackwelder, Barbara Shulgasser, period piece, wealthy, inheritance, societal norms, free spirit, relationships, money, independent, cynical intellectual, art enthusiast, pretentious, indulgent, directorial shortcomings, Henry James, retrograde politics, customs, eclectic cast, unresponsive, modern day prologue, questioning women’s choices, Ralph, dying father, inheritance, portrait
Worldwide gross: $3,692,836
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,883,745
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,079
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 750,681
US/Canada gross: $3,692,836
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,883,745
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,717
US/Canada opening weekend: $107,819
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $200,983
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,664
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
John Malkovich – Gilbert Osmond
Barbara Hershey – Madame Serena Merle
Mary-Louise Parker – Henrietta Stackpole
Shelley Winters – Mrs. Touchett
Shelley Duvall – Countess Gemini
Director – Jane Campion
Producers – Steve Golin, Monty Montgomery, Mark Turnbull
Writer – Laura Jones
Director(s)
Jane Campion
Writer(s)
Laura Jones
Producer(s)
Steve Golin, Monty Montgomery, Mark Turnbull
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
5 wins & 15 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (72) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (39)
This claustrophobic Portrait of a Lady is the kind of failure only a very gifted filmmaker could make: like it or not, it haunts you.
December 7, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
Portrait feels like an elegant party, full of attractive people, beautiful finery and tremendous music (from Wojiech Kilar), yet no excitement. And no matter how many times you revisit the place, it never gets better.
October 27, 2018
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
This is a film that appeals to the head far more than to the heart, making for a portrait that seems somewhat less than complete.
October 27, 2018
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Ten years on, the drama is still too slow but the film is far more watchable in the comfort of one’s home with the pause button at the ready.
October 27, 2018
Jim Schembri
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
Director Jane Campion not only alludes to the contemporary resonance of this hundred-year-old tale, but with this bold stamp she lays claim to the story that follows as wholly her own.
October 27, 2018
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Jane Campion and screenwriter Laura Jones have… produced an adaptation as cinematically intelligent as it is faithful to the original.
October 27, 2018
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Campion makes an unruly costume drama out of the 1881 novel by Henry James.
October 12, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
The director has a brilliant eye. But she fails to get behind the eyes of her heroine.
March 27, 2019
Brian D. Johnson
Maclean’s Magazine
The beauty of Jane Campion’s film lies not in what is said, but what is not said. The understated is beautifully captured in this stunning period piece.
October 27, 2018
Louise Keller
Urban Cinefile
Throughout Portrait there is a nagging sensation that makes one want to ask, “But where is all this going?”
October 26, 2018 | Rating: 2/4
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire
As much as director Jane Campion claims to love Henry James’ 1881 novel Portrait of a Lady, her movie of it is Jane Eyre all over again, a romantic horror story.
October 26, 2018
Barbara Shulgasser
San Francisco Examiner
The point of this imagery is not that Isabel has relapsed into the figure of the Gothic heroine, but that that figure in part informs her sense of self.
October 26, 2018
David Kelly
Senses of Cinema…
Plot
Ms. Isabel Archer inherits a fortune and becomes independent, but soon realizes the extent to which her money colors her relationships in the drama film, The Portrait of a Lady.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for “The Portrait of a Lady.”
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