A tastefully reverent, fundamentally sincere treatment of Margaret Laurence's 1964 Manitoba-based novel, a staple for Canada's 12th graders.
The Stone Angel (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:8
Fresh:4
Rotten:4
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: Despite fine performances from Ellen Burstyn and newcomer Christine Horne, The Stone Angel fails to escape formulaic melodrama territory.
Theatrical Release:Jul 11, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $31,883
Synopsis: Based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Laurence, The Stone Angel is the story of feisty firecracker Hagar Shipley (Christine Horne, Oscar Winner Ellen Burstyn). Her passionate heart has always... Based on the best-selling novel by Margaret Laurence, The Stone Angel is the story of feisty firecracker Hagar Shipley (Christine Horne, Oscar Winner Ellen Burstyn). Her passionate heart has always ruled her head and her choices have put her at odds with family and friends. With her life nearly behind her, she sets out in search of a way to reconcile herself to her turbulent past. Through her reflections we come to know a passionate and rebellious young bride, her love for her two sons, the freedoms she claimed, and the joys she denied herself. --© Alliance [More]
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Christine Horne, Cole Hauser, Kevin Zegers
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Christine Horne, Cole Hauser, Kevin Zegers, Ellen Page, Dylan Baker
Director: Kari Skogland
Director: Kari Skogland
Screenwriter: Margaret Laurence, Kari Skogland
Reviews for The Stone Angel
Despite a terrific lead performance by Ellen Burstyn, Kari Skogland's epic The Stone Angel is a lesson in the perils of trying to cram a hefty Canadian novel that spans decades into a movie running just under two hours.
Writer-director Kari Skogland adapts a beloved Canadian novel gracefully and with plenty of spunk, the same way its main character moves through the world from cradle to grave.
Although talented newcomer Christine Horne is ideal as the younger Hagar, letting Burstyn play the character at around 50, despite best-effort lighting, was not the wisest choice.
A film of tightly assembled bits and pieces that don’t fit comfortably together despite clever dashes of magical realism connecting past and present.
Ellen Burstyn deserves another Oscar nomination for this compelling drama.
These elemental forces fuel a compelling narrative, but the second half of the movie starts to drift.
There is a reverence for the idea of Laurence's book but ultimately, in spite of its spiced-up sex scenes, it's much tamer and more conventional.
Latest News for The Stone Angel
June 15, 2008:
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