The Shipping News (2001)
Average Rating: 5.8/10
Reviews Counted: 129
Fresh: 72 | Rotten: 57
Though solidly made and acted, The Shipping News is rather heavy-handed and dull, especially given the nature of its protagonist.
Average Rating: 5.8/10
Critic Reviews: 33
Fresh: 19 | Rotten: 14
Though solidly made and acted, The Shipping News is rather heavy-handed and dull, especially given the nature of its protagonist.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 20,228
My Rating
Movie Info
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by E. Annie Proulx becomes this drama from director Lasse Hallström. Kevin Spacey stars as Quoyle, a struggling, emotionally drained newspaper reporter suffering through a wretched marriage with the abusive Petal (Cate Blanchett), a promiscuous wild woman who tries to sell their daughter, Bunny, into adoption before she's killed in a car wreck. Retrieving his daughter, Quoyle sets out for Newfoundland, his ancestral home, with his long-lost Aunt Agnis (Judi
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Kevin Spacey
Quoyle -
Julianne Moore
Wavey -
Cate Blanchett
Petal Bear -
Judi Dench
Agnis Hamm -
Pete Postlethwaite
Tert Card -
Rhys Ifans
Beaufield Nutbeem -
Gordon Pinsent
Billy Pretty -
Jason Behr
Dennis Buggit -
Larry Pine
Bayonet Melville -
Jeanetta Arnette
Silver Melville -
Robert Joy
EMS Officer -
Alyssa Gainer
Bunny -
Kaitlyn Gainer
Bunny -
Lauren Gainer
Bunny -
John Dunsworth
Guy Quoyle -
Will MCallister
Herry Prowse -
Marc Lawrence I
Cousin Nolan -
Nancy Beatty
Mavis Bangs -
Scott Glenn
Jack Buggit -
Deborah Grover
Edna Buggit -
Ken James
Newspaper Boss -
Daniel Kash
Detective Danzig -
Roman Podhora
Muscular Man -
R.D. Reid
Alvin Yark -
Katherine Moennig
Grace Moosup -
Anthony Cipriano
Young Quoyle (7) -
Jonathan Creaaser
Paramedic -
Terry Daly
Hunky Guy -
Luke Fisher
Barfly -
Andrew Fowler
Guy Quoyle (15) -
Kathryn Fraser
Daycare Mom -
Gary Levert
Newspaper Employee -
John MacEachern
Drunken Guy -
Stephen Morgan
Bartender Dave -
Kyle Smith
Young Quoyle (12) -
Emma Taylor-Isherwood
Young Agnis -
Nicole Underhay
Betty Buggit -
Jon Whalen
Big Guy
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (143) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (74) | Rotten (58) | DVD (16)
I am baffled by all the negativity surrounding it, and I am prepared to designate it as the most underrated film of 2001.
Top CriticThe movie has a modest but true feeling for the ways in which people are formed by the ravages of their natural surroundings.
Spacey brilliantly shows Quoyle's transformation from a passive clod to a curious journalist.
I like good newspaper movies. Most of them get it completely wrong. In this case, it's exactly right.
Some novels need to be left alone. Hear that, Hollywood?
Where The Cider House Rules was one of the most exquisite examples of classical Hollywood filmmaking in years, Chocolat was no more than a trite, pleasant trifle. The Shipping News, well made as it is, isn't even up to that standard.
Not really meant for kids and teens.
What has happened to Lasse Hallstrom: This poor adaptation of an interesting novel is not only bland but also poorly acted and shapeless
...a problematic film redeemed by its steel gray palette and the actorly instincts of its chief players
Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore astound in touching, well-told tale of rebirth and redemption.
Audience Reviews for The Shipping News
Super Reviewer
-
- Jack Buggit: You don't have the sense God gave a donut, do you?
-
- Agnis Hamm: Tea's a good drink. Keep you going.
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for The Shipping News yet.
Latest News on The Shipping News
August 1, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: An Unfinished LifeFinally earning a (limited) release after sitting on a Miramax shelf for about a year is Lasse...
What's Hot On RT
The Last Stand, Side Effects
Trailer for new Coen Bros movie
Rachel McAdams' time travel romantic drama
Blockbusters ranked!
Featured on RT
- See the Best-Reviewed in Summer Movie Scorecard 2013 0
- RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: The Last Stand and Side Effects 10
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Star Trek Softer Than Expected at #1 84
- Weekly Ketchup: Will Smith to Star in Wild Bunch Remake? 37
- Critics Consensus: Star Trek Into Darkness is Certified Fresh 106
- Red Carpet Roundup: Star Trek Into Darkness Edition 0
- Video Interviews with Katie Aselton & Lake Bell of Black Rock 2
Top Headlines
-
Which Film Franchise Has Been the Best for Female Characters?
0
-
Damon Lindelof Talks Tomorrowland
0
-
10 Movies About Really Fast Cars
0
-
Poltergeist Remake Synopsis Hints at Plot Differences
0
-
Kristen Wiig Says Welcome to Me
0
-
David Fincher's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Gets Bumped
0
-
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance Remake in the Works
0
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Once the story makes the transition to the snowy coasts of Newfoundland, I found myself elevated to a whole another level of movie experience. Maybe it has to do something with the going-back-to-roots premise of the movie. Photographic grandeur of the breathtaking landscapes plays its part in that feeling too.
Movie features powerful performances from a clutch of well recognized talents. The simple story can basically be described as one about our search for a place in the world and about coming to grips with the past. Lass Hallstrom, who gave us "What's eating Gilbert Grape", leaves you with a similar experience when you're through with this movie.