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The Shipping News

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The Shipping News (2001)

56%
55%
64%
N/A
N/A
N/A
56 %
Reviews Counted: 126 Fresh: 70  Rotten:56 Average Rating: 5.8/10
 
Consensus: Though solidly made and acted, The Shipping News is rather heavy-handed and dull, especially given the nature of its protagonist.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins

Theatrical Release: Dec 25, 2001 Limited

Box Office: $11,405,825

Synopsis: Lasse Hallstrom (CHOCOLAT, MY LIFE AS A DOG) presents this strong, quiet, chillingly deep adaptation of the popular novel by E. Annie Proulx. In a fishing port set in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, newspaper journalist Quoyle (Kevin Spacey), his young daughter Bunny (Alyssa... Lasse Hallstrom (CHOCOLAT, MY LIFE AS A DOG) presents this strong, quiet, chillingly deep adaptation of the popular novel by E. Annie Proulx. In a fishing port set in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, newspaper journalist Quoyle (Kevin Spacey), his young daughter Bunny (Alyssa Gainer), and his stern aunt Agnis Hamm (Dame Judi Dench) have reclaimed their ancestral home, which stood vacant for 40 years perched over the raging sea on the edge of a cliff. The fresh air and the mundane routine of the sleepy village act as a balm for Quoyle's wounds. Having grown up with unhappy parents who cautioned him that he'd never amount to anything, Quoyle thought he'd finally found a stroke of luck when he fell in love with Petal (a surprisingly slutty but no less beautiful Cate Blanchett), Bunny's mother. However, after Petal's sudden death, and the simultaneous passing of his loveless parents, Quoyle's migration from downtrodden Poughkeepsie, N.Y. to coastal Canada is his salvation. As Quoyle gains confidence and pride daily through his coworkers at the tiny newspaper the Gammy Bird, through his friendship with Wavey (a lovely Julianne Moore), and through his reconciliation with some spooky family secrets from the distant past, Quoyle, Bunny, and Agnis slowly find new direction, new hope, and the beginnings of a new life. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Scott Glenn

Director: Lasse Hallström
Screenwriter: Robert Nelson Jacobs
Producer: Irwin Winkler, Leslie Holleran, Linda Goldstein Knowlton
Composer: Christopher Young

DVD Info

Release:

Nov 5, 2002

[DVD Details]
  • The Shipping News
  • Academy Award(R)-winning stars Kevin Spacey (AMERICAN BEAUTY, Best Actor, 1998) and Judi Dench (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, Best Supporting Actress, 1998) join talents with Julianne Moore (HANNIBAL) and Cate Blanchett (THE LORD OF THE RINGS) in this deeply moving motion picture from the director of CHOCOLAT and THE CIDER HOUSE RULES. After tragedy strikes, Quoyle (Spacey) moves with his daughter from upstate New York to his ancestral home in a small Newfoundland fishing village. With a job at the local newspaper and developing romance with a woman (Moore) who lives with her own demons, Quoyle is transformed by this place of magic, beauty, and hardship. In a compelling story based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Quoyle's past melds with his present in an inspirational journey of self-discovery and second chances.
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  • Buy It On DVD

    Reviews

     
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    Ratings Image
    C

    What has happened to Lasse Hallstrom: This poor adaptation of an interesting novel is not only bland but also poorly acted and shapeless

    Full Review | comment Comment
    01/11/07
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com
    Ratings Image
    3/5

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    12/30/06
    Empire Magazine
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    N/R

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    05/26/06
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid
    N/R

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    02/09/06
    Derek Adams
    Time Out
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    2.5/5

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    12/06/05
    Film Threat
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    Ratings Image
    B

    ...a problematic film redeemed by its steel gray palette and the actorly instincts of its chief players

    Full Review | comment Comment
    01/29/05
    Philip Martin
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
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    2.5/5

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    12/11/04
    Film Threat
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    76/100

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    03/16/04
    Apollo Guide
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    N/R

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    12/15/03
    Matthew Bond
    Daily Mail [UK]
    N/R

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    05/22/03
    Eugene Novikov
    Film Blather
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    3/4

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    05/14/03
    Jeanne Aufmuth
    Palo Alto Weekly
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    3.5/5

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    02/08/03
    John R. McEwen
    Film Quips Online
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    D

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    12/17/02
    Rebecca Murray
    About.com
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    5/5

    Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore astound in touching, well-told tale of rebirth and redemption.

    Full Review | comment Comment
    11/07/02
    James Rocchi
    Netflix
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    4/5

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    10/30/02
    Matthew Turner
    ViewLondon
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    N/A

    Hallström ... has done a spectacular job with this odd story, and has created a memorable, if not perfect film.

    Full Review | comment Comment
    10/21/02
    Jean Lowerison
    San Diego Metropolitan
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    3/4

    Mr. Spacey and his estimable supporting cast bring skill and commitment to their roles; they respect their characters and demand as much from the audience.

    Full Review | comment Comment
    10/15/02
    Margaret A. McGurk
    Cincinnati Enquirer
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    N/A

    The ensemble work by the cast helps detract from the narrative's basic aimlessness.

    Full Review | comment Comment
    09/01/02
    Mark Palermo
    Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
    N/R

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    Full Review | comment Comment
    08/17/02
    Urban Cinefile Critics
    Urban Cinefile
    Ratings Image
    N/A

    The book is better----Long awaited screen adaptation of E. Annie Proulx’s “Shipping News” fails to transport the goods

    Full Review | comment Comment
    07/15/02
    John Esther
    Pasadena Weekly
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    all

    Pictures

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    News

    Trailer Bulletin: An Unfinished Life
    posted by Scott Weinberg August 01, 2005
    Finally earning a (limited) release after sitting on a Miramax shelf for about a year is Lasse Hallstrom's "An...

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