The Portrait of a Lady

1996, Drama, 2h 24m

72 Reviews 5,000+ Ratings

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critics consensus

Beautiful, indulgently heady, and pretentious, The Portrait of a Lady paints Campion's directorial shortcomings in too bright a light. Read critic reviews

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The Portrait of a Lady Photos

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Movie Info

Ms. Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman) isn't afraid to challenge societal norms. Impressed by her free spirit, her kindhearted cousin writes her into his fatally ill father's will. Suddenly rich and independent, Isabelle ventures into the world, along the way befriending a cynical intellectual (Barbara Hershey) and romancing an art enthusiast (John Malkovich). However, the advantage of her affluence is called into question when she realizes the extent to which her money colors her relationships.
  • Rating:
    PG-13
  • Genre:
    Drama
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Jane Campion
  • Producer:
    Steve Golin, Monty Montgomery, Mark Turnbull
  • Writer:
    Laura Jones
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     original
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Box Office (Gross USA):
    $3.7M
  • Runtime:
  • Distributor:
    Gramercy Pictures
  • Sound Mix:
    Surround

Cast & Crew

Nicole Kidman
Isabel Archer
John Malkovich
Gilbert Osmond
Barbara Hershey
Madame Serena Merle
Mary-Louise Parker
Henrietta Stackpole
Shelley Winters
Mrs. Touchett
Shelley Duvall
Countess Gemini
Jane Campion
Director
Laura Jones
Screenwriter
Steve Golin
Producer
Monty Montgomery
Producer
Mark Turnbull
Producer
Wojciech Kilar
Original Music
Stuart Dryburgh
Cinematography
Veronika Jenet
Film Editing
Johanna Ray
Casting
Janet Patterson
Production Design
Mark Raggett
Art Director
Bruno Cesari
Set Decoration
Janet Patterson
Costume Design
Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Portrait of a Lady

All Critics (72) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (39)
Full Review… David Ansen Newsweek Full Review… Desson Thomson Washington Post Full Review… Todd McCarthy Variety Full Review… Jim Schembri The Age (Australia) Full Review… Michael O'Sullivan Washington Post Full Review… Geoff Andrew Time Out Full Review… Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm Full Review… Brian D. Johnson Maclean's Magazine Full Review… Louise Keller Urban Cinefile Full Review… Rob Blackwelder SPLICEDWire Full Review… Barbara Shulgasser San Francisco Examiner Full Review… David Kelly Senses of Cinema
View All Critic Reviews (72)

Audience Reviews for The Portrait of a Lady

  • May 07, 2014
    "The Portrait of a Lady" starts with Isabel Archer(Nicole Kidman) rejecting the proposal of the super wealthy Lord Warburton(Richard E. Grant). Next, it is Caspar Goodwood(Viggo Mortensen) who was reinserted into her path by Isabelle's supposed friend Henrietta(Mary-Louise Parker) only to be turned down. Seeing Isabelle's options disappear and fearing for her future, her cousin Ralph(Martin Donovan) comes up with an alternate plan that involves his dying father(John Gielgud). "The Portrait of a Lady" is a beautifully rendered period piece. So, it might come as a surprise that director Jane Campion gets lost not so much in the details but in its retrograde politics and customs, using a modern day prologue to reinforce her questioning the choices that women make. On a different tact, Campion somehow manages to restrain her eclectic cast in order to not outshine the movie's supposed star and manages to only bring them down to Kidman's unresponsive level, and sucking some of the oxygen out of the room in the bargain. Speaking of the eclectic cast, Mary-Louise Parker and John Malkovich(who has somehow never played Lenin) show up again in the "Red" films while Parker and Martin Donovan star again together in "Pipe Dream" and appearing together in the televsion series "Weeds."
    Walter M Super Reviewer
  • Dec 20, 2006
    Film not so good but Malkovich nailed it!
    Linda K Super Reviewer
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