The Butcher's Wife

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The Butcher's Wife

PG-13

1991

1h 47m

Romance

Comedy

LGBTQ+

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Popcornmeter

28%

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18 Reviews

30%

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5,000+ Ratings

Clairvoyant Marina (Demi Moore) meets New York City butcher Leo Lemke (George Dzundza) while he is visiting her small town in North Carolina. When she then dreams about him, she believes it is a sign that he is her true love. She marries Leo and moves to his working-class neighborhood in New York City. There she meets his neighbors, including shy singer Stella (Mary Steenburgen) and psychiatrist Alex Tremor (Jeff Daniels). Soon Marina begins to wonder if she was wrong about her soul mate.

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Anthony Lane

Independent (UK)

Jan 4, 2018

The film is such candy-floss that it may not realise what a great screwball clinch it could have staged: the seer versus the shrink, two lovers fighting to get a lead on human behaviour.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Jan 1, 2000

2.5/4

The Butcher's Wife wants to be a whimsical, heartwarming fantasy, and it almost succeeds, but it is betrayed by its own need to put a Hollywood spin on a plot that doesn't need one.

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Madeleine Harmsworth

Sunday Mirror (UK)

Jul 31, 2024

3/5

An enchanting fairy-story which restores faith in love and happiness.

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Dec 8, 2022

The film becomes progressively fatuous... [Full review in Spanish]

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Jeff Simon

Buffalo News

Apr 9, 2018

3.5/4

Demi Moore has never looked lovelier than she does in The Butcher's Wife.

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Caffeinated Clint

Moviehole

Mar 11, 2006

2/5

Brushing your teeth is more fun

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 9, 2026

I saw this movie on TV and it's worthy of 1.5 stars !!!

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mohammed M.

@9mr_0 Apr 11, 2026

ضعيف جدا كفكرة جيده و اجوائه حلوه و بي ممثلين اقوياء لكن قصته محدوده جدا المخرج رواها بمساحه ضيقه اضافه الطريقة السرد خلت الاحداث متوقعه يعني تعرف شنو راح يصير قبل لا يصير ماكو اثاره)

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HILLARY M

@RT31473675 Aug 1, 2025

Too long and too much going on. Mary Steenburgen is fun though.

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William I

@RT13456384 Mar 6, 2025

Entertaining Grimm's fairy tale w/no surprises. More like light stage comedy, a/la Daniels' popular community theater here in Michigan.

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هاوزين الخياط K

@Hawzeen Nov 19, 2024

The old coupl. Economic Gulf War

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Blu B

@RT43513976 Aug 13, 2024

It's not good but it's never really boring and it does have a certain degree of charm to it that helps quite a bit. The acting, music, and cinematography is all pretty ok here. Nothing is really exceptional about it. The acting and music very much has a Hallmark style tone to it all. It's very naive at times. And to it's credit that helps. The problem here is the editing isn't good and the humor just falls flat constantly. This is like a screwball rom com mixed with a fantasy good witch type of thing. But it never can take all these side character story lines and the two romances and make them work together in a cohesive manner. And the ending just feels very anticlimatic with no real tension. Everything just feels harmless kind of. It also never really explains Moore's powers which is fine but it feels like it goes nowhere kind of and a bit lazy. Again it's not boring and has charm to it all but it just feels like stuff happens once she arrives in NYC and is very jumpy the longer it goes. I will say the best moments are Moore and Daniels together. More so Daniels makes Moore a better actress in the scenes. It's just he's not given enough to work with when he gets momentum going and it jumps around so much he ends up being just alright. Unless your a die hard Daniels fan I'd say skip this for most people.

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Terry Hughes

Director

Demi Moore

Marina Lemke

Jeff Daniels

Alex

George Dzundza

Leo Lemke

Mary Steenburgen

Stella

Frances McDormand

Grace

The Butcher's Wife: Official Clip - Commit to This Affair!

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The Butcher's Wife: Official Clip - I Got This Feeling for You

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The Butcher's Wife: Official Clip - Dowdy and Plain

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The Butcher's Wife: Official Clip - Countertransference

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The Butcher's Wife: Official Clip - The Split-Apart Story

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The Butcher's Wife: Official Clip - Marina Reads Alex

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The Butcher's Wife: Official Clip - Leo Falls in Love

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The Butcher's Wife: Official Clip - Life is Messy!

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Synopsis

Clairvoyant Marina (Demi Moore) meets New York City butcher Leo Lemke (George Dzundza) while he is visiting her small town in North Carolina. When she then dreams about him, she believes it is a sign that he is her true love. She marries Leo and moves to his working-class neighborhood in New York City. There she meets his neighbors, including shy singer Stella (Mary Steenburgen) and psychiatrist Alex Tremor (Jeff Daniels). Soon Marina begins to wonder if she was wrong about her soul mate.

Director: Terry Hughes
Producer: Wallis Nicita, Lauren Lloyd
Screenwriter: Ezra Litwak, Marjorie Schwartz
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 1991, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 21, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.9M
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Surround

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