Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer
Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified.
Fandango

AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
- Fandango
- AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew
  
  Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info
- Cinemark Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Regal Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You haven’t finished your review yet, want to submit as-is?

You can always edit your review after.
Are you sure?

Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers.
Want to submit changes to your review before closing?

A Delicate Balance Photos

View All Photos (6)

Movie Info

In their nice Connecticut home, Agnes (Katharine Hepburn) and Tobias (Paul Scofield) have grown used to the imperfection and fragility of their marriage. Quietly nursing their grief over the death of their son, they get by well enough together. Agnes' boozy sister wanders in and out, and they allow anxiety-stricken friends to move into an upstairs room. But, when their daughter, Julia (Lee Remick), shows up announcing her fourth divorce, long-repressed emotions come to the surface.

Rating:

PG
Genre:

drama
Original Language:

English
Director:

Tony Richardson
Writer:

Edward Albee
Release Date (Streaming):

Jun 11, 2007
Runtime:

2h 12m

Cast & Crew

Katharine Hepburn
Agnes

Paul Scofield
Tobias

Lee Remick
Julia

Kate Reid
Claire

Tony Richardson
Director

Edward Albee
Writer

Critic Reviews for A Delicate Balance

All Critics (9) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (6) | Rotten (3)

If only the cast of magnificent actors appearing in Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance could be transported to another film before our eyes, we might see something marvelous -- instead of suffering a sense of waste.

November 15, 2018 | Full Review…

Nora Sayre
New York Times
The cast on show is unbeatable. They make the whole grinding affair bearable, but you'll still get a stiff neck.

January 26, 2006 | Full Review…

Steve Grant
Time Out
The American Film Theater engaged Tony Richardson to make the play into a movie, and he has delivered with a fine, tough, lacerating production.

October 23, 2004 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
[A Delicate Balance has] a cast of stars that not even excesses of makeup and hideous costume design can transform into mutually related characters.

June 29, 2020 | Full Review…

Judith Crist
Texas Monthly
Regardless the combination of Hepburn, Scofield and Reid is enough to delicately balance the scales against the script's failings.

December 17, 2019 | Full Review…

Dick Lochte
Los Angeles Free Press
This second in a series of Ely Landau-filmed stage plays for a subscription sales system is an unfortunately stiff, dull, and extremely stagy screen adaptation of Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

November 15, 2018 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

TV Guide Staff
TV Guide
Paul Scofield's performance is perfect. He is an actor who understands the nuances of a role, who can be restrained without being dull, emotional without being hammy.

January 15, 2004 | Full Review…

Tony Mastroianni
Cleveland Press
Laden with insight, wit and touches of poetry... a cast of masterful actors delivering peak performances

February 25, 2003

Arthur Lazere
culturevulture.net
More surprising than the acerbic tone or the intense shouting matches though is the very touching sentiment that emerges whenever a quiet moment transpires.

August 5, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

Jeremy Heilman
MovieMartyr.com

View All Critic Reviews (9)

Audience Reviews for A Delicate Balance

Oct 24, 2020

I understand why people feel like this is a little too stage bound in execution as Tony Richardson's direction is more subtle than usual but I think that's missing the point. In order for the more absurd elements to work everything needs to appear more mundane. The whole cast is doing exactly what Albee's difficult play requires.

Alec B Super Reviewer