Rate And Review

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?

The Whales of August Photos

View All Photos (10)

Movie Info

Two elderly sisters, Libby Strong (Bette Davis) and Sarah Webber (Lillian Gish), travel to their summer house in Maine. The pair couldn't be less similar: Libby is blind, cynical and mean-spirited; Sarah is sunny, optimistic and healthy. Yet their shared memories and hardships -- especially the deaths of their husbands -- help bind the two together. Still, the entrance of a local fisherman (Vincent Price) into Sarah's life threatens to reopen old wounds.

Genre:

drama
Original Language:

English
Director:

Lindsay Anderson
Producer:

Mike Kaplan, Carolyn Pfeiffer
Writer:

David Berry
Release Date (Streaming):

Jan 19, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA):

$127.3K
Runtime:

1h 30m
Production Co:

Nelson Entertainment

Cast & Crew

Bette Davis
Libby Strong

Lillian Gish
Sarah Webber

Vincent Price
Mr. Maranov

Ann Sothern
Tisha Doughty

Harry Carey Jr.
Joshua Brackett

Margaret Ladd
Young Libby

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Whales of August

All Critics (11) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (4)

Here is a quiet film of a conventional story, a star vehicle designed to show everyone to advantage.

January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Gish rules the day as the more empathetic sister, but Anderson brings them to a masterful finale.

August 26, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com
A quiet, unassuming masterpiece that deserves to be cherished,

June 4, 2019 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

Matthew Lucas
From the Front Row
This is not acting, but simply ex- isting in front of a camera.

September 5, 2018 | Full Review…

Hilary Mantel
The Spectator
This is not my cup of tea, but it is a fascinating last picture show for a likeable legendary acting troupe.

October 30, 2008 | Rating: C | Full Review…

Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
Quote not available.

July 17, 2005 | Rating: 3/5

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Quote not available.

January 29, 2005 | Rating: 3/5

Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The names of Lillian Gish, Bette Davis and Vincent Price will never be forgotten by film lovers. The Whales of August, on the other hand, surely will be.

April 23, 2004 | Rating: 60/100

Ryan Cracknell
Apollo Guide
A worthy film that affords the viewer a rare chance to see some fine acting by stars the like we'll not see again.

March 1, 2004 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Deeply moving drama about two elderly sisters who discover that it's never too late to change.

July 10, 2003 | Full Review…

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality & Practice
Quote not available.

October 31, 2002 | Rating: 2/5

Brian J. Arthurs
Beach Reporter (Southern California)

View All Critic Reviews (11)

Audience Reviews for The Whales of August

Apr 04, 2015

considering it's a film about a picture window & there's no whales, it's so serene, calm, like the waves it washes over you & there's some very enjoyable well spoken characters.

Sanity Assassin ! Super Reviewer
Sep 06, 2010

This stuffy drama will interest anyone who likes movies about the elderly, but other wise, I'd say stay away from it. It's very boring, slow, and by the middle, I didn't care about the story anymore.

Aj V Super Reviewer