

In 1870s New York, spinster heiress Catherine Sloper is courted by the much younger, penniless Morris Townsend, much to the chagrin of her overprotective father. Catherine must decide whether to spend the rest of her life alone, or marry a man interested in her solely for her inheritence.
Acting
Jennifer Jason Leigh's devastating transformation from doormat to steel
Production
Every room feels like a velvet prison
Writing
Dialogue so sharp you'll need stitches

Director
Agnieszka Holland
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Holland fought studio pressure to cast a conventionally 'prettier' Catherine, insisting Leigh's ordinary quality was the point.
The novel's 1880 readers largely sided with Dr. Sloper; modern audiences almost universally revile him. The film knows this.