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
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Catherine Sloper
Albert Finney
Dr. Austin Sloper
Maggie Smith
Aunt Lavinia Penniman
Ben Chaplin
Morris Townsend
Judith Ivey
Aunt Elizabeth Almond
Jennifer Garner
Marian Almond
Robert Stanton
Arthur Townsend
Betsy Brantley
Mrs. Montgomery
Nancy Daly
Maureen (Maid)
Rachel Osborne
Alice Almond
Scott Jaeck
John Ludlow
Peter Maloney
Jacob Webber (Notary)
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.
US
