Cold Mountain (2003)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Anthony Minghella

Writers (WGA):

Charles Frazier (book)
Anthony Minghella (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

Find your way home

Plot:

In the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier (Law) embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart (Kidman). Based on the novel by Charles Frazier.

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Civil War | North Carolina | American Civil War | Farm

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 13 wins & 61 nominations

Cast

Jude Law	...	Inman
Nicole Kidman	...	Ada Monroe
Renée Zellweger	...	Ruby Thewes
Eileen Atkins	...	Maddy
Brendan Gleeson	...	Stobrod Thewes
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Reverend Veasey
Natalie Portman	...	Sara
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Junior
Donald Sutherland	...	Reverend Monroe
Ray Winstone	...	Teague
Kathy Baker	...	Sally Swanger
James Gammon	...	Esco Swanger
Charlie Hunnam	...	Bosie
Jack White	...	Georgia
Ethan Suplee	...	Pangle

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

154 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #40383) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18SG | Australia:M (TV rating) | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Sweden:11 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Italy:T | Japan:R-15 | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | Canada:14A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Carpathian Mountains, Romania

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

The names of Sally Swanger's sons, "Acton" and "Ellis", are also the names that Anne Brontë and Emily Brontë used as pseudonyms to hide their genders when marketing their novels. They used "Acton Bell" and "Ellis Bell" and their sister Charlotte Brontë used the name "Currer Bell".

Goofs:

Continuity: The number of people who are walking in a line after Inman and the Preacher has been caught changes from about 8 to 4 or 5

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ada: [voiceover] Dear Mr. Inman, I began by counting the days, then the months. I don't count on anything anymore except the hope that you will return, and the silent fear that in the years since we saw each other, this war, this awful war, will have changed us both beyond all reckoning.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Scarlet Tide

an epic

This movie moved me more than I was expecting, and I was fully prepared to cry. The acting mainly carried this film, with superb performances from Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger, as well as the supporting cast. These actors portrayed characters so intensely human that they lingered the remainder of the night with me, and I had trouble shaking this war drama. The costumes and cinematography were also magical, but didn't get carried away with themselves. They didn't take focus, but added to the whole effect. Cold Mountain could never become my favorite movie, as that title will always belong to The English Patient, but it's in the top five. The story itself was well developed, and stayed fairly unpredictable. I did not find myself guessing what line came next. A heart-wrenching story about humanity and war. In fact, this movie was so strongly real that it was barely noticeable it took place in the 19th century. It seemed to apply to all times.