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Anna

PG-13 Released Nov 28, 1987 1h 40m Drama List
Tomatometer 4 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Starry-eyed Czech immigrant Krystyna (Paulina Porizkova) journeys to New York City to meet her hero, Anna (Sally Kirkland), a once-famous actress from her homeland. Having passed her Hollywood prime, Anna now struggles to find even bit parts in movies, and so instead begins mentoring young Krystyna, encouraging her in her own pursuit of stardom. As one star's career fades and another's begins to rise, the two women band together to overcome inequities in the unforgiving world of show business.

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) The film is ultimately artificial, and often too ridiculous. [Full review in Spanish] Jul 5, 2022 Full Review Hilary Mantel The Spectator Anna is a traditional, even predictable tale, but thoughtful direction, solid performances and snippets of originality make it into almost a very good film. Apr 10, 2019 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Sally Kirkland gives a commendable (Oscar-nominated) performance in this witty and cynical portrait of an aging foreign actress in N.Y., which bears slight resemblance to All About Eve Rated: B Jan 12, 2009 Full Review Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Rated: 3/5 Nov 4, 2002 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (12) audience reviews
Audience Member Director Yurek Bogayevicz and Sally Kirkland's Oscar nominated performance adapt Agnieszka Holland from an unauthorized story by Holland and Bogayevicz, based on the real life of Polish actresses Elżbieta Czyżewska and Joanna Pacuła Starry-eyed Czech immigrant Krystyna journeys to New York City to meet her hero, Anna She was a once-famous actress from her homeland She had a horrible experience growing up in her home country between being in jail, suffering a miscarriage, and having to deal with discrimination against her people Having passed her Hollywood prime, Anna now struggles to find even bit parts in movies, and so instead begins mentoring young Krystyna, encouraging her in her own pursuit of stardom They form a powerful friendship when she learns English and getting a makeover As one star's career fades and another's begins to rise, the two women band together to overcome inequities in the unforgiving world of show business Krystyna narrates a lot of this with the other half being on Anna's struggle to get back on stage But her protégés success might derail everything The performances of both these women are sensational There's even a subtle image of a film reel disintegrating summing up Anna's life literally being destroyed before her eyes If you don't speak English you only get non-English speaking roles, if you're not young enough you won't get as many parts, the industry relies on age not just talent but also looks A tough strain on many women wanting to make it going from one generation to the next This is a witty and cynical portrait of an aging foreign actress in N.Y. Politics and place can influence the actor's soul and without warning we can create replacements Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/02/23 Full Review jon c Director Yurek Bogayevicz and Sally Kirkland's Oscar nominated performance adapt Agnieszka Holland from an unauthorized story by Holland and Bogayevicz, based on the real life of Polish actresses Elżbieta Czyżewska and Joanna Pacuła Starry-eyed Czech immigrant Krystyna journeys to New York City to meet her hero, Anna She was a once-famous actress from her homeland She had a horrible experience growing up in her home country between being in jail, suffering a miscarriage, and having to deal with discrimination against her people Having passed her Hollywood prime, Anna now struggles to find even bit parts in movies, and so instead begins mentoring young Krystyna, encouraging her in her own pursuit of stardom They form a powerful friendship when she learns English and getting a makeover As one star's career fades and another's begins to rise, the two women band together to overcome inequities in the unforgiving world of show business Krystyna narrates a lot of this with the other half being on Anna's struggle to get back on stage But her protégés success might derail everything The performances of both these women are sensational There's even a subtle image of a film reel disintegrating summing up Anna's life literally being destroyed before her eyes If you don't speak English you only get non-English speaking roles, if you're not young enough you won't get as many parts, the industry relies on age not just talent but also looks A tough strain on many women wanting to make it going from one generation to the next This is a witty and cynical portrait of an aging foreign actress in N.Y. Politics and place can influence the actor's soul and without warning we can create replacements Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Sally Kirkland gives a very good performance, Oscar nominated performance in this sleeper movie. If you like drama and quirky, you will like this movie. It is one of my faves. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review steve d The acting is strong but the film did nothing for me. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A sophisticated, fascinating bilingual drama. Sally Kirkland's performance is mesmerizing and beautiful. I loved her magnificent presence on-screen. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member (***): [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] A well-acted and interesting film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Anna

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Starry-eyed Czech immigrant Krystyna (Paulina Porizkova) journeys to New York City to meet her hero, Anna (Sally Kirkland), a once-famous actress from her homeland. Having passed her Hollywood prime, Anna now struggles to find even bit parts in movies, and so instead begins mentoring young Krystyna, encouraging her in her own pursuit of stardom. As one star's career fades and another's begins to rise, the two women band together to overcome inequities in the unforgiving world of show business.
Director
Yurek Bogayevicz
Producer
Yurek Bogayevicz, Gábor Dettre, Zanne Devine
Screenwriter
Agnieszka Holland
Distributor
Vestron Pictures
Production Co
Vestron Pictures, Magnus Filmes
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 28, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 20, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$78.3K
Runtime
1h 40m
Sound Mix
Surround