Orphans

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Orphans

R

1987

2h 0m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

7 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Two desperate brothers (Matthew Modine, Kevin Anderson) hold a drunken Chicago gangster (Albert Finney) hostage in New Jersey.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

The characters are kept alive and unpredictable through the careful counterbalancing of their separate acting styles.

Rated: 3/4

May 10, 2022

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Orphans is a good play about behavior that has been turned into a mediocre movie about nothing much at all. That is not intended as a criticism of the filmmakers, but simply as an observation about the nature of the material.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

Great performances and characters feel a bit imprisoned by the walls of the film frame.

Rated: 7/10

Nov 13, 2009

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Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Rated: 4/5

Oct 9, 2005

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 31, 2005

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TV Guide

Rated: 4/5

Jul 30, 2003

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Audience Member

A very underrated movie with really good performances from Albert Finney, Matthew Modine, and Kevin Anderson.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Audience Member

Great acting by all and a really compelling story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

A masterpiece! This film shows that with few characters it is possible to create among the best works film art may offer. The 3 main actors are brilliant, the story deep-reaching, and it is a shame this film wasn't received and appreciated the way it genuinely deserves.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Audience Member

Sometimes it feels like a play, which it originated from, but overall the acting is pretty good.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Audience Member

A very different kind of movie. But good!!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Audience Member

While this is a good adaptation of the play, it lacks much of the emotion and depth it had on the stage. In comparison, it seems a bit two-dimensional. It's worth seeing, especially if you've seen the stage version and would like to relive it, but don't settle for this if you have the opportunity to see the play. I wasn't disappointed, but there's just nothing like seeing it live.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

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Alan J. Pakula

Director

Albert Finney

Harold

Matthew Modine

Treat

Kevin Anderson

Phillip

John Kellogg

Barney

Anthony Heald

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Synopsis

Two desperate brothers (Matthew Modine, Kevin Anderson) hold a drunken Chicago gangster (Albert Finney) hostage in New Jersey.

Director: Alan J. Pakula
Producer: Alan J. Pakula, Susan Solt
Screenwriter: Lyle Kessler
Production Co: Lorimar Motion Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 22, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $239.7K
Runtime: 2h 0m

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