Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Before and After

PG-13 1996 1h 48m Drama List
32% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 35% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
The lives of Carolyn Ryan (Meryl Streep), a small-town doctor, and her artist husband, Ben (Liam Neeson), are shaken up when their son, Jacob (Edward Furlong), becomes the prime suspect in the death of a local teen girl. While Carolyn is intent on learning the truth about her son's involvement, Ben is willing to protect him at any cost, regardless of his guilt or innocence. When Jacob finally tells his parents what happened, events take a surprising series of turns.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Before and After

Critics Reviews

View All (19) Critics Reviews
Nell Minow Movie Mom Uneven script, but strong performances by a powerhouse cast. Rated: 3/5 Jun 20, 2003 Full Review Susan Stark Detroit News Rated: 3/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Steve Davis Austin Chronicle Rated: 2.5/5 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Chuck O'Leary Fantastica Daily Rated: 3/5 Oct 9, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jul 18, 2005 Full Review Randy Shulman Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) Rated: 2/5 Aug 6, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (143) audience reviews
Avalon T Great movie. Excellent movie and an original topic- so many movies seem to have similar topics. This one was rhought provoking and different. I'd recommends this one. I'm surprised the ratings to be higher. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/09/24 Full Review j F The acting was excellent, but Meryl Streep deserves a stronger script. Her role was too meek, especially against Lian Nielson. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/21/24 Full Review Chris A I didn't like it because they didn't finish the story. Anyone can see that Jacob didn't commit the crime. He had no motive. Yet questions crucial to solving the mystery were never asked. Who was the father? His friend? How did the car get home? Jacob obviously couldn't move it. Who did? Would anyone really leave their lover still alive in the snow to die? No. Did the sister hear or see anything? She must have. How did Jacob get to his friends house? He walked. Why was his friend not charged for aiding and abetting a wanted person? He and his parents should have been. Jacob's story isn't believable. So what is the real story? Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/25/23 Full Review Jerod S There's a nostalgia to the way this 90s drama is acted out. When their son gets wrapped up in the death of a teenage girl, Streep and Neeson juggle how to save him. Kids aren't great actors, but it's a good novel turned film. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 04/23/23 Full Review Audience Member The premise and the leads are engrossing enough to absorb you pretty quickly but this fractured family crime drama has a fairly ho-hum conclusion. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review tom m Despite the extraordinary lead actors this production fell short. The story was thin and the story telling was weak. Don't bother. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Before and After

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Powder 50% 69% Powder Marvin's Room 84% 63% Marvin's Room The Deep End of the Ocean 42% 58% The Deep End of the Ocean A Cool, Dry Place 54% 59% A Cool, Dry Place The Cure 45% 84% The Cure Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis The lives of Carolyn Ryan (Meryl Streep), a small-town doctor, and her artist husband, Ben (Liam Neeson), are shaken up when their son, Jacob (Edward Furlong), becomes the prime suspect in the death of a local teen girl. While Carolyn is intent on learning the truth about her son's involvement, Ben is willing to protect him at any cost, regardless of his guilt or innocence. When Jacob finally tells his parents what happened, events take a surprising series of turns.
Director
Barbet Schroeder
Producer
Barbet Schroeder, Susan Hoffman
Screenwriter
Ted Tally
Production Co
Buena Vista (Walt Disney), Caravan Pictures, Hollywood Pictures
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$8.8M
Runtime
1h 48m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
Most Popular at Home Now