Bernard and Doris

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Bernard and Doris

TV-14

2008

1h 43m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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3 Reviews

55%

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1,000+ Ratings

Tobacco heiress Doris Duke (Susan Sarandon) develops an unlikely friendship with her butler, Bernard Lafferty (Ralph Fiennes).

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

This stunner of a movie is so far under the radar you'll have to go to HBO to find it. Get crackin'. It's the hip antidote to multiplex junk such as Mad Money and Meet the Spartans.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 30, 2008

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Don Willmott

Filmcritic.com

Bernard and Doris is a fun enough diversion, but it's wishy-washy and doesn't dig dive enough into comedy, tragedy, sympathy, suspense, or anything else to make it ultimately memorable.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 25, 2008

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Keeps sentimentality at a minimum, and takes its potential cliches (the rich hellraiser, the gay butler) and finds something fresh in them.

Rated: A-

Feb 9, 2008

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joe d

I thought I would love it, but how wrong I was. Had all the ingredients but badly mis-cast and not much of a script to fall back on..

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/25

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steve d

Strong performances especially by Fiennes make it worth a watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

The seventh art is changing. There are many things concerning the people's idea when it comes to appreciate a movie. Archetypes and cliché are pretty handy for an opinion.300 movie channels, Mega-Wide Screens and Series (ultra-violence comes with it), etc, are partly responsible for this turn. As that film stands exactly on the opposite of those trends, I approached it with circonspection but ended up with a forgotten feeling and the joy of having recovered a fully alive emotion.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

Descent into alcoholism, the descent into serious illness & aging. Both characters are facing their own challenges. I will never forget the amazing heart breaking last scene with Susan Sarandon eyes looking communication no words, stroke, only with the intention for loving kindness, intimacy and the soul searching eyes of someone drinking in life deeply and hungrily as they see everything, feel everything internal & external. Best ever death scene. A woman who in real life only grew richer, set up a beautiful breathtaking Hawaii based Islamic Art Museum. Months to get tickets. Scholarships for students to study Islamic arts and dance. It's a loving tribute to a great philanthropist and a woman ahead of her time. I gave it 4/5. I was gripped to the last scene.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

Lacking but good Acting. Doris Duke had a interesting and troubled life but this movie did not capture that..things were dulled down. Would have been better as a Short HBO series. That way more time could have been spent.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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Audience Member

Acting excels directing & writing, once again.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Bob Balaban

Director

Susan Sarandon

Doris Duke

Ralph Fiennes

Bernard Lafferty

James Rebhorn

Waldo Taft

Nick Rolfe

Ben

Peter Asher

First Butler

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Synopsis

Tobacco heiress Doris Duke (Susan Sarandon) develops an unlikely friendship with her butler, Bernard Lafferty (Ralph Fiennes).

Director: Bob Balaban
Screenwriter: Hugh Costello
Production Co: Chicagofilms, Trigger Street Independent, Burnside Entertainment , Little Bird Productions
Rating: TV-14
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 18, 2016
Runtime: 1h 43m

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