Affliction

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Affliction

R

Released Jan 15, 1999

1h 53m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

88%

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51 Reviews

72%

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5,000+ Ratings

In a small New Hampshire town, washed-up cop Wade Whitehouse (Nick Nolte) has a troubled past, an abusive father (James Coburn), the contempt of his ex-wife (Mary Beth Hurt) and an unimpressive streak as a lawman. When hunting guide Jack Hewitt (Jim True) reports a businessman's accidental death during a hunting trip, Wade believes he has a chance to turn around his life, if he can prove it was murder. Increasingly obsessed, Wade begins to lose his composure during the investigation.

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Critics Consensus

Dark and bleak, the "kick-ass" performances, especially Nolte's "effective" portrayal of an abused soul, is the reason to see this film.

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Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

There are too many of these men in life, and not enough films that tell their sad tales. That gives Affliction a therapeutic worth.

Apr 1, 2019

Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A

Sep 7, 2011

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Ella Taylor

L.A. Weekly

Oct 2, 2002

Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Affliction hones in on masculinity and the demons that men inherit from one another.

Rated: 10/10

Jun 24, 2024

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nolte is phenomenal in what’s a career performance, but he was absurdly beaten for the Best Actor Oscar by the buffoonish Roberto Benigni for that extended Hogan’s Heroes episode.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 22, 2024

Full Review

Deborah Hornblow

Hartford Courant

"Affliction'' stands as one of [Paul] Schrader's finest efforts, but the real star is [Russell] Banks, who tells a small story with universal implications and explores the devastating affliction of violence between men.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 2, 2018

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Boopi H

when not being numbed by boredom i was depressed by these pathetic losers.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

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Paul K

An acting clinic brought to you by Nolte and Coburn.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/19/25

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steve d

A+ for Nolte and Coburn's performances. B- for plot with unnecessary mystery. A for overall message of a man not being able to escape generational trauma.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/18/25

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Devin B

Starts out slow but worth watching all the way through.A great lesson that abuse to a child is very hard on them even up until they leave this earth.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/27/24

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Jeff M

As much as I loved this movie (I added it to my ten best list of 1998), my appreciation is tinged with a bit of regret because it was so close to being a true modern masterpiece. Nolte is phenomenal, and this battles with THE PRINCE OF TIDES as his finest onscreen performance. Had the film concentrated solely on him and his relationships with Spacek and Oscar winner Coburn, both fantastic as well, this would have been a near perfect film. Unfortunately, a murder mystery which takes up a good chunk of the film isn't nearly as compelling. And the character of Nolte's brother, played by Willem Dafoe, distractingly narrates the film; his character is onscreen for fleeting moments and we have no connection to him. All that being said, what's good in this movie is SO good, especially the three main actors and an always welcome performance by the criminally underrated Mary Beth Hurt, it deserves to be seen. These are characters I won't forget, and the inevitable conclusion is a heartbreaker.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Alec B

A deeply sad movie that understands the ways that violence and anger spread through families and communities. Probably Nolte's best performance and Coburn really was the only guy who could have played the father.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

Full Review

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Paul Schrader

Director

Nick Nolte

Wade Whitehouse

Sissy Spacek

Marge Fogg

James Coburn

Glen Whitehouse

Willem Dafoe

Rolfe Whitehouse

Mary Beth Hurt

Lillian

Affliction: Official Clip - Don't You Sass Me

3:00

Affliction: Official Clip - Halloween

2:13

Affliction: Official Clip - Afflicted by Violence

1:50

Affliction: Official Clip - Hunting Accident

1:58

Affliction: Official Clip - Don't Make a Scene

2:05

Affliction: Official Clip - Pulling Teeth

2:02

Affliction: Official Clip - A Modest Proposal

2:07

Affliction: Official Clip - Jesus Freaks and Candy-Asses

2:09

Affliction: Official Clip - A Lesson in Work

2:13

Affliction: Official Clip - I'll Shoot You Dead

2:00

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Synopsis

In a small New Hampshire town, washed-up cop Wade Whitehouse (Nick Nolte) has a troubled past, an abusive father (James Coburn), the contempt of his ex-wife (Mary Beth Hurt) and an unimpressive streak as a lawman. When hunting guide Jack Hewitt (Jim True) reports a businessman's accidental death during a hunting trip, Wade believes he has a chance to turn around his life, if he can prove it was murder. Increasingly obsessed, Wade begins to lose his composure during the investigation.

Director: Paul Schrader
Producer: Frank K. Isaac, Linda Reisman
Screenwriter: Russell Banks, Paul Schrader
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: JVC Entertainment, Largo Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 15, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.3M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround

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