Affliction

R

Released Jan 15, 1999

1h 53m

Drama

List

88%

50 Reviews

Tomatometer

72%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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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

Chris H

Depressing throughout; it has an important message, but can you get through the slow, grinding plot? Nolte is excellent, but his character is impossible to root for and hard to even sympathise with, despite the reasons for his flaws being laid out carefully. Coburn is chilling, playing the root of all evil.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/12/23

Full Review

dave s

Adapted from Russell Banks' stellar novel, Affliction is the relentlessly grim story of a man struggling with personal demons that he doesn't fully understand, or perhaps choses not to understand. The victim of abuse from his violent and alcoholic father (James Coburn), Wade Whitehouse (Nick Nolte) finds himself battling with his own alcoholism, a condition that has caused his own family to collapse, perpetuating the cycle of violence, abuse and addiction. While the movie at times seems to have trouble figuring out if it's a character study, a murder mystery, or a family drama, it is propelled by powerhouse performances from both Coburn and Nolte. Absolutely devoid of anything even closely resembling humor or anything else remotely uplifting, it is an intriguing film about one man's inevitable downfall.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A bucket list movie. A must see for everyone. The characters are absolutely credible. The script is very realistic .

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

andrey k

It's a good bleak drama worth watching for Nick Nolte's performance and and the rest of the good cast.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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

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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

Full Review

Ella Taylor

L.A. Weekly

Oct 2, 2002

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

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

It's like watching the disintegration of a psyche under a microscope as cracks in Wade's facade erupt into tremors of violence.

Jun 15, 2017

Full Review

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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: Nick Nolte, Barr B. Potter
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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