Clara's Heart

PG-13

Released Oct 7, 1988

1h 48m

Comedy

Drama

List

47%

17 Reviews

Tomatometer

59%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

After her baby daughter dies, Leona Hart (Kathleen Quinlan) goes to Jamaica to mourn. She meets no-nonsense housekeeper Clara (Whoopi Goldberg) and brings her back to Baltimore to look after her son, David (Neil Patrick Harris). As Leona and husband, Bill (Michael Ontkean), grow apart and divorce, Clara and David become closer. Clara helps draw troubled David out of his shell, bringing him into the local reggae scene. As they bond, Clara gains the courage to confront her troubled past.

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Jeff M

Director Robert Mulligan has the distinction of being the only director to have a film on my TOP FIVE of all time and a film on my BOTTOM FIVE of all time. It baffles me that the same man who made TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is responsible for this utter sanctimonious nonsense. From its treacly piano score to it's stilted dialogue and performances to its "shocking" revelations that make your average Lifetime movie seem subtle by comparison, this is an absolute mess and is solely responsible for making me hate Neil Patrick Harris for the first half of his career. There's not a genuine moment in its entire running time, and I'm sure this is tucked away toward the bottom of the resumes of everyone involved. Oi vey!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Of all the movies I've ever seen over the course of five decades, this was THE. ABSOLUTE. WORST. OF. THEM. ALL. It was predicable while trying to be emotionally manipulative, and I utterly hated it.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

steve d

Incompetent besides the performances.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Heartwarming and memorable. Very underrated.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A very touching, moving story about relationships. Some relationships in this movie are healthy; some are verging on divorce. either ay, Neil Patrick Harris' first movie role is one he will be defined by, and he surely set the bar high for himself.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

No explosions, no guns, no nudity, and they didn't even swear.....A simple, wonderful story

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

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Robert Mulligan

Director

Whoopi Goldberg

Clara Mayfield

Michael Ontkean

Bill Hart

Kathleen Quinlan

Leona Hart

Neil Patrick Harris

David Hart

Spalding Gray

Peter Epstein

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Peter Travers

People Magazine

Clara's Heart is just awful.

Jul 16, 2020

Full Review

Sheila Benson

Los Angeles Times

The surprises may not come quite often enough for some, but at all times there is Goldberg's glowing performance to keep us fascinated, or a nice salty bit of humor, or a great little character riff by Harris that's completely endearing.

Jul 16, 2020

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Buoyed by a beautifully measured star turn by Whoopi Goldberg and a smashing screen debut for young Neil Patrick Harris, Clara's Dream is a powerful, unabashedly sentimental drama.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Herb Boyd

The Crisis

Boredom is the thing you'll have to endure if you follow Clara's Heart to its almost teary conclusion.

Nov 14, 2023

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The darker and far-flung aspects of the story are icky and unnecessary. But the relationship between Clara and David is beautifully delineated.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 22, 2020

Full Review

Robin Karney

Radio Times

Goldberg is on top form, doing her Jamaican accent shtick.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 16, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

After her baby daughter dies, Leona Hart (Kathleen Quinlan) goes to Jamaica to mourn. She meets no-nonsense housekeeper Clara (Whoopi Goldberg) and brings her back to Baltimore to look after her son, David (Neil Patrick Harris). As Leona and husband, Bill (Michael Ontkean), grow apart and divorce, Clara and David become closer. Clara helps draw troubled David out of his shell, bringing him into the local reggae scene. As they bond, Clara gains the courage to confront her troubled past.

Director: Robert Mulligan
Producer: Marianne Moloney
Screenwriter: Mark Medoff
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts, MTM Enterprises
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 7, 1988, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.5M
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Surround

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