Country Life

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Country Life

PG-13

1994

1h 54m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

53%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Aging Australian rancher Uncle Jack (John Hargreaves) and his faithful niece, Sally (Kerry Fox), have their quiet lives disrupted by the sudden reappearance of Alexander (Michael Blakemore), Sally's father and Jack's former brother-in-law, who left the ranch to become a London theater critic some decades before. The self-important Alexander is married to the gorgeous Deborah (Greta Scacchi), whose charms soon enrapture both Uncle Jack and local doctor Max (Sam Neill), for whom Sally pines.

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Country Life may not be the deepest Vanya I have seen, but it is the funniest, bringing out the play's buried potential for farce as well as tragedy.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Quentin Curtis

Independent on Sunday

Take it on its own terms and you have a fascinating commentary on Vanya.

Dec 7, 2017

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 1, 2005

Full Review

Carol Cling

Las Vegas Review-Journal

Rated: 3/5

Jan 23, 2004

Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Steve Rhodes

Internet Reviews

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Audience Member

The greatest 01 hour: and 54 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I enjoyed this movie. If you enjoy a lot of dialog,then you'll like it too. Sam Neill is a favorite.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Audience Member

Excellent cast and performances.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Entry in the upmarket Merchant-Ivory school of cinema is the Australian "Country Life," which has been cunningly adapted from Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" by writer/director/thesp Michael Blakemore. Result is a classy item, steeped in a kind of melancholy nostalgia, with solid perfs and a good dose of down-to-earth humor.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Cute movie, it's just one of those simple movies that you can enjoy.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Nice simple story. Something you can take your grandmother to and not squirm.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

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Michael Blakemore

Director

Sam Neill

Dr. Max Askey

Greta Scacchi

Deborah Voysey

John Hargreaves

Jack Dickens

Kerry Fox

Sally Voysey

Michael Blakemore

Alexander Voysey

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Synopsis

Aging Australian rancher Uncle Jack (John Hargreaves) and his faithful niece, Sally (Kerry Fox), have their quiet lives disrupted by the sudden reappearance of Alexander (Michael Blakemore), Sally's father and Jack's former brother-in-law, who left the ranch to become a London theater critic some decades before. The self-important Alexander is married to the gorgeous Deborah (Greta Scacchi), whose charms soon enrapture both Uncle Jack and local doctor Max (Sam Neill), for whom Sally pines.

Director: Michael Blakemore
Producer: Robin Dalton
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $87.5K
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo