Ethan Frome

Play trailer

Ethan Frome

PG

1993

1h 39m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

50%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

40%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

A farmer (Liam Neeson) with an invalid wife (Joan Allen) falls in love with her cousin (Patricia Arquette) in snowy Vermont.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Peter Stack

San Francisco Chronicle

It's impossible to improve on Edith Wharton's great short novel of thwarted love, but this adaptation directed by John Madden is sensitive to the story's bleak, wintry beauty.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 11, 2023

Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

No matter how well you know this tale, it still packs a wallop.

Mar 31, 2008

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

This is the kind of movie they used to show us in high school English class, where it gave literature a bad name.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Jackie Potts

Miami Herald

Based on Wharton's chilling, Gothic novel of 1911, Ethan Frome is a claustrophobic tale of thwarted love that never quite stirs your compassion.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 17, 2021

Full Review

Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

Despite the powers of the cast, especially the powerful Ethan and the intense Allen, the drama proves thin and slow as your proverbial molasses in January.

May 23, 2018

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 6, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Emily B

I had to read the book for class last year and I watched it after I didn't do so well on a test and thought the movie would help with the test. The book was sort of boring and lagging and I didn't expect too much when I was going to watch this. As it turned out it was actually really quite good! I really liked it much better than the book. Letter Grade: A+

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/05/25

Full Review

Steve D

Terrible melodrama with good acting.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I absolutely loved this movie. Liam and Patricia were brilliant. So underated!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I haven't read the book so I'm surveying this lesser-known romantic historical drama from the 90's. The first act does establish things quite well and it meddles with the moral dilemma about a very socially unacceptable love triangle in a rural East coast village amidst winter. Neeson perplexingly turns in somewhat of a one-note performance and I just don't think the screenplay reached the right filmmakers and studio.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

THE ACTING WAS BALLER. I LOVED THE ACTORS. THEY NEED TO MAKE A SEQUEL.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

ashley h

Ethan Frome is an excellent film. It is about a new pastor arrives in a stark Vermont village and is intrigued by crippled, misshapen Ethan Frome. Liam Neeson and Tate Donovan give amazing performances. The screenplay is well written. John Madden did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the drama and romance. Ethan Frome is a must see.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

John Madden

Director

Liam Neeson

Ethan Frome

Patricia Arquette

Mattie Silver

Joan Allen

Zenobia "Zeena" Frome

Tate Donovan

Reverend Smith

Katharine Houghton

Mrs. Hale

Lost in Yonkers

71%

77%

Lost in Yonkers

Watchlist

The Age of Innocence

87%

75%

The Age of Innocence

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Age of Innocence

Washington Square

81%

69%

Washington Square

Watchlist

Wuthering Heights

31%

66%

Wuthering Heights

Watchlist

Unstrung Heroes

74%

62%

Unstrung Heroes

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

A farmer (Liam Neeson) with an invalid wife (Joan Allen) falls in love with her cousin (Patricia Arquette) in snowy Vermont.

Director: John Madden
Producer: Stan Wlodkowski
Screenwriter: Richard Nelson
Production Co: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 12, 1993, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $161.4K
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now