The Governess

R

Released Jun 11, 1998

1 hr. 54 min.

Drama

List

65%

34 Reviews

Tomatometer

50%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Following her father's murder, a London Jew, Rosina da Silva (Minnie Driver), reinvents herself as a Protestant governess on a remote Scottish island. Schooling the Cavendish family's daughter, Clementina (Florence Hoath), she soon incites the amorous passions of patriarch Charles (Tom Wilkinson), a scientist obsessed with capturing the photographic image. When his rebellious son Henry (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) arrives home, complications arise, emotions entangle and secrets inevitably spill out.

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Audience Member

It's passable Minnie Driver has really good acting chops next to Tom Wilkinson There's virtually no music throughout much of this so it might feel stagnant for many viewers Intuition, creativity and passion are sprinkled throughout this 1840's period drama next to forbidden love and dreams of photography in its infancy

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/01/23

Full Review

Jan P

I love this film. Not only for the performances and period but because it [deliberately?] documents the existence of cutting-edge women photographers who have too long been ignored.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Worst film of all time. Time period is not represented! Represents jews in a horrible light. Language used is inaccurate. How she got to Scotland is impossible.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie was a huge disappointment. It builds the audience up for a romance that barely happens. Minnie Driver is lovely and enchanting in this film. I wish her role was more- just more. Her performance was great, but the relationship between her character and the Cavendish men left you wanting more. The movie could have been better.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Another period drama that ignores the realities of the period to instead focus on the types of sexual relationships made famous by dime store novels. There is no truth to be found in any of the performances or dialogue. However, if you want to pretend to have culture around the easily impressed, then this would be a good movie to pretend that fits the bill.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Governess (1998) -- [7.0] -- Minnie Driver plays a destitute Jewish woman who poses as a gentile to gain employment as nanny for a rich family in Scotland. While there she falls in love with the children's father and becomes the object of the older boy's affection. The cast is top-notch, including Tom Wilkinson as the father and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the son. Gorgeous cinematography, sets, and wardrobe. I also liked how Driver and Wilkinson's characters bond over scientific research - they're trying to discover a 'fixing agent' for photographic prints. Of course, with so many forbidden affairs going on, the whole thing is bound to end in anguish. But it's exquisite anguish.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

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Sandra Goldbacher

Director

Minnie Driver

Rosina 'Rosie' da Silva, aka Mary Blackchurch

Tom Wilkinson

Mr. Charles Cavendish

Florence Hoath

Clementina Cavendish

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers

Henry Cavendish

Harriet Walter

Mrs. Cavendish

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 3/4

Apr 25, 2003

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

The Governess could be an illustration of the ideas in Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, in which she marvels at how necessary it is for men to have women to feel superior to.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

If Jane Austen or a Bront sister were inclined to revolve their tale of forbidden love and parlor room intrigue around a Jewish heroine, The Governess would undoubtedly resemble the result.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 15, 2009

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Sep 4, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

Following her father's murder, a London Jew, Rosina da Silva (Minnie Driver), reinvents herself as a Protestant governess on a remote Scottish island. Schooling the Cavendish family's daughter, Clementina (Florence Hoath), she soon incites the amorous passions of patriarch Charles (Tom Wilkinson), a scientist obsessed with capturing the photographic image. When his rebellious son Henry (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) arrives home, complications arise, emotions entangle and secrets inevitably spill out.

Director: Sandra Goldbacher
Executive Producer: Sally Hibbin
Screenwriter: Sandra Goldbacher
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Pandora Cinema
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 11, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 10, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.0M
Sound Mix: Dolby
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.85:1)

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