Legends of the Fall

Play trailer

2:11

Legends of the Fall

R

Released Dec 16, 1994

2h 14m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

61%

Tomatometer

62 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) lives in the wilderness with his sons, Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn) and Samuel (Henry Thomas). Eventually, the unconventional but close-knit family encounters tragedy when Samuel is killed in World War I. Tristan and Alfred survive their tours of duty, but, soon after they return home, both men fall for Samuel's gorgeous fiancée, Susannah (Julia Ormond), and their intense rivalry begins to destroy the family.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Featuring a swoon-worthy star turn by Brad Pitt, Legends of the Fall's painterly photography and epic sweep often compensate for its lack of narrative momentum and glut of melodramatic twists.

Read Critics Reviews

Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

It may take place in a man’s world, but this is a women’s picture, in the vein of the overwrought family epics of the 1950s.

Jan 4, 2024

Full Review

Duane Byrge

The Hollywood Reporter

In general, director Edward Zwick does a commendable job of keeping things apace, while... John Toll's scrumptiously pristine cinematography and James Horner's piercingly full score.

Jan 23, 2019

Full Review

Terrence Rafferty

The New Yorker

At first, the picture plays like East of Eden with a bonus brother; it gets sillier as it goes.

Apr 2, 2014

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

While some segments of the film seem to comically lurch from one tragedy to the next, a cosmically melancholy underpinning lingers — that time’s cruel sweep is how mankind tends to minimize moments between our sadness and undervalue the peace we find.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 16, 2025

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Thelma & Louise and A River Runs Through It may have gotten the wheels turning on the Brad Pitt Heartthrob Express, but it was this handsomely mounted epic that turned the actor into a pinup fave and, more significantly, a genuine star.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 5, 2025

Full Review

Nick Bythrow

Screen Rant

Brad Pitt leads an epic Western highlighting the sprawling beauty and tragedy of life in this 1994 movie from The Last Samurai director Edward Zwick.

Rated: 9/10

Dec 2, 2024

Full Review

Read all reviews

Tony L

I put this movie into the top 25 ever. The book is an american classic, so the movie follows the same path on the plot, which I loved. Superb acting by all actors involved in it. About photography, the takes are breathtaking; you just cannot do better than this. The critics buried this movie but I don't care, I'm just a viewer that has his own rules for deciding which movie is good and which one is not. This is a great movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/25

Full Review

Nancy W

One of the best movies I have seen! I rarely watch any movie more than once but I just finished watching this for the fifth time! The acting is superb as is the story line. Maybe it’s because I can related to it so much but this movie is one of the best ever!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/22/24

Full Review

Jacob H

It was an OK movie, kind of soapy but decent storyline. Brad Pitt is amazing and really stands out. Anthony Hopkins is wasted in this role. I’ll never watch it again, but I’m not mad I did

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

Full Review

Muhammed a

It was a good and high quality movie. It was sad towards the end. It's a must watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/27/24

Full Review

Mason D

at first glance it seems like a good movie that has potential to become and emotional epic that will stay with you forever, however just when the film starts to get good it immediately turns into a long and boring westerns chick flick that has Brad Pitt's character go through a really weird character arc and then resolves it by the middle of the movie and then keeps going for like another 40 minutes. don't waste your time, also brad pitt's hair is so bad in this movie.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/19/24

Full Review

Garrett B

Very emotional movie. It made me very sad. 😭

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/26/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Edward Zwick

Director

Brad Pitt

Tristan Ludlow

Anthony Hopkins

Col. William Ludlow

Aidan Quinn

Alfred Ludlow

Julia Ormond

Susannah Fincannon Ludlow

Henry Thomas

Samuel Ludlow

Legends of the Fall: Official Clip - Alfred is Reconciled

2:12

Legends of the Fall: Official Clip - Isabel Dies

2:13

Legends of the Fall: Official Clip - Four Beers

1:59

Legends of the Fall: Official Clip - Tristan Returns

2:13

Legends of the Fall: Official Clip - Gravesite Visit

2:12

Legends of the Fall: Official Clip - Meeting the Bride

2:12

Legends of the Fall: Official Clip - Samuel Dies

2:08

Legends of the Fall: Official Clip - Susannah at the Ranch

2:12

View more videos

Mary Reilly

26%

40%

Mary Reilly

Watchlist

Bodies, Rest & Motion

53%

51%

Bodies, Rest & Motion

Watchlist

The Waterdance

94%

63%

The Waterdance

Watchlist

Bastard Out of Carolina

100%

84%

Bastard Out of Carolina

Watchlist

Equinox

33%

42%

Equinox

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

New on Netflix in August 2022

Legends of the Fall: Trailer 1

2:11

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) lives in the wilderness with his sons, Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn) and Samuel (Henry Thomas). Eventually, the unconventional but close-knit family encounters tragedy when Samuel is killed in World War I. Tristan and Alfred survive their tours of duty, but, soon after they return home, both men fall for Samuel's gorgeous fiancée, Susannah (Julia Ormond), and their intense rivalry begins to destroy the family.

Director: Edward Zwick
Producer: Marshall Herskovitz, William D. Wittliff, Edward Zwick
Screenwriter: Jim Harrison, Susan Shilliday, William D. Wittliff
Distributor: Columbia Tristar, TriStar Pictures
Production Co: TriStar Pictures, Bedford Falls Productions
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Language|Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 16, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $63.2M
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround, Stereo

Most Popular at Home Now