Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

R

1997

2h 35m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Popcornmeter

51%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In this adaptation of John Berendt's book, a young journalist, John Kelso (John Cusack), travels to Savannah, Ga., to cover the city's Christmas celebration amid a backdrop of eccentric characters. He becomes intrigued by a sultry singer, Mandy (Alison Eastwood), and engrossed by a murder trial. Wealthy society figure Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey) is accused of shooting his male lover, and the question is whether it was in self-defense as he claims.

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Critics Consensus

Clint Eastwood's spare directorial style proves an ill fit for this Southern potboiler, which dutifully trudges through its mystery while remaining disinterested in the cultural flourishes that gave its source material its sense of intrigue.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

The one crucial miscasting is Eastwood as director. He approaches the story like a tourist.

Mar 5, 2018

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Clint Eastwood's film is a determined attempt to be faithful to the book's spirit, but something ineffable is lost just by turning on the camera: Nothing we see can be as amazing as what we've imagined.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Mike Clark

USA Today

An oppressively long cinematic oddball.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Betsy Sherman

The Improper Bostonian

This thriller set in Savannah, Georgia, has enough juicy intrigue to recommend it. But it's got some fault-line flaws that director Clint Eastwood ignores to weave his local-color tapestry.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 6, 2024

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Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

No dominant sense of style, no evocation of classic Southern charm or presence of a Gothic sensibility. This one meanders for more than two hours and we emerge tired and unfulfilled.

Rated: C

Jan 10, 2023

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Cory Woodroof

615 Film

Not quite among Eastwood’s best, but a very entertaining and well-made courtroom drama with some unexpected personality.

Jun 9, 2022

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Stephen C

2 hours and 35 minutes is too long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/11/25

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David Lee K

Despite a very promising cast and good source material, Clint Eastwood's film is more a case study in squandered potential. Perhaps it is sometimes beautiful to look at, but it's just too painfully boring to endure.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/31/25

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Laurian D

The only problem with this movie, as many pointed it out, is that it's a bit overlong. Some scenes could and should have been cut out because they add nothing to the otherwise very good story. The cast is great, so is character development and the cinematography is classy. Definitely a good movie which turns out to be actually great if you watch it at 1.25x speed. That gives it the proper pacing. No joke.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/03/25

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Audience Member

Southern charm and characters are the stars of this intriguing story. Thank you, Clint Eastwood for allowing the characters to unfold the story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/16/24

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Eye C

Didn’t like it. Too slow and not so interesting.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/19/24

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David W

This film is a funny court drama that derives its strength by giving equal weight to what occurs outside the courtroom. I would definitely watch this again!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/24

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Synopsis

In this adaptation of John Berendt's book, a young journalist, John Kelso (John Cusack), travels to Savannah, Ga., to cover the city's Christmas celebration amid a backdrop of eccentric characters. He becomes intrigued by a sultry singer, Mandy (Alison Eastwood), and engrossed by a murder trial. Wealthy society figure Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey) is accused of shooting his male lover, and the question is whether it was in self-defense as he claims.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Producer: Clint Eastwood, Arnold Stiefel
Screenwriter: John Lee Hancock
Production Co: Warner Bros., Silver Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 31, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $25.1M
Runtime: 2h 35m
Sound Mix: Surround

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