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Oscar and Lucinda

Play trailer Poster for Oscar and Lucinda R 1997 2h 12m Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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65% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
After a childhood of abuse by his evangelistic father, misfit Oscar Hopkins (Ralph Fiennes) becomes an Anglican minister and develops a divine obsession with gambling. Lucinda Leplastrier (Cate Blanchett) is a rich Australian heiress shopping in London for materials for her newly acquired glass factory back home. Deciding to travel to Australia as a missionary, Oscar meets Lucinda aboard ship, and a mutual obsession blossoms. They make a wager that will alter each of their destinies.

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Oscar and Lucinda

Critics Reviews

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Emanuel Levy Variety This is after all a Gillian Anderson picture, which means the film's physical production is just as impressive as its spiritual apsiration; Cate Blanchett, in a role originally intended for Judy Davis, is bound to become a major star Rated: B+ Dec 24, 2006 Full Review Mike Clark USA Today There's a lack of dramatic focus, and the leads fail to evince any particular chemistry. Rated: 2/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Oscar and Lucinda begins with the look of a period literary adaptation, but this is not Dickens, Austen, Forster or James; Carey's novel is playful and manipulative, and so is the film. Rated: 3/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Michael Dequina TheMovieReport.com Fiennes and Blanchett have a special magic and air of giddy humor about them when they are together. Rated: 3/4 Mar 31, 2009 Full Review Betsy Bozdech DVDJournal.com One of those quiet, compelling romances that gives you hope that there is a round hole for every square peg out there. Rated: 3/4 Oct 22, 2006 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 2.5/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Dave S Based on Peter Carey's expansive novel, Gillian Armstrong's Oscar and Lucinda is a love story like no other. Set primarily in 19th century Australia, Oscar (Ralph Fiennes) and Lucinda (Cate Blanchett) meet aboard a ship bound for Sydney, drawn to each other by their eccentricities and their shared addiction to gambling, unique individuals described as ‘square pegs'. As the relationship develops, they form a common bond in their desire to deliver a glass church to a mutual friend in a remote area of the country. Similar to Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo in its ambitious scope, the film is filled with interesting characters, beautiful cinematography, and clearly drawn characters. While the central plot point, the construction and delivery of the church, presents itself relatively late in the movie, it remains a difficult film to forget thanks to its uniqueness. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/10/25 Full Review isla s This is a good period drama. Its a film about gambling and faith. The performances are good and its a perfectly pleasant watch. Not much to say about it as such. Both Cate Blanchett and Ralph Fiennes give decent performances I suppose. Its upper middle class based and may be a little slow moving for some perhaps but it has some mildly interesting dialogue and its an enjoyable enough watch, so I thought it was ok, even if it is a little twee. Yes, I'd recommend it, though be aware that there's some outdated language used referring to natives which may offend. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Cate Really was the only reason I continued to watch it- Choppy story- the only good acting was Cate. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member Stopped watching halfway through... Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member It begins as a fanciful yarn about colorful misfit characters, but it grows and deepens as the movie goes along. Yes it's a beautiful but tragic love story, an adventure epic and a drama. All fit seamlessly and entertain as much as it touches the heart. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Nothing much to recommend, honestly. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Oscar and Lucinda

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Cast & Crew

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Gillian Armstrong

Director

Ralph Fiennes

Oscar Hopkins

Cate Blanchett

Lucinda Leplastrier

Ciarán Hinds

Reverend Dennis Hasset

Tom Wilkinson

Hugh Stratton

Richard Roxburgh

Mr. Jeffries

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Oscar and Lucinda

Oscar and Lucinda (1997) Oscar and Lucinda (1997) Oscar and Lucinda (1997) Oscar and Lucinda (1997) Oscar and Lucinda (1997) Oscar and Lucinda (1997) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After a childhood of abuse by his evangelistic father, misfit Oscar Hopkins (Ralph Fiennes) becomes an Anglican minister and develops a divine obsession with gambling. Lucinda Leplastrier (Cate Blanchett) is a rich Australian heiress shopping in London for materials for her newly acquired glass factory back home. Deciding to travel to Australia as a missionary, Oscar meets Lucinda aboard ship, and a mutual obsession blossoms. They make a wager that will alter each of their destinies.
Director
Gillian Armstrong
Producer
Robin Dalton, Timothy White
Screenwriter
Peter Carey, Laura Jones
Distributor
Fox
Production Co
Fox Searchlight
Rating
R
Genre
Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 31, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.6M
Runtime
2h 12m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Scope (2.35:1)
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