Out of Africa

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Out of Africa

PG

Released Dec 18, 1985

2h 40m

Romance

Biography

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

62%

Tomatometer

89 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Initially set on being a dairy farmer, the aristocratic Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) travels to Africa to join her husband, Bror (Klaus Maria Brandauer), who instead spends their money on a coffee plantation. After discovering Bror is unfaithful, Karen develops feelings for hunter Denys (Robert Redford), but realizes he prefers a simplistic lifestyle compared to her upper class background. The two continue on until a series of events force Karen to choose between her love and personal growth.

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Critics Consensus

Though lensed with stunning cinematography and featuring a pair of winning performances from Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, Out of Africa suffers from excessive length and glacial pacing.

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Mike McGrady

Newsday

Once again, Streep adds a third dimension to a two-dimensional medium; once again she brings humanity and intelligence to a remarkable portrait that must be added to what has become a gallery of such portraits.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 25, 2023

Full Review

Rick Lyman

Philadelphia Inquirer

Sydney Pollack's glorious and stirring Out of Africa is a big-screen epic in the very best sense.

Rated: 4/4

Jan 13, 2021

Full Review

David Denby

New York Magazine/Vulture

The beauty of Out of Africa, From the very opening shots, is rhapsodic and illustrative rather than dramatic. This large-scale adaptation of Isak Dinesen's marvelous memoir never catches fire.

Jan 13, 2021

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Unfortunately, its memoir story is enormously dull and not even Meryl Streep's delicate performance can prevent the love affair from plummeting into predictable plains. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/10

Feb 11, 2025

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

A disjointed, lumpen snoozer that improves in its final half but completely whiffs the ending. It's also one of Meryl Streep's least interesting and most perfunctorily Oscar-nominated performances.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jun 22, 2024

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

There are many who consider Out of Africa a weak Best Picture Oscar winner, but I vehemently disagree.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 10, 2023

Full Review

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Jeff N.

Beautiful cinema and score. Beautiful!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/31/25

Full Review

K K

Merryl Steep gives a tour de force performance as she plays the Baroness as one could only imagine so well. The story rolls on and misses a couple of major historical moments key in the lives of the main characters. The lack of these is clearly masked by the sweeping landscapes and art direction. Touching moments and memorable persons push the viewer to wanting more.. Enough time has past since this beautiful movie. A 3 part mini series re-make should do the trick!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/28/25

Full Review

Stephen C

2 hours and 40 minutes is too long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $83,100,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/04/25

Full Review

Leprechaun K

Beautifully shot with a wonderful score by John Barry. Movie plays a bit long and first hour and a half is a struggle to stay invested. Film location and supporting casts adds authenticity to the memoir based feature. Overall enjoyable but could have been trimmed to a more befitting runtime.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/13/25

Full Review

Ann G

This is not a movie, it's an experience. The sets, the soundtrack, the cast, blend together seamlessly. It's joyful and painful and you wish it didn't have to end. Meryl Streep represents Karen Blixen with style, grace, and accuracy according to those who knew Karen Blixen. Robert Redford is Robert Redford. I see him as the only possibly weak link. Denys Finch-Hatten was English and his attempt at an English accent was so bad that Sydney Pollack had him play the role with his normal voice, so you can't forget it's Robert Redford. It made me wonder how it would've been with Liam Neeson or a Jeremy Irons. Even so, it's a film you can fall in love with.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/24/25

Full Review

Brad S. R

Some beautiful music and incredible cinematography makes this historical melodrama a lot more interesting than it has any right to be.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/17/25

Full Review

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Sydney Pollack

Director

Meryl Streep

Karen Christence Dinesen Blixen-Finecke

Robert Redford

Denys George Finch Hatton

Klaus Maria Brandauer

Bror Blixen

Michael Kitchen

Berkeley Cole

Malick Bowens

Farah

Out of Africa: Official Clip - He Was Not Mine

1:53

Out of Africa: Official Clip - All Gone

2:55

Out of Africa: Official Clip - A Glimpse of the World Through God's Eye

3:00

Out of Africa: Official Clip - You Do Like to Change Things

3:00

Out of Africa: Official Clip - Karen Takes the Shot

3:00

Out of Africa: Official Clip - Lion Attack

2:38

Out of Africa: Official Clip - Shampoo By the River

1:07

Out of Africa: Official Clip - Karen's New Home

1:32

Out of Africa: Official Clip - Karen Says Goodbye

2:47

Out of Africa: Official Clip - Shoot Her!

1:29

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Synopsis

Initially set on being a dairy farmer, the aristocratic Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) travels to Africa to join her husband, Bror (Klaus Maria Brandauer), who instead spends their money on a coffee plantation. After discovering Bror is unfaithful, Karen develops feelings for hunter Denys (Robert Redford), but realizes he prefers a simplistic lifestyle compared to her upper class background. The two continue on until a series of events force Karen to choose between her love and personal growth.

Director: Sydney Pollack
Producer: Sydney Pollack
Screenwriter: Kurt Luedtke
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance, Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 18, 1985, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $83.1M
Runtime: 2h 40m
Sound Mix: Surround, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track

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