Out of Africa

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Out of Africa

PG

Released Dec 18, 1985

2h 40m

Romance

Biography

Drama

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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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Eric M

The lackluster reviews from "professional critics" here smack of sophomoric contrarianism. Without a doubt, one of the best films of the past 50 years, based on a brilliant adaptation of Blixen's autobiography, career-defining performances from Streep and Redford, a transcendent musical score, and arguably the best cinematographic showcase of East Africa of any Hollywood film ever. One of my top 5 films ever.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/10/25

Full Review

Terry M

I read the book recently. The movie is just as long and dull as the book was. But Meryl Streep was excellent as usual at least.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/26/24

Full Review

Aileen D

The film began with Karen telling her story from her point of view. The screenplay retained some of the poetry of the author’s original writing, and the pace was slow because Karen was savoring all the details of her memories - her story. She was stoic when recounting her story because she could be objective with the passage of time, so her recounting was on the tender side yet passionate. All in all: a fine screenplay and excellent editing. Aileen

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/03/24

Full Review

David K

It's a beautiful film - photography, soundtrack - with outstanding performances that needed to have a little more get-up-and-go.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/19/24

Full Review

Audience Member

A beautiful love story that I return to again and again. Redford and Streep are incredible and totally inhabit their characters. Beautifully shot and conceptualized film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/11/24

Full Review

Greg B

Redford was terribly miscast. The role was written for an Englishman -- Stewart Granger being the model. Redford stuck to his wooden "acting" style, apparently incapable of summoning a British accent. Otherwise, the movie was too long.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/25/24

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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