Snow Falling on Cedars

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Snow Falling on Cedars

PG-13

1999

2h 6m

History

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

39%

Tomatometer

89 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Fog as thick and palpable as cotton hangs suspended over San Piedro Island. On the bay, a flickering lantern signals distress from a crippled fishing boat, while elsewhere a freighter lurches blindly through the chalky mist. By morning, sea and sky are clear, but the tranquil village of fisherman and berry farmers will forever be changed. For one man has lost his life, and another -a childhood friend- has been charged with taking it. An investigation is launched. The trial begins.

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Critics Consensus

Though Snow Falling on Cedars is beautiful to look at, critics say the story becomes dull and tedious to sit through.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Good movie for adults and older teens.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 28, 2010

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Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Casting Hawke as Ishmael Chambers in a mediocre movie version of Snow Falling on Cedars is pretty much the kiss of death.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 1, 2000

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Jay Carr

Boston Globe

It's second to none in its ability to specify a world and immerse us in it.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

One big chill. The only thing that moves with any purpose in this picture is the weather.

Rated: 1.5/4

Nov 10, 2019

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Burl Burlingame

Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Shot either in extreme, eye-swelling close-ups or in excessively composed, arty landscapes, I now know more about the blood vessels in these actors' noses than I care to.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jul 5, 2011

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Jeffrey Overstreet

Looking Closer

... it powerfully re-creates the history, captures the essence of Guterson's characters, and carries us through hypnotized by breathtaking cinematography.

Rated: B+

Dec 6, 2004

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Audience Member

The audience is a better judge then the critics were. The movie is excellent. There are basically 3 story arc's/ The young ones in love/ the trial/ and The Japanese and the war and the interment. I think it would be better to have addressed each story separately- but I didn't make the movie, it still works though. The movie is BEAUTIFULLY SHOT. Scenes of harsh light and dim darkness, it's a very poetic movie and the feel of it is nice. I'm willing to forgive whatever shortcomings it has because it was so beautiful to watch. An easy add and I loved it when I saw it and even now in 2025 after watching it again.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/16/25

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Jeffrey P

I don’t know if this is a legal drama with a romance subplot, or a romance with a legal drama subplot. All the various sides of this story take a back seat to each other, leaving none to shine as the main focus and everything else to be overshadowed by something else.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/19/25

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Michael O

This movie has the cinematography of an indie movie, but I was surprised it was a Kennedy/Marshall flick. All star lineup. Court drama plus murder mystery. Incredible. I keep coming back to watch it every few years and it always holds up.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/02/23

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Steve D

Too long but has a number of powerful moments.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

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Audience Member

This is a very average film. The subject matter is interesting. The title is kind of odd for a movie about a Japanese-American wrongfully accused of murder. I honestly had no idea what this movie was about until I watched it today. Nothing from any of the actors stand out.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

Really interesting as far as the era and plot set up / but drudges through towards the end. Hawke plays a one armed journalist that's in love with the accused's wife --- and he plays it well.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

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Scott Hicks

Director

Ethan Hawke

Ishmael Chambers

James Cromwell

Judge Fielding

Richard Jenkins

Sheriff Art Moran

James Rebhorn

Alvin Hooks

Sam Shepard

Arthur Chambers

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Synopsis

Fog as thick and palpable as cotton hangs suspended over San Piedro Island. On the bay, a flickering lantern signals distress from a crippled fishing boat, while elsewhere a freighter lurches blindly through the chalky mist. By morning, sea and sky are clear, but the tranquil village of fisherman and berry farmers will forever be changed. For one man has lost his life, and another -a childhood friend- has been charged with taking it. An investigation is launched. The trial begins.

Director: Scott Hicks
Producer: Ronald Bass, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Harry J. Ufland
Screenwriter: Scott Hicks, David Guterson, Ronald Bass
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Kennedy/Marshall, Soundfirm, Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Sensuality|Disturbing Images|Brief Strong Language)
Genre: History, Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 12, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.4M
Runtime: 2h 6m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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