Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Snow Falling on Cedars

Play trailer Poster for Snow Falling on Cedars PG-13 1999 2h 6m History Drama Mystery & Thriller Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 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.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Snow Falling on Cedars

Snow Falling on Cedars

What to Know

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/28/2010
3/5
Good movie for adults and older teens. Go to Full Review Desson Thomson Washington Post 01/01/2000
2/5
Casting Hawke as Ishmael Chambers in a mediocre movie version of Snow Falling on Cedars is pretty much the kiss of death. Go to Full Review Jay Carr Boston Globe 01/01/2000
3.5/4
It's second to none in its ability to specify a world and immerse us in it. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 11/10/2019
1.5/4
One big chill. The only thing that moves with any purpose in this picture is the weather. Go to Full Review Burl Burlingame Honolulu Star-Advertiser 07/05/2011
1.5/4
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. Go to Full Review Jeffrey Overstreet Looking Closer 12/06/2004
B+
... it powerfully re-creates the history, captures the essence of Guterson's characters, and carries us through hypnotized by breathtaking cinematography. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Sep 16 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. See more Jeffrey P Jun 19 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. See more Michael O @Ortyort 04/02/2023 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. See more Steve D 02/09/2023 Too long but has a number of powerful moments. See more 04/23/2021 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. See more 05/30/2020 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. See more Read all reviews
Snow Falling on Cedars

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All

Scott Hicks

Director

Ethan Hawke

Ishmael Chambers

James Cromwell

Judge Fielding

Richard Jenkins

Sheriff Art Moran

James Rebhorn

Alvin Hooks

Sam Shepard

Arthur Chambers

More Like This

View All
Les Miserables 77% 83% Les Miserables Watchlist TRAILER for Les Miserables In Love and War 11% 50% In Love and War Watchlist Anna and the King 52% 64% Anna and the King Watchlist TRAILER for Anna and the King Mansfield Park 78% 76% Mansfield Park Watchlist Thirteen Days 83% 80% Thirteen Days Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Snow Falling on Cedars

Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) Max Von Sydow and Rick Yune in Universal's Snow Falling On Cedars Youki Kudoh as Hatsue Miyamoto in Universal's Snow Falling On Cedars View more photos

Movie Info

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)
Most Popular at Home Now