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The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

Play trailer Poster for The Ballad of the Sad Cafe PG-13 1991 1h 40m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Oscar-winners Vanessa Redgrave, Keith Carradine, and Rod Steiger star in this adaptation of the Carson McCullers novella and the Edward Albee play adapted from it. Merchant Ivory veteran Simon Callow's only turn as a director is a twisted Southern Gothic dark comedy set in a small rural town in the deep South. Redgrave plays Miss Amelia, the eccentric proprietor of the town's only café and, more importantly to her grip on the townsfolk, the proprietor of a secret moonshine still. Her domineering hold on the town is threatened when two strangers appear with a claim on her past.
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The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

Critics Reviews

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Steve Murray Atlanta Journal-Constitution Sep 25, 2025
An odd mix of freak-show follies and achingly obvious moralizing, the film is an awkward compromise between high-Gothic excess and dirt-road realism. Go to Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Feb 8, 2010
Even if you can't quite swallow the material, it's a searing experience. Go to Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Jan 1, 2000
3/4
To see the movie for its story is an exercise in futility. But it works well as gesture and flamboyance, a stage for outsize tragic figures. Go to Full Review Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap Mar 20, 2023
3/5
This gorgeous-looking but emotionally distant Southern Gothic Merchant-Ivory production lives more in the realm of parable than realistic storytelling. Go to Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Jan 3, 2023
It's an odyssey. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Brian D. Johnson Maclean's Magazine Oct 11, 2019
Callow directs in a spare but evocative style, transforming his literary sources with visual poetry rather than trying to contain their words. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Emily Sep 11, 2022 Vanessa Redgrave genius. See more Jill V C Sep 9, 2022 Disappointing… all that talent, and such tepid results! See more Aug 5, 2011 stripped of exposition, deprived of the rich interior lives McCullers' gives her characters, you have still something in the southern gothic vein, though it is more like operatic kitsch where no one has motivation for any of the wildly flamboyant things that they do. It makes for a diverting freak show, but it deprives eccentrics of their dignity for our amusement. See more Feb 11, 2011 A strange and wonderful Southern Gothic. A masterful performance by Vanessa Redgrave - one of her absolute best - with Keith Carradine and particularly Cork Hubbart strong supporting. Director Simon Callow balances the material so it steers clear of outright melodrama, infusing it with a palpable eerie atmosphere of the deep South. A masterpiece. See more May 23, 2010 same old southern stuff that has been done way better like by tennesee williams See more May 29, 2009 it captures the spirit of what people now call "southern gothic" incredibly well. i was amused to find out that vanessa redgrave is actually david bowie in disguise. other than that, very good story, and the performances and the direction are acceptable (if we forget the incredible flying hunchback in the fight scene). All in all, very enjoyable. See more Read all reviews
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

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Cast & Crew

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Simon Callow

Director

Vanessa Redgrave

Miss Amelia

Keith Carradine

Marvin Macy

Cork Hubbert

Cousin Lymon

Rod Steiger

Rev. Willin

Austin Pendleton

Lawyer Taylor

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The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991) The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991) The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991) The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Oscar-winners Vanessa Redgrave, Keith Carradine, and Rod Steiger star in this adaptation of the Carson McCullers novella and the Edward Albee play adapted from it. Merchant Ivory veteran Simon Callow's only turn as a director is a twisted Southern Gothic dark comedy set in a small rural town in the deep South. Redgrave plays Miss Amelia, the eccentric proprietor of the town's only café and, more importantly to her grip on the townsfolk, the proprietor of a secret moonshine still. Her domineering hold on the town is threatened when two strangers appear with a claim on her past.
Director
Simon Callow
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Nov 20, 2001
Runtime
1h 40m
Sound Mix
Surround
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