Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

PG-13 1991 1h 40m Drama List
56% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 62% Audience Score 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. Read More Read Less
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

Fandango at Home Prime Video Apple TV

Rent The Ballad of the Sad Cafe on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Reviews

View All (9) Critics Reviews
Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: C Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Even if you can't quite swallow the material, it's a searing experience. Feb 8, 2010 Full Review Kathleen Maher Austin Chronicle Rated: 3.5/5 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap This gorgeous-looking but emotionally distant Southern Gothic Merchant-Ivory production lives more in the realm of parable than realistic storytelling. Rated: 3/5 Mar 20, 2023 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) It's an odyssey. [Full review in Spanish] Jan 3, 2023 Full Review Brian D. Johnson Maclean's Magazine Callow directs in a spare but evocative style, transforming his literary sources with visual poetry rather than trying to contain their words. Oct 11, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (9) audience reviews
Emily Vanessa Redgrave genius. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/11/22 Full Review Jill V C Disappointing… all that talent, and such tepid results! Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/09/22 Full Review alex k My Favorite Romance Film Is 1997's Titanic. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member same old southern stuff that has been done way better like by tennesee williams Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
The White Countess 50% 50% The White Countess Home % 73% Home Off the Map 70% 85% Off the Map Rich in Love 69% 38% Rich in Love The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio 60% 74% The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All The Ballad of the Sad Cafe photos

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
Most Popular at Home Now