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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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56% Tomatometer 9 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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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 Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 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. Rated: 3/4 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

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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 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 Audience Member 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. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

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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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