The Clearing

R

Released Jan 2, 2004

1 hr. 35 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

List

43%

133 Reviews

Tomatometer

32%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) and his wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), seem to have it all. Over the years, they've built a prosperous business together while raising their two children, Tim and Jill. But the family's dream life becomes nightmarish when disgruntled employee Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe) kidnaps Wayne and holds him for ransom. The FBI invades their home and scrutinizes every detail of their life -- and ultimately, it is left to Eileen to deliver the ransom and rescue her husband.

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Critics Consensus

Though it has an excellent cast, this emotionally detached movie is the kind that one admires more than enjoys.

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Walt S

Boring, I couldn't wait for it to end.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/14/24

Full Review

Steve D

The resolution makes it not worth the trip.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

john o

I remember seeing a trailer for this film years ago and it really intrigued me. Something about Willem Dafoe's character seemed really interesting. I was wondering what his motivations for the kidnap were. Now that I've finally seen the film, I'm very disappointed. His reasons were much more generic sadly. Great performances by the three leads but no great script for them to work with. Poor editing aswell I have to say.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

nilufer e

This movie is 14 years old now but It felt like it was from the '80's. Story was simple but it was okay, acting was amazing as it was expected from the great cast. It's not a movie to remember though.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Elizabeth L

I kept waiting for something to happen in this movie, and it never did. When it was all said and done, it felt like a big waste of time.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/01/18

Full Review

Audience Member

So the movie is essentially an exploration of marriages, love, and fidelity. Wayne's, Arnold's, and to a lesser extent, Wayne's son, all had issues with their marriages. If you look at it from that perspective, instead of the advertised kidnapping thriller, the movie is a little better. The cast is fantastic. I would say Dafoe, Mirren, and Redford, in that order. Dafoe is the best I've ever seen him and Mirren can steal an entire scene with one little lip curl. Redford is of course Redford. *** spoilers*** There are no twists, no turns, no surprises. Dafoe gamely tries to portray a nice guy who has been abused by capitalism (for want of a better word) while Reford has benefitted from it. The ridiculous choking of Arnold by Wayne, and the ensuing magical finding of the gun, Redford hanging around nd staring into the trees made my peeps laugh out load. Maybe Redford agreed with the guy and wanted to make amends for something, who knows;'but it came off silly. So the ending is only dumb if you think you are watching a kidnapping thriller. The end came because Redford had come to grips with his betrayal or his wife. Worth a watch, but don't expect a thriller...

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

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Pieter Jan Brugge

Director

Robert Redford

Wayne Hayes

Helen Mirren

Eileen Hayes

Willem Dafoe

Arnold Mack

Alessandro Nivola

Tim Hayes

Matt Craven

Agent Fuller

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Good performances almost make it worthwhile.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 28, 2010

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 3/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Anthony Lane

New Yorker

A thriller stripped of thrills -- or, even worse, a thriller that thinks of itself as somehow rising above the vulgar pleasures of excitement.

Aug 1, 2004

Full Review

Felicia Feaster

Creative Loafing

An evolutionary thriller, The Clearing not only reinforces the status quo, it grinds the face of the economy's losers in the dirt and does a victory dance on their head.

Jan 30, 2020

Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

I just expected a lot more in the end, and really just didn't get it with a routine script, bland plot, and an ending that was too sudden to be accepted.

Apr 29, 2009

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 2.5/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) and his wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), seem to have it all. Over the years, they've built a prosperous business together while raising their two children, Tim and Jill. But the family's dream life becomes nightmarish when disgruntled employee Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe) kidnaps Wayne and holds him for ransom. The FBI invades their home and scrutinizes every detail of their life -- and ultimately, it is left to Eileen to deliver the ransom and rescue her husband.

Director: Pieter Jan Brugge
Executive Producer: Karen Tenkhoff
Screenwriter: Justin Haythe
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: Thousand Words
Rating: R (Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 2, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.8M
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, Dolby SR, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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