☰
Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Clearing

Play trailer Poster for The Clearing R Released Jan 2, 2004 1h 35m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
44% Tomatometer 131 Reviews 32% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
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.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

The Clearing

The Clearing

What to Know

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More (131)
Nell Minow Common Sense Media Good performances almost make it worthwhile. Rated: 2/5 Dec 28, 2010 Full Review Anthony Lane The 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 Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle The easy give-and-take between Redford and Mirren early in the film is flawlessly realistic, but even that couldn't stem the tide of this reviewer's yawns. Rated: 2/5 Jul 11, 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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More (334)
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 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 a.l.jude p It's a slow train stopping at every crossroad. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Clearing

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All

Pieter Jan Brugge

Director

Robert Redford

Wayne Hayes

Helen Mirren

Eileen Hayes

Willem Dafoe

Arnold Mack

Alessandro Nivola

Tim Hayes

Matt Craven

Agent Fuller

More Like This

View All
Derailed 20% 58% Derailed Watchlist Cold Creek Manor 12% 22% Cold Creek Manor Watchlist A History of Violence 88% 76% A History of Violence Watchlist TRAILER for A History of Violence The Constant Gardener 83% 82% The Constant Gardener Watchlist Changeling 61% 82% Changeling Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

The Clearing

The Clearing (2004) The Clearing (2004) The Clearing (2004) The Clearing (2004) View more photos

Movie Info

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
Producer
Jonah Smith, Pieter Jan Brugge, Palmer West
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
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, Dolby SR, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
Most Popular at Home Now