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      The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

      PG-13 Released Dec 19, 2007 1 hr. 54 min. Biography Drama List
      94% 177 Reviews Tomatometer 92% 100,000+ Ratings Audience Score Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), editor-in-chief of French fashion bible Elle magazine, has a devastating stroke at age 43. The damage to his brain stem results in locked-in syndrome, with which he is almost completely paralyzed and only able to communicate by blinking an eye. Bauby painstakingly dictates his memoir via the only means of expression left to him. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Nov 01 Buy Now

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      The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

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      The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

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      Critics Consensus

      Breathtaking visuals and dynamic performances make The Diving Bell and the Butterfly a powerful biopic.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Irving W This movie is an amazing achievement! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/03/24 Full Review KB B This was a compelling movie but so sad. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/07/24 Full Review Gareth v An engaging, heartbreaking film that is about the celebration of life over the sense of loss. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/19/23 Full Review Dave S After suffering a catastrophic stroke, well-loved magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby finds himself the victim of locked-in syndrome, only able to communicate through the blinking of an eye. Julian Schnabel's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a disturbing but inspiring story of resilience and the power of the human spirit, a film that never stoops to maudlin and manipulative means to express its message. Schnabel wisely tells the story primarily from Bauby's point of view, using prolonged POV shots from the perspective of the patient and employing voiceovers to express Bauby's thoughts. Well-acted, ingeniously shot, and smartly written, it never fails to be thought-provoking. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/01/23 Full Review Thomas M The best international movie ever made! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/26/22 Full Review Audience Member This is a very impressed be film but my god I felt depressed throughout. Quality in many ways but not one to watch if you need something even mildly feel-good. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

      A scene from the film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." A scene from the film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." A scene from the film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." A scene from the film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." On the set of the film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

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      Ben Kenigsberg Time Out Rated: 3/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Joshua Rothkopf Time Out Rated: 3/5 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review Bob Mondello NPR.org What's fascinating is that it is the very restrictions the story imposes on a director that allow Schnabel to turn it into such an eerie stunner of a movie. Oct 18, 2008 Full Review Martin Tsai New York Sun Mr. Schnabel’s film is groundbreaking in its rendering of that interior life. Apr 21, 2023 Full Review Dan DiNicola The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) The movie's overwhelming achievement is its evocation of a life and events without wallowing in any kind of pity or histrionic melodrama. Mar 22, 2021 Full Review Richard Crouse Richard Crouse Never stoops to audience manipulation, it simply presents the story in a simple, heartfelt way and allows the viewer to follow their own feelings rather than have the filmmaker try to tell them how they should be reacting. Rated: 3.5/5 Jan 31, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), editor-in-chief of French fashion bible Elle magazine, has a devastating stroke at age 43. The damage to his brain stem results in locked-in syndrome, with which he is almost completely paralyzed and only able to communicate by blinking an eye. Bauby painstakingly dictates his memoir via the only means of expression left to him.
      Director
      Julian Schnabel
      Executive Producer
      Pierre Grunstein, Jim Lemley
      Screenwriter
      Ronald Harwood
      Distributor
      Miramax Films
      Production Co
      Canal+
      Rating
      PG-13 (Sexual Content|Nudity|Some Language)
      Genre
      Biography, Drama
      Original Language
      French (France)
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Dec 19, 2007, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Apr 21, 2016
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $6.0M
      Most Popular at Home Now