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The Fountain

Play trailer Poster for The Fountain PG-13 2006 1h 36m Drama Mystery & Thriller Romance Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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52% Tomatometer 206 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
A man (Hugh Jackman) travels through time on a quest for immortality and to save the woman (Rachel Weisz) he loves. As a 16th-century conquistador, Tomas searches for the legendary Fountain of Youth. As a present-day scientist, he desperately struggles to cure the cancer that is killing his wife. Finally, as a 26th-century astronaut in deep space, Tom begins to grasp the mysteries of life, love and death.
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The Fountain

The Fountain

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Critics Consensus

The Fountain -- a movie about metaphysics, universal patterns, Biblical symbolism, and boundless love spread across one thousand years -- is visually rich but suffers from its own unfocused ambitions.

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Critics Reviews

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Michael Atkinson Sight & Sound 07/06/2010
It's difficult to recall another American film that, in pursuing a passionate and personal vision, goes so maddeningly, uproariously wrong. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 09/14/2007
2.5/4
I will concede the film is not a great success. Too many screens of blinding lights. Too many transitions for their own sake. Abrupt changes of tone. Go to Full Review
Mark Kermode BBC Radio Five Live 01/29/2007
Bonkers, adventurous, silly, ambitious, charming, foolish; it's all those things and it'll be gone in a week. But it's not mainstream Bore-o fare, and for that it should be celebrated. Go to Full Review
Gayle Sequeira BFI Aug 27
The limitations of the body, its susceptibility to disease and death, have never been more keenly felt in Aronofsky’s works. Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia Aug 23
5/10
Despite its visual ambition, I feel like it's a hollow film that, within its limitations, falls into a narrative abyss with an execution that fails to sustain its pretensions about mortality, love, and transcendence. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 03/11/2022
2/4
The real tragedy of The Fountain is that Aronofsky doesn't allow his audience to exist with his characters, and the emotional weight of the stories is squandered on an overt symbolism. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Michael J Aug 4 What acid trip was this guy on See more Kyle C @kylekc Aug 1 This movie seems to be divisive, and I can see why—the narrative structure is unconventional, and the events on screen don’t always follow strict logic. But emotionally, everything makes perfect sense. Viewed through that lens, The Fountain is nothing short of a masterpiece. Hugh Jackman gives one of the best performances of his career, effectively playing three distinct characters while maintaining a powerful emotional throughline. Its lessons on love and loss transcend time and culture, which is why the film may initially feel disjointed—but that’s also part of what makes it so compelling. The open-ended nature invites personal interpretation. Darren Aronofsky delivers some truly visionary camerawork, and the subtle yet powerful score elevates the film to something close to perfection. This movie may not be for everyone, but if you come in with an open mind, I believe you’ll find a lot to appreciate. See more Gary G Jul 22 This is a movie with some storytelling weakness and inconsistencies, but ultimately it did not matter to me. First, it is visually stunning; one of the most beautifully crafted films I've ever seen. It's also extremely emotional. What really hit me the hardest was Jackman's fight to save the love of his life at any cost, even when it became obvious that it was a battle he could not win. His rage against death was futile in the end, as it will be for all of us. It is an ambitious effort, and I found it easy to forgive its shortcomings. See more Ti H. @Tisha Jul 20 You have to be a novelist to appreciate how well told this movie is; Rachel Weisz is writing a story, she asks Hugh Jackman to finish her story and write the last chapter, thus we have the Conquistador and the futuristic Guru-style guy: the movie is told in three segments the history part of it is WRITTEN by Rachel Weiss, who is telling it of Spanish conquistador, and the "future" leaning exposition is WRITTEN by Hugh Jackman when Rachel asks him to "finish" her story and then you have the third exposition which is Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weiss in their current real-life circumstance where she has cancer & he tries to cure it, so it's told in three different segments not past, present, future but two different novelists writing voices and then one is the real life story of Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weiss. It's brilliantly & beautifully told. See more Shane G Jul 8 Yet another example of why you should never trust professional critics. The movie is left open to interpretation, but a big mistake is thinking the movie is about time and three literal timelines. It's a deeply philosophical movie about getting over grief and accepting life and death. It is so beautifully acted that it moves me to tears every time I watch it. The visuals and OST are STUNNING and worth watching for that alone. If you're on the fence, please give this movie a shot! See more Andy B Jul 7 A trippy, often moving film that somehow doesn't have the focus to really nail what it's getting at. I think it's the futuristic spiritual element that doesn't work, as the conquistador and present day scientist stories are great. See more Read all reviews
The Fountain

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Movie Info

Synopsis A man (Hugh Jackman) travels through time on a quest for immortality and to save the woman (Rachel Weisz) he loves. As a 16th-century conquistador, Tomas searches for the legendary Fountain of Youth. As a present-day scientist, he desperately struggles to cure the cancer that is killing his wife. Finally, as a 26th-century astronaut in deep space, Tom begins to grasp the mysteries of life, love and death.
Director
Darren Aronofsky
Producer
Gilbert Adler, Eric Watson
Screenwriter
Darren Aronofsky
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Warner Brothers, Regency Enterprises
Rating
PG-13 (Language|Intense Violent Action|Some Sensuality)
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Romance, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 22, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$10.1M
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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