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Under the Sun

Play trailer Poster for Under the Sun 1998 2h 10m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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73% Tomatometer 33 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Illiterate Olof (Rolf Lassgård) inherits the family farm after his mother's death and relies upon his friend Erik (Johan Widerberg) for help with all the paperwork and correspondence. When Olof places an ad for a female housekeeper, Ellen (Helena Bergström) applies for the post, and within a short time of her arrival the unlikely pair start to fall for each other. Afraid of being replaced in his friend's affections, Erik discovers Ellen is already married and schemes to break up the couple.
Under the Sun

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A modest and touching story about first love.

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Critics Reviews

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Geoff Pevere Toronto Star 07/26/2002
2/5
Under The Sun is a decent, polished and rather coy romantic indulgence, just the kind of thing for people who like the idea of the farm but can't abide the dirt. Go to Full Review
Gary Dowell Dallas Morning News 11/08/2001
What's most surprising -- and enjoyable -- is Under the Sun's earnestness and simplicity. Go to Full Review
Moira MacDonald Seattle Times 10/28/2001
Not much happens in Under the Sun, nor does it need to. Go to Full Review
Mark Halverson Sacramento News & Review 08/07/2008
4/5
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 08/21/2005
2/5
Joshua Tanzer Offoffoff 03/25/2003
2.5/4
A very simple, very mild romance but a nice one. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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10/09/2022 Sensitive. Descriptive like a photographer describes things, somehow this film manages to wordlessly take me into real human love. No drama. No sensational highs. Real. Deep. A wonderful relief to watch European realism. See more 05/03/2014 Lush cinematography is the highlight of this movie. The story falls a bit short of its potential, but good acting and beautiful Swedish countryside almost make up for it if you are in the mood for a romantic drama. See more 08/09/2013 Rolf Lassgard is wonderful in this film as is Johan Widerberg and Helena Bergstrom. It is very simplistic and beautiful with some tender moments. By the end I was very involved in the story and left feeling happy. Bravaaaa See more 12/11/2012 Cute but it falls short of a total success. Think of it as grumpy middle aged men but with Swedishness throughout. See more 02/05/2011 This is a great movie. I can't believe so many gave it rotten Tomatoes. I loved the horses and the love scenes. . . and Olof's struggles were quite moving. Erik might be the reason people didn't like it. He was a lousy friend. See more 12/28/2010 Underbar! (Lite långsam och man väntar hela tiden på att någonting ONT skall hända...!) See more Read all reviews
Under the Sun

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Illiterate Olof (Rolf Lassgård) inherits the family farm after his mother's death and relies upon his friend Erik (Johan Widerberg) for help with all the paperwork and correspondence. When Olof places an ad for a female housekeeper, Ellen (Helena Bergström) applies for the post, and within a short time of her arrival the unlikely pair start to fall for each other. Afraid of being replaced in his friend's affections, Erik discovers Ellen is already married and schemes to break up the couple.
Director
Colin Nutley
Producer
Colin Nutley
Screenwriter
Johanna Hald, David Neal, Colin Nutley
Production Co
Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond, Svenska Filminstitutet, Film i Väst, Sveriges Television, Svensk Filmindustri, Sweetwater
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Swedish
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 1, 1998, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA)
$332.1K
Runtime
2h 10m
Sound Mix
DTS-ES, DTS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)