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The Whales of August

Play trailer Poster for The Whales of August Released Oct 16, 1987 1h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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64% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Two elderly sisters, Libby Strong (Bette Davis) and Sarah Webber (Lillian Gish), travel to their summer house in Maine. The pair couldn't be less similar: Libby is blind, cynical and mean-spirited; Sarah is sunny, optimistic and healthy. Yet their shared memories and hardships -- especially the deaths of their husbands -- help bind the two together. Still, the entrance of a local fisherman (Vincent Price) into Sarah's life threatens to reopen old wounds.
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The Whales of August

Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Here is a quiet film of a conventional story, a star vehicle designed to show everyone to advantage. Rated: 3/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com Gish rules the day as the more empathetic sister, but Anderson brings them to a masterful finale. Rated: 3.5/5 Aug 26, 2020 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row A quiet, unassuming masterpiece that deserves to be cherished, Rated: 4/4 Jun 4, 2019 Full Review Hilary Mantel The Spectator This is not acting, but simply ex- isting in front of a camera. Sep 5, 2018 Full Review Robert Roten Laramie Movie Scope This is not my cup of tea, but it is a fascinating last picture show for a likeable legendary acting troupe. Rated: C Oct 30, 2008 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jul 17, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Suz B I am so late to the Lillian Gish party. Yes, I knew she was legendary. Yes, I knew she was huge. But I'd seen few, if any, of her films. Then I saw The Night of the Hunter, which she absolutely, but very quietly, stole. So I watched this. She was in her mid 90s in this movie but was believable as the healthier, happier sister to Bette Davis' shrill, negative blind woman, though Davis was in her 70s when this was shot. This is a quiet movie. It's atmospheric. Davis is hard to take, but she's supposed to be. And Gish is just marvelous - so much to read in her expressions, no grandstanding. This was her last movie, and it's a fine conclusion to an incredible career. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/22/24 Full Review Alec B Yeah its great to see the cast of legends they assembled for this movie but those actors should have been given a better screenplay. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/10/24 Full Review Matthew R A very touching film. Great cast and performances. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/14/23 Full Review dave s Known for his social critiques via cutting satire (O Lucky Man!, If…, Britannia Hospital), The Whales of August is a departure for esteemed British director Lindsay Anderson. Set in a summer home on the coast of Maine, two sisters (Bette Davis, Lillian Gish), wildly different in personality, come to terms with the fact that their lives will soon be over. Also featuring Vincent Price and Ann Sothern, it is interesting to watch from the perspective of seeing four actors in the twilight years of their impressive careers but, sadly, it really isn't all that good of a movie. While it looks nice thanks to Anderson's disciplined direction and some fine cinematography, the script is sure to induce some serious wincing and the performances are less than stellar. It's worth watching as a curiosity item, but doesn't offer much more than that. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review georgan g A little slow at the beginning, but extremely well acted and very touching. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Yeah its great to see the cast of legends they assembled for this movie but those actors should have been given a better screenplay. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Whales of August

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The Whales of August

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Movie Info

Synopsis Two elderly sisters, Libby Strong (Bette Davis) and Sarah Webber (Lillian Gish), travel to their summer house in Maine. The pair couldn't be less similar: Libby is blind, cynical and mean-spirited; Sarah is sunny, optimistic and healthy. Yet their shared memories and hardships -- especially the deaths of their husbands -- help bind the two together. Still, the entrance of a local fisherman (Vincent Price) into Sarah's life threatens to reopen old wounds.
Director
Lindsay Anderson
Producer
Mike Kaplan, Carolyn Pfeiffer
Screenwriter
David Berry
Distributor
Alive Films
Production Co
Nelson Entertainment
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 16, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 19, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$127.3K
Runtime
1h 30m
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