Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

The Wings of the Dove

R Released Nov 7, 1997 1h 41m Drama List
86% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Kate (Helena Bonham Carter) is secretly betrothed to a struggling journalist, Merton Densher (Linus Roache). But she knows her Aunt Maude (Charlotte Rampling) will never approve of the match, since Kate's deceased mother has lost all her money in a marriage to a degenerate opium addict (Michael Gambon). When Kate meets a terminally ill American heiress named Millie (Alison Elliott) traveling through Europe, she comes up with a conniving plan to have both love and wealth.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

The Wings of the Dove

The Wings of the Dove

What to Know

Critics Consensus

The Wings of the Dove patiently explores class divisions in early 20th century Europe through the well-written and beautifully acted travails of star-crossed lovers.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (35) Critics Reviews
Mike Clark USA Today Instead of piling on distracting historical details and background, Dove trusts the audience to notice behavioral clues and fill in the blanks. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 10, 2018 Full Review Carol Buckland CNN.com The Wings of the Dove flies high in a year when a whole lot of mega-buck movies barely got off the ground. It's exquisite -- and very adult -- entertainment. Jan 5, 2018 Full Review Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: A Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Betsy Sherman The Improper Bostonian This adaptation of one of Henry James’s most psychologically rich novels works on its own lighter terms -- although those terms arguably rip away the very forces that motivate the James characters. Rated: 2.5/4 Aug 6, 2024 Full Review Dan DiNicola The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) Sensuous, intelligent and moving, this is one of the best of the year. Rated: A- Jan 10, 2023 Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight The film, however, keeps your interest and Bonham Carter makes you feel her lust and pain so easily that hers is one of the finest performances of the year. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 7, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (198) audience reviews
Barry M A deep exploration of the heart and how it will have its way no matter what. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/02/21 Full Review steve d I hated the characters and thus the film. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member ???????????????? ??? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????????????? Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member A devastating look at fine line that separates money and love and how it could push someone to the very edge of decimation. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member The Wings of the Dove is a perfect example of a film that would've been better served with a less conventional approach that focused on delineating the emotional turmoil these characters put themselves through instead of lavishing in its period trappings. As it stands, it's mostly well-done, although it doesn't get truly compelling until the killer ending that prioritizes the character instead of the visual, pushing its performers to vulnerable territory that yields much more rewarding results. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review ashley h The Wings of the Dove is a decent film. It is about a strong-willed aristocratic girl who takes drastic measures to marry her lower-class lover. Helena Bonham Carter and Linus Roache give good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Iain Softley did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the drama and romance. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Wings of the Dove

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

The Wings of the Dove

The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - The Canals of Venice The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - The Canals of Venice 1:51 The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - In Love With Her Memory The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - In Love With Her Memory 1:58 The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - A Visit With Father The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - A Visit With Father 1:59 The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - A Letter From Millie The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - A Letter From Millie 2:19 The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - Drenched The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - Drenched 2:09 The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - Did It Hurt? The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - Did It Hurt? 1:41 The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - Illicit Encounter The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - Illicit Encounter 1:14 The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - The Palazzo Barbaro The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - The Palazzo Barbaro 2:41 The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - Dance With Me The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - Dance With Me 2:36 The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - How Do You Love? The Wings of the Dove: Official Clip - How Do You Love? 2:48 View more videos
54 15% 36% 54 The Crossing Guard 76% 53% The Crossing Guard Playing by Heart 60% 79% Playing by Heart Georgia 81% 65% Georgia Exotica 95% 83% Exotica Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Kate (Helena Bonham Carter) is secretly betrothed to a struggling journalist, Merton Densher (Linus Roache). But she knows her Aunt Maude (Charlotte Rampling) will never approve of the match, since Kate's deceased mother has lost all her money in a marriage to a degenerate opium addict (Michael Gambon). When Kate meets a terminally ill American heiress named Millie (Alison Elliott) traveling through Europe, she comes up with a conniving plan to have both love and wealth.
Director
Iain Softley
Producer
David Parfitt, Stephen Evans
Screenwriter
Henry James, Hossein Amini
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Miramax Films
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 7, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 11, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$13.7M
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Scope (2.35:1)
Most Popular at Home Now