The Bridges of Madison County

PG-13

6/2/19952h 15m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The path of Francesca Johnson's future seems destined due to an unexpected fork in the road... ~

Overview:

Photographer Robert Kincaid wanders into the life of housewife Francesca Johnson for four days in the 1960s.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$24,000,000.00

Revenue:

$182,000,000.00

Key words:

adultery
secret love
husband wife relationship
based on novel or book
love of one's life
unsociability
marriage crisis
photographer
love at first sight
photography
peasant
mother role
iowa
bridge
housewife
love letter
romantic

Cast

Meryl Streep

~ as ~

Francesca Johnson

Clint Eastwood

~ as ~

Robert Kincaid

Annie Corley

~ as ~

Caroline Johnson

Victor Slezak

~ as ~

Michael Johnson

Jim Haynie

~ as ~

Richard Johnson

Sarah Zahn

~ as ~

Young Carolyn

Christopher Kroon

~ as ~

Young Michael

Phyllis Lyons

~ as ~

Betty

Debra Monk

~ as ~

Madge

Richard Lage

~ as ~

Lawyer Peterson

View full cast & crew

Reviews (2)

Wuchak
Written 5 year(s) ago
8
Real-life questions about love and infidelity

RELEASED IN 1995 and directed by Clint Eastwood, “The Bridges of Madison County” details what happens in 1965 when a world-traveling photographer for National Geographic (Eastwood) inadvertently meets an Iowa Farm wife (Meryl Streep).

This is a drama about the nature of eros love and potential infidelity that will only be appreciated by mature viewers. It consists of two people meeting, getting acquainted, discovering something profound and then forced to make decisions that’ll determine the rest of their lives, as well as the consequences for those linked to them.

Some questions addressed include: What if you’re married and you meet someone you genuinely romantically love? What if you’re single and you meet a married person you profoundly love? How far do you (or can you) wisely take the relationship? What about others who would be negatively affected by pursuing the relationship?

These are all honest questions that most people have to consider at one time or another in their lives. The movie’s not corrupt for asking them or featuring a certain questionable act any more than the story of David & Bathsheba makes the Bible corrupt (or, arguably worse, the story of Judah & Tamar).

One character is too loose with morals, which he justifies by criticizing all the “borders” in life. But there are boundaries everywhere: National, state, county, city, school, government, business, social and… marital. The bottom line is: You’re either married or you’re not. If you’re married that means you have a committed lifelong covenant with your spouse. That’s what taking vows is all about. The movie tries to have its cake and eat it too by supporting such loyalty while flirting with the temptation to discard it in the name of true love. Regardless, the picture smacks of real life, real people, real (hard) decisions and is very well done, which is to be expected with Eastwood at the helm.

THE FILM RUNS 2 hours, 15 minutes, and was shot in Winterset & Adel, Iowa.

GRADE: A-
r96sk
Written 3 year(s) ago
7
A bit too cheesy for me to overly enjoy, but 'The Bridges of Madison County' is a sweet romantic drama.

Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep are a strong pairing and produce very good performances, with Streep particularly standing out... even if her acting Italian doesn't always feel convincing, to me anyway. The parts of the story told via Annie Corley and Victor Slezak aren't the best, though the eventual pay-off with their characters is worthwhile.