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Housekeeping
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Housekeeping (1987) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 6 | slideshow) Videos
Housekeeping (1987) -- Open-ended Trailer from Columbia

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   755 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 10% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Bill Forsyth
Writers:
Marilynne Robinson (novel)
Bill Forsyth (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Housekeeping on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
January 1988 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
The story of a woman slightly distracted by the possibilities of life. more
Plot:
In the Pacific Northwest during the 1950's, two young sisters whose mother has abandoned them wind up living with their Aunt Sylvie... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
2 wins more
NewsDesk:
Home
 (From The AV Club. 17 September 2008, 9:04 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Best use of "Goodnight Irene" in the history of film more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Christine Lahti ... Sylvie
Sara Walker ... Ruth
Andrea Burchill ... Lucille
Anne Pitoniak ... Aunt Lily
Barbara Reese ... Aunt Nona
Margot Pinvidic ... Helen
Bill Smillie ... Sheriff
Wayne Robson ... Principal
Betty Phillips ... Mrs. Jardine
Karen Elizabeth Austin ... Mrs. Paterson
Dolores Drake ... Mrs. Walker (as Delores Drake)
Georgie Collins ... Grandmother
Tonya Tanner ... Young Ruth
Leah Penny ... Young Lucille
Brian Linds ... Deputy Sheriff
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Additional Details

Runtime:
116 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Rankcolor)
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Filming Locations:
British Columbia, Canada more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Diane Keaton was originally cast as Sylvie but left due to creative differences. more
Quotes:
Ruth: It must be his boat.
Sylvie: That or he's some sort of lunatic. Either way, I'm not going back to find out.
more
Soundtrack:
SPARROW IN THE TREETOP more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful:-
Best use of "Goodnight Irene" in the history of film, 3 March 2001
10/10
Author: adam1117 from Chicago

Though the box (identifying it as "A tidy comedy") is one of the most flagrant cases of false advertising ever, this is a wonderful movie. Set a bit after 1960 (you can tell because the song the mother sings in the ten-years-before opening was a hit in 1950) in a small town that hasn't caught up with the rest of the world yet, it shows a woman who isn't so much a free spirit as a person who just can't settle into basic routine. Mentally ill? Maybe, maybe not. But, if so, it's a pretty swell madness. Beautifully shot, wonderfully acted. Haunting is an excellent word. Just don't get it expecting a tidy comedy, whatever you do.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Housekeeping (1987)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I emailed a request for this movie at the Criterion site. latte_artist
A note to All Who Love this Film READ THE BOOK too! mad19571
DVD- long long long overdue blegdog
Housekeeping at Ebertfest alwaystina69
final scene ossetra
Gilead is good too! greenridge10
more

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