IMDb > Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997)
Smilla's Sense of Snow
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Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997) More at IMDbPro »

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Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997) -- US Theatrical Trailer from Fox Searchlight Pictures

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   6,832 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 61% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Peter Høeg (novel)
Ann Biderman (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Smilla's Sense of Snow on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 February 1997 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Snow covers everything...except the truth
Plot:
Based on Peter Hoeg's bestseller, this film is set in snowy Copenhagen where a small boy is found dead after he fell off a roof... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 nomination more
User Comments:
Two thirds of a great film. more (87 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Ona Fletcher ... Inuit Hunter

Julia Ormond ... Smilla Jasperson
Agga Olsen ... Juliane Christiansen
Patrick Field ... Policeman
Matthew Marsh ... Detective

Gabriel Byrne ... The Mechanic

Jim Broadbent ... Dr. Lagermann

Tom Wilkinson ... Prof. Loyen
Charlotte Bradley ... Mrs. Lagermann

Richard Harris ... Dr. Andreas Tork
Charles Lewsen ... Pastor (as Charles Lewson)

Robert Loggia ... Moritz Jasperson
Emma Croft ... Benja
Bob Peck ... Ravn
Ann Queensberry ... Mrs. Schou
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Fräulein Smillas Gespür für Schnee (Germany)
Fröken Smillas känsla för snö (Sweden)
Frøken Smillas fornemmelse for sne (Denmark)
Smilla's Feeling for Snow (UK)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for language, some violence and a sex scene.
Runtime:
121 min
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director Bille August has later admitted that the film did not turn out as well as he had hoped. He said that in hindsight there was an inherent problem ever since the script stage of transforming the qualities of Peter Høeg's novel into film. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: On the boat while listening to the tape, Licht tells Smilla that there is an EEG monitoring someone's heart. EEGs measure brain waves; EKGs (also called ECGs) measure heart rate and electrical activity. more
Quotes:
Smilla: I don't celebrate Christmas, it doesn't mean anything to me. more
Movie Connections:

FAQ

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29 out of 35 people found the following comment useful.
Two thirds of a great film., 9 November 2004
7/10
Author: Latheman-9 from USA

Bille August's "Smilla's Sense of Snow" starts off with great promise. An opening sequence that's a terrific hook segues into an introduction of the character of Smilla Jasperson, played perfectly by the lovely Julia Ormond. Smilla is self-isolated, deeply unhappy, and unapproachable. Her only real friend is the young Inuit boy, Isaiah, who dies suddenly under suspicious circumstances, and Smilla determines to uncover the reasons for his death. For the first two reels, this film is a terrific mystery story with good pacing, fine acting, and evocative cinematography. Characters with uncertain motives come and go as the story unfolds, most played by a fine stable of talented actors. But then in the third reel, the film collapses. I'm not talking about a slow descent into mediocrity here; I'm talking about a precipitous nosedive. Out of the blue, the story suddenly switches to an action/thriller format that is poorly written, directed, and edited. New, undeveloped characters are suddenly thrown into the mix, each a deus ex machina as the increasingly unrealistic plot requires. The film's denouement, in which the underlying mystery is revealed, is so scientifically ridiculous both in terms of biology and especially in physics that I felt thoroughly cheated. It's as if the entire enterprise were rushed to completion due to a looming shortage of time, money, and interest. What a pity. Even so, the first two thirds of the film stand up well on their own, and my rating is based on that. Rating: 7/10.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Who was the Byrne character really?? ggerod
What was the deal with the tape recording??? ggerod
Small book detail (Spoiler) heather_m1986
Smilla grabbing Benja's crotch Danny_Rathjens
'Smilla's Sense of Snow' by Peter Hoeg SlowRain
Easter Egg KrAmXeL
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