The Human Stain (2003)

When a disgraced former college professor has a romance with a mysterious younger woman haunted by her dark twisted past, he is forced to confront a shocking secret about his own life that he has kept secret for 50 years.

Director:

Robert Benton

Writers:

Philip Roth (novel), Nicholas Meyer (screenplay)

Stars:

Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Hopkins	...	Coleman Silk
Nicole Kidman	...	Faunia Farley
Ed Harris	...	Lester Farley
Gary Sinise	...	Nathan Zuckerman
Wentworth Miller	...	Young Coleman Silk
Jacinda Barrett	...	Steena Paulsson
Harry Lennix	...	Mr. Silk
Clark Gregg	...	Nelson Primus
Anna Deavere Smith	...	Mrs. Silk
Lizan Mitchell	...	Ernestine
Kerry Washington	...	Ellie
Phyllis Newman	...	Iris Silk
Margo Martindale	...	Psychologist
Ron Canada	...	Herb Keble
Mili Avital	...	Young Iris

Storyline

The Human Stain is the story of Coleman Silk (Hopkins), a classics professor with a terrible secret that is about to shatter his life in a small New England town. When his affair with a young troubled janitor (Kidman) is uncovered, the secret Silk had harbored for over fifty years from his wife, his children and colleague, writer Nathan Zuckerman, fast explodes in a conflagration of devastating consequences. It is Zuckerman who stumbles upon Silk's secret and sets out to reconstruct the unknown biography of this eminent, upright man, esteemed as an educator for nearly all his life, and to understand how this ingeniously contrived life came unraveled.

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Plot Keywords:

professor | classics professor | janitor | college | writer | 

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Taglines:

How far would you go to escape the past?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax Official site

Country:

USA Germany France

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 October 2003 (France)

Also Known As:

Culpa Humana

Filming Locations:

Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$113,634 (Japan) (18 June 2004)

Gross:

$705,018 (Japan) (9 July 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax Films, Lakeshore Entertainment, Stone Village Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The racist white man on the train who berates the porter is played by Allison Davis, a Chicago attorney who is black.

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Goofs

When Steena is dancing for the young Silk, her panties change position between shots.

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Quotes

Faunia Farley: You're a crow... who doesn't know how to be a crow.

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Connections

References The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986)

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Soundtracks

"Cry Me a River"
(1955)
Written by Arthur Hamilton
Performed by Ken Peplowski
Courtesy of Concord Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Brilliant!

'The Human Stain." What an odd name for a film until I found out its derivation. It simply means we leave a mark on everyone whom we encounter in our lifetime. This picture is going to make a BIG mark on you! It's a brilliant screen adaptation of Philip Roth's novel about... If you want to know about the story, please read it somewhere else because my intention behind writing this is to laud the unbelievable acting of Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman. Hopkins's outstanding performances are a "given" however even with all the accolades awarded Kidman last year, I was unconvinced. I am a now a believer. Not only is she a gorgeous creation but skilled beyond imagination and if she's not nominated for Best Actress for this movie, I'll be super surprised. From scene one to the last, a viewer is transfixed by one of the most unusual stories to ever hit the silver screen. The picture is a masterpiece and NOT to be missed.