7.1/10
745
22 user 9 critic

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987)

R | | Drama, Romance | 2 February 1989 (Italy)
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne Poster
Trailer
2:54 | Trailer
A middle-aged spinster falls in love with a fellow resident of her boardinghouse, who mistakenly believes she has the money to help him start a new business.

Director:

Jack Clayton

Writers:

Brian Moore (novel), Peter Nelson (screenplay)

Stars:

Maggie Smith, Bob Hoskins, Wendy Hiller | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

See all 1 video  »

Photos

See all 20 photos »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (1973)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

American Walter Elbertson, in his late teens, is feeling lost within his family of overachievers. Thirty-something Englishwoman Lila Fisher is emotionally repressed. The two meet on their ... See full summary »

Director: Alan J. Pakula
Stars: Maggie Smith, Timothy Bottoms, Don Jaime de Mora y Aragón
Next »
The Pumpkin Eater (1964)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

Film screenwriter Jake Armitage and his wife Jo Armitage live in London with six of Jo's eight children, with the two eldest boys at boarding school. The children are spread over Jo's three... See full summary »

Director: Jack Clayton
Stars: Anne Bancroft, Peter Finch, James Mason
Next »
A Private Function (1984)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.6/10 X  

In post-war Britain, food rationing continues, leading a married couple to become involved in the flourishing bacon black market.

Director: Malcolm Mowbray
Stars: Michael Palin, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott
Next »
Our Mother's House (1967)
Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

When their deeply religious mother dies, the seven Hook children bury her in the garden and continue life as normal. Then their absent father, Charlie, reappears...

Director: Jack Clayton
Stars: Dirk Bogarde, Margaret Leclere, Pamela Franklin
Next »
Lily in Love (1984)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.9/10 X  

Broadway star Fitzroy Wynn is thrilled when his wife Lily writes a new script with a brilliant lead role. While ego-centric Fitz thinks himself perfect for the role, Lily dashes his hopes ... See full summary »

Director: Károly Makk
Stars: Christopher Plummer, Maggie Smith, Elke Sommer
Next »
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

A headstrong young teacher in a private school in 1930s Edinburgh ignores the curriculum and influences her impressionable 12 year old charges with her over-romanticized world view.

Director: Ronald Neame
Stars: Maggie Smith, Gordon Jackson, Robert Stephens
Next »
Quartet (1981)
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

Marya finds herself penniless after her art dealer husband, Stephan, is convicted of theft. Marya accepts the hospitality of a strange couple, H.J. and Lois Heidler, who lets her live in their house.

Director: James Ivory
Stars: Alan Bates, Maggie Smith, Isabelle Adjani
Next »
California Suite (1978)
Comedy | Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

Misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Director: Herbert Ross
Stars: Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, Maggie Smith
Next »
The Raggedy Rawney (1988)
Drama | Romance | War
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

During WWII a youth deserts his country's army after a combat experience, but not before wounding his commanding officer with a knife in order to escape. The young man, now very emotionally... See full summary »

Director: Bob Hoskins
Stars: Dexter Fletcher, Zoë Nathenson, Zoë Wanamaker
Next »
No Down Payment (1957)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

The marital difficulties of four couples living in a southern California housing development become intertwined. Among the unhappy couples are ne'er-do-well Jerry Flagg and his ... See full summary »

Director: Martin Ritt
Stars: Joanne Woodward, Sheree North, Tony Randall
Next »
Room at the Top (1959)
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

An ambitious young accountant plots to wed a wealthy factory owner's daughter, despite falling in love with a married older woman.

Director: Jack Clayton
Stars: Laurence Harvey, Simone Signoret, Heather Sears
Next »
Expresso Bongo (1959)
Drama | Music
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

Johnny Jackson, a sleazy talent agent, discovers teenager Bert Rudge singing in a coffee house. Despite Bert's protestation that he really is only interested in playing bongos, Johnny ... See full summary »

Director: Val Guest
Stars: Laurence Harvey, Sylvia Syms, Yolande Donlan
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maggie Smith ... Judith Hearne
Bob Hoskins ... James Madden
Wendy Hiller ... Aunt D'Arcy
Marie Kean ... Mrs. Rice
Ian McNeice ... Bernard Rice
Alan Devlin Alan Devlin ... Father Quigley
Rudi Davies ... Mary
Prunella Scales ... Moira O'Neill
Aine Ni Mhuiri Aine Ni Mhuiri ... Edie Marinan
Sheila Reid Sheila Reid ... Miss Friel
Niall Buggy Niall Buggy ... Mr. Lenehan
Kate Binchy Kate Binchy ... Sister Ignatius
Martina Stanley Martina Stanley ... Sister Mary-Paul
Veronica Quilligan ... Mrs. Mullen
Frank Egerton Frank Egerton ... The Major
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

A penniless middle-aged spinster scrapes by giving piano lessons in the Dublin of the 1950s. She makes a sad last bid for love with a fellow resident of her rundown boarding house, who imagines she has the money to bankroll the business he hopes to open. Written by Morganalee

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

spinster | money | piano | piano lesson | boarding house | See All (215) »

Genres:

Drama | Romance

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Handmade Films Website

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 February 1989 (Italy) See more »

Also Known As:

A Paixão Solitária de Judith Hearne See more »

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland See more »
Edit

Box Office

Gross USA:

$523,091
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

HandMade Films,United British Artists (UBA) See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The production changed Brian Moore's source 1955 novel's title from "Judith Hearne" to The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987). See more »

Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Couch Trip/For Keeps/Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam/Rent-a-Cop/The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearn (1988) See more »

Soundtracks

Prelude Opus 28, No.4
(uncredited)
Music by Frédéric Chopin
Arranged by Rick Wentworth
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

A Moving Film
21 November 2003 | by coolbluegreen – See all my reviews

Why isn't this available on DVD? What is wrong with the studios? This is a very moving film. It is not entirely faithful to the wonderful book on which it is based, but that doesn't matter. It captures the lonely desperation of the characters, especially Judith. Ah, this is a sad film. It is a marvelous, sad movie, and it has two of the best actors ever -- Maggie Smith and the incomparable Bob Hoskins. Please -- release this on DVD!
10 of 12 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 22 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Stream Comedy Titles With Prime Video

Explore popular comedy titles available to stream with Prime Video.

Start your free trial


Clear your history

Recently Viewed