The House of the Spirits (1993)

A rancher, his clairvoyant wife and their family face turbulent years in South America in this adaptation of Isabel Allende's best-seller.

Director:

Bille August

Writers:

Isabel Allende (novel), Bille August

Stars:

Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, Winona Ryder

12 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Clara
Jeremy Irons	...	Esteban Trueba
Winona Ryder	...	Blanca
Antonio Banderas	...	Pedro
Maria Conchita Alonso	...	Tránsito
Vincent Gallo	...	Esteban Garcia
Joaquín Martínez	...	Segundo (as Joaquin Martinez)
Sarita Choudhury	...	Pancha
Glenn Close	...	Ferula
Miriam Colon	...	Nana
António Assunção	...	Man at Cattlemarket (as António Assumpção)
Julie Balloo	...	Young Lady
Frank Baker	...	Intelligence Officer
João Cabral	...	Soldier
Carlos César	...	Ambassador's Driver

Storyline

Chile, second half of the 20th century. The poor Esteban marries Clara and they get a daughter, Blanca. Esteban works hard and eventually gets money to buy a hacienda, eventually to become a local patriarch. He becomes very conservative and is feared by his workers. When Blanca grows up, she falls in love with a young revolutionary, Pedro, who urges the workers to fight for socialism. It is unavoidable that Pedro and Esteban are pitted against each other. Esteban tries to stop the love affair between Pedro and his daughter by all means possible but soon Blanca becomes pregnant and has a daughter. The void between father and daughter seems unbridgeable when Blanca moves in with Pedro.

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Plot Keywords:

patriarch | chilean coup d'etat | oppression | family saga | class conflict | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, and for violence

Details

Country:

Portugal Germany Denmark USA France

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

1 April 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

La casa de los espíritus

Filming Locations:

Cabo Espichel, Portugal

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$6,265,311

Company Credits

Production Co:

Constantin Film, Costa do Castelo Filmes, Det Danske Filminstitut

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film cast includes three Oscar winners: Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, Vanessa Redgrave; and three Oscar nominees: Glenn Close, Winona Ryder, Armin Mueller-Stahl.

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Goofs

It's clearly visible that Clara's parents car explodes a little before it hits the train.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Esteban Trueba: It's good to be back.

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Alternate Versions

In France, the opening sequence of the movie is really different than in other countries. The movie is approx. 10 minutes shorter that the other versions

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Connections

Referenced in E! True Hollywood Story: Winona Ryder (2002)

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Soundtracks

La Paloma
Written by Sebastián Yradier (as Sebastian De Yradier)/Michael Jary
Performed by Rosita Serrano
Published by Edition Cinema
Courtesy of Eastwest Records GmbH

User Reviews

Spectacular interpretations

Everybody always told me this movie was good, but I never remembered to rent it. So when I bought a DVD, this one was given to me and I could watch it. And I was overwhelmed. Every single actor or actress never did better than they did in this movie. Jeremy Irons was almost perfect (I just think that there should be a little more Spanian accent there); Glenn Close seems to fit any character she's into and make it look real, in this case, painfully real; and what can I say about Meryl Streep? How can she look as angelical as this? The sweetness and calmness she spreads are just incredible, I can't see anyone else in this character. However, I believe Wynona Rider and Antonio Banderas' love could be more developed, both are terrific actors and deserved to have more chances to show it so, but they surely didn't disappoint us when they are on screen. A very beautiful, melancholic movie, with performances you'll never forget.