A farmer returns home from the Civil War, but his wife begins to suspect that the man is an impostor.A farmer returns home from the Civil War, but his wife begins to suspect that the man is an impostor.A farmer returns home from the Civil War, but his wife begins to suspect that the man is an impostor.
- Awards
- 2 wins
- Dick Mead
- (as Ronald Lee Ermey)
- Eli
- (as Khaz B.)
- Boy #1
- (as Josh McClerren)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis movie is one of several fictional adaptations of a true, famous legal case of imposture from sixteenth century France. The case involved a man named Martin Guerre who, having disappeared from his Basque village in 1548, suddenly reappeared eight years later. Despite his slightly changed appearance, he convinced his family, wife, and fellow villagers that he was indeed Martin Guerre; he and his wife had two more children and he sued a paternal uncle for the claim to his father's estate. That uncle became suspicious that this returned Martin Guerre was actually an impostor named Arnaud du Tilh, and he contrived a way to have him tried for imposture. This suspicion was ultimately confirmed when the actual Martin Guerre arrived in court during du Tilh's trial. Arnaud du Tilh was convicted and hanged in September 1560.
- GoofsIn 1867 the price for Burley Tobacco was $58 per hundredweight, yet in the movie it was sold for $12.
- Quotes
Laurel Sommersby: You are not Jack Sommersby, so why do you keep going on pretending that you are?
John Robert 'Jack' Sommersby: How do you know I'm not?
Laurel Sommersby: I know because...
John Robert 'Jack' Sommersby: How do you know?
Laurel Sommersby: I know because...
John Robert 'Jack' Sommersby: How do you know?
Laurel Sommersby: I know because I never loved him the way that I love you.
John Robert 'Jack' Sommersby: Now Laurel tell me, from the bottom of your heart. Am I your husband?
Laurel Sommersby: Yes, you are.
Jon Amiel's beautiful and touching film, adapted from a French movie, makes much the same point - that the pretended Jack Sommersby (Richard Gere) deserves to be regarded as the true husband of Laurel (Jody Foster) because he loves her more than the legal one; deserves to be regarded as the owner of the Sommersby land because he works it better; and deserves Sommersby's name - whatever that brings - because he honours it more.
At a realistic level there are a few difficulties in translating the original Martin Guerre story from the Middle Ages to the post Civil War era, and parts of the courtroom sequence could have been more incisive; but these flaws are of little account, compared with the overall sweep of the film, both plot-wise, but especially visually. It achieves epic proportions at some points, and there are wide vistas of people working in the fields reminiscent of Terrence Mallick's Days of Heaven, which also starred Gere.
It seems to be the done thing on these postings to sneer at Gere's acting; I've no idea why. Time after time, in a wide range of parts and films - from Yanks and An Officer and a Gentleman to Internal Affairs and Pretty Woman - he delivers professional and sensitive performances. Here again, his performance is impeccable; as is that of Jodie Foster, whose part calls for her to be restrained, especially when Sommersby first appears. (Incidentally, I couldn't care less whether there was any so-called chemistry between Gere and Foster; some film-goers should get it into their heads that couples on the screen are acting at making love, not engaging in the real activity.)
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- A Stranger Within
- Filming locations
- Lexington, Virginia, USA(street scenes)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $50,081,992
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,104,624
- Feb 7, 1993
- Gross worldwide
- $140,081,992
- Runtime1 hour 54 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1