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When a Man Loves a Woman

  • 1994
  • R
  • 2h 6m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
23K
YOUR RATING
Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
Home Video Trailer from Touchstone Pictures
Play trailer1:01
1 Video
26 Photos
DramaRomance

The seemingly perfect relationship between a man and his wife is tested as a result of her alcoholism.The seemingly perfect relationship between a man and his wife is tested as a result of her alcoholism.The seemingly perfect relationship between a man and his wife is tested as a result of her alcoholism.

  • Director
    • Luis Mandoki
  • Writers
    • Ron Bass
    • Al Franken
  • Stars
    • Meg Ryan
    • Andy Garcia
    • Ellen Burstyn
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    23K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Luis Mandoki
    • Writers
      • Ron Bass
      • Al Franken
    • Stars
      • Meg Ryan
      • Andy Garcia
      • Ellen Burstyn
    • 106User reviews
    • 27Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 nominations

    Videos1

    When a Man Loves a Woman
    Trailer 1:01
    Watch When a Man Loves a Woman

    Photos26

    Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Andy Garcia in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Meg Ryan, Andy Garcia, Tina Majorino, and Mae Whitman in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Luis Mandoki in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Meg Ryan in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Meg Ryan in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Meg Ryan, Andy Garcia, and Luis Mandoki in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Meg Ryan, Andy Garcia, and Jordan Kerner in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Meg Ryan, Andy Garcia, Tina Majorino, and Mae Whitman in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Meg Ryan, Andy Garcia, Tina Majorino, and Mae Whitman in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
    Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Meg Ryan
    Meg Ryan
    • Alice Green
    Andy Garcia
    Andy Garcia
    • Michael Green
    Ellen Burstyn
    Ellen Burstyn
    • Emily
    Tina Majorino
    Tina Majorino
    • Jess Green
    Mae Whitman
    Mae Whitman
    • Casey Green
    Lauren Tom
    Lauren Tom
    • Amy
    Philip Seymour Hoffman
    Philip Seymour Hoffman
    • Gary
    Eugene Roche
    Eugene Roche
    • Walter
    Gail Strickland
    Gail Strickland
    • Pam
    Steven Brill
    Steven Brill
    • Madras Tie Guy
    Susanna Thompson
    Susanna Thompson
    • Janet
    Erinn Canavan
    • Shannon
    LaTanya Richardson Jackson
    LaTanya Richardson Jackson
    • Dr. Gina Mendez
    • (as Latanya Richardson)
    Bari K. Willerford
    • Malcolm
    James Jude Courtney
    James Jude Courtney
    • Earl
    Jacques De Groot
    • Guy in the Back
    • (as Jacques de Groot)
    Anne Ohliger
    • Jess - 4 Yrs. Old
    Tony Montero
    Tony Montero
    • Bartender
    • Director
      • Luis Mandoki
    • Writers
      • Ron Bass
      • Al Franken
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie was based on ten pages of notes written by Orson Welles.
    • Goofs
      It is a myth that vodka is not detectable on the breath. If Alice were indeed drinking a quart a day her husband, and everyone near her, would have smelled it.
    • Quotes

      Michael Green: My wife is an alcoholic. Best person I ever met. She has 600 different smiles. They can light up your life. They can make you laugh out loud, just like that. They can even make you cry, just like that. That's just with her smiles. You'd have to see her with her kids. You'd have to see how they look at her, when she's not looking. To think of all the things she lives through, and I couldn't help her.

      Alice Green: Maybe helping wasn't your job.

      Michael Green: Well, it wasn't. See I love her. And I tried everything, except really listening, really listening, and that's how I left her alone. I was so ashamed of that, and I couldn't even tell her. Maybe if I tell her she'd love me anyway.

      Alice Green: Or more. She would have loved you even more. I think you should tell all this stuff to your wife.

    • Crazy credits
      As the end credits roll, we see people socializing at an A.A. meeting.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Green Fog (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      When a Man Loves a Woman
      Written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright

      Performed by Percy Sledge

      Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.

      By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

    User reviews106

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    A Highly Underrated Film
    When first renting this film, I expected to see a typical love story. I found, instead, a film that truly attempted to accurately display what happens in relationships where one member has a drinking problem. It is powerful and shows the true pain and confusing that often looms over these situations. Rather than sending Alex to detox and having her come home happy, she came home very confused about life and what she was doing. This is one of the many ways this film reflects true life. My only qualm is the ending. Rather than keeping true to the story, the filmmakers seemed to give up and ended it on a happy, superficial note. Despite this letdown, I love this film and everything it tries to communicate.

    Meg Ryan's performance is one of the underrated of the decade. She should have received on Oscar nomination for it and was certainly better than Jessica Lange that year. I have read a few comments here saying she did a terrible job. I would ask these people to define what a good performance is to them. Not only did Ryan communicate every possible feeling that a woman in Alex's situation could have, she did it with style and ease. Not only that, but made a dramatic move with this film from her already great performances in romantic comedy. Ryan should be applauded for taking such a huge risk and having it pay off.

    Andy Garcia also has a tremendous performance in this film. He too displays very complex emotions of a faulted man with skill.

    The one aspect of this film that I love so much is how no character is faultless in the whole situation. All members have contributed to the problem, and all must face up to what they did and try to improve what they have. I don't know if this makes much sense (I feel my thoughts are jumbled). In one simple statement: SEE THIS MOVIE. THE TITLE DOES NOT ACCURATELY DISPLAY THE MOVIE IT TRULY IS. The title makes it sound like another sappy love story. What the viewer gets is a tremendous study of the damage alcoholism can bring to a family.
    helpful•79
    11
    • bjudd
    • Aug 1, 1999

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 13, 1994 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Vietnamese
    • Also known as
      • Significant Other
    • Filming locations
      • 1516 Masonic Ave, San Francisco, California, USA(family home)
    • Production company
      • Touchstone Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $50,021,959
    • Gross worldwide
      • $50,021,959
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 6 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
      • Dolby SR
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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