Before Sunrise (1995)

A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.

Director:

Richard Linklater

Writers:

Richard Linklater, Kim Krizan

Stars:

Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Andrea Eckert

Top Rated Movies #187 | 1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ethan Hawke	...	Jesse
Julie Delpy	...	Céline
Andrea Eckert	...	Wife on Train
Hanno Pöschl	...	Husband on Train
Karl Bruckschwaiger	...	Guy on Bridge
Tex Rubinowitz	...	Guy on Bridge
Erni Mangold	...	Palm Reader
Dominik Castell	...	Street Poet
Haymon Maria Buttinger	...	Bartender
Harald Waiglein	...	Guitarist in Club
Bilge Jeschim	...	Belly Dancer
Kurti	...	Percussionist
Hans Weingartner	...	Cafe Patron
Liese Lyon	...	Cafe Patron
Peter Ily Huemer	...	Cafe Patron

Storyline

American tourist Jesse and French student Celine meet by chance on the train from Budapest to Vienna. Sensing that they are developing a connection, Jesse asks Celine to spend the day with him in Vienna, and she agrees. So they pass the time before his scheduled flight the next morning together. How do two perfect strangers connect so intimately over the course of a single day? What is that special thing that bonds two people so strongly? As their bond turns to love, what will happen to them the next morning when Jesse flies away?

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Plot Keywords:

conversations | train | tourist | kiss | french | 

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Taglines:

... When love can come as a complete surprise

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

June 16th is also the day James Joyce met his life partner Nora Barnacle. He managed to talk her into running away with him to Paris, which is where the sequel Before Sunset (2004) is set.

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Goofs

As Jesse and Celine are leaving the homeless poet, his cigarette is burning close to the butt, but in the next shot his cigarette is whole again.

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Quotes

Jesse: I don't know, I think that if I could just accept the fact that my life is supposed to be difficult. You know, that's what to be expected, then I might not get so pissed-off about it and I'll just be glad when something nice happens.

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Connections

Referenced in Intern (2000)

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Soundtracks

'Andante' from 'Sonata No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1027'
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Yo-Yo Ma and Kenneth Cooper
Courtesy of Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

One of those few movies that actually - ACTUALLY - feel like real life

This movie is intelligent. That is, more than most other movies, it transcends the least common denominator - stupid people will probably not appreciate it. The story also relies heavily on dialogue. It has some parallels to Lost in Translation, although Before Sunrise is much brighter, somehow less abstract, and simply a lot better.

The script, the characters and even the slightly surreal atmosphere feel totally realistic. The actors play absolutely brilliantly. Rarely have I seen a movie where the script and the acting has melted this perfectly together.

The dialogue moves into very personal issues, with the risk of becoming a little over the top. It does, however, stay on the right side almost all the time, although I found a few moments a little awkward and embarrassing. Balancing on this fine line demands outrageously talented actors. Sometimes, it yields great results, and overall this movie is simply stupendous! Only very, very rarely is "love" in films depicted in a way that I find trustworthy and realistic. Every time that is achieved, the result is fantastic. I think the stunning and apparently timeless beauty of the female lead actress helped quite a bit in this respect. She still looks stunning in this film, 12 years after.

This is simply a gem of a movie that you can't miss. One of the best movies I have seen from the 1990s!

Details

Country:

USA Austria Switzerland

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

27 January 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Before Sunrise

Filming Locations:

Austria

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,423,537, 29 January 1995

Gross USA:

$5,535,405

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,987,386

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment, Detour Filmproduction, Filmhaus Wien Universa Filmproduktions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1