The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Photographer Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood) wanders into the life of housewife Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep), for four days in the 1960s.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Richard LaGravenese (screenplay), Robert James Waller (novel)

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Annie Corley

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Robert Kincaid
Meryl Streep	...	Francesca Johnson
Annie Corley	...	Carolyn Johnson
Victor Slezak	...	Michael Johnson
Jim Haynie	...	Richard Johnson
Sarah Zahn	...	Young Carolyn (as Sarah Kathryn Schmitt)
Christopher Kroon	...	Young Michael
Phyllis Lyons	...	Betty
Debra Monk	...	Madge
Richard Lage	...	Lawyer Peterson
Michelle Benes	...	Lucy Redfield
Alison Wiegert	...	Child #1
Brandon Bobst	...	Child #2
Pearl Faessler	...	Wife
R.E. 'Stick' Faessler	...	Husband

Storyline

The path of Francesca Johnson's (Meryl Streep's) future seems destined when an unexpected fork in the road causes her to question everything she had come to expect from life. While her husband and children are away at the Illinois State Fair in the summer of 1965, Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood) happens to turn into the Johnson farm and asks Francesca for directions to Roseman Bridge. Francesca later learns that he was in Iowa on assignment from National Geographic Magazine. She is reluctant seeing that he's a complete stranger, and then she agrees to show him to the bridges and gradually she talks about her life from being a war-bride from Italy which sets the pace for this bittersweet and all-too-brief romance of her life. Through the pain of separation from her secret love and the stark isolation she feels as the details of her life consume her, she writes her thoughts of the four-day love affair which took up three journals. The journals are found by her children after the lawyer ...

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Plot Keywords:

bridge | love | farm | photographer | housewife | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 on appeal for some sexuality and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 June 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bridges of Madison County

Filming Locations:

W Green St & John Wayne Dr, Winterset, Iowa, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$24,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,519,257, 4 June 1995

Gross USA:

$71,516,617

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$182,016,617

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Amblin Entertainment, Malpaso Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The farmhouse used in this movie had been abandoned for over thirty years and was completely restored by Production Designer Jeannine Oppewall and her Art Directors Charles William Breen and William Arnold.

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Goofs

Heavy rain is obviously artificially generated when Richard and Francesca stop at the grocery store toward the end of the movie. The visibility in the background (trees, houses, etc) is too clear for such a heavy downpour. Also, when they are driving in the rain, at times it appears that sunlight is visible (which technically is possible, but unlikely given how overcast it appears in previous shots).

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Quotes

Francesca: So, do you want more eggs or should we just fuck on the linoleum one last time?

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood's Top Ten: Kennedy Era Movies (2011)

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Soundtracks

Doe Eyes (Love Theme from 'The Bridges Of Madison County')
Composed by Lennie Niehaus and Clint Eastwood
Conducted by Lennie Niehaus
Piano solo performed by Michael Lang

User Reviews

Meryl from Bari

When the soul of a movie is reflected in an actor's eyes then you have a miracle, you have something that's going to last. Meryl Streep in "The Bridges Of Madison County" is such a miracle to me. I never thought for a moment that she, no matter how wonderful an actress she is, could fool me. Meryl Streep could never be Italian. Well, there I was, thinking and pre-judging like people I detest. I was so wrong. Not just because she fooled me, although there is no fooling involved here. She won me over. I forgot she was Meryl Streep, the actress, and I lived Francesca's story to the fullest because, I suppose, that's the mystery of great acting, I was confronted by her sheer undiluted truth. The truth in her eyes in every one of her gestures. The truth on her brow. Her thinking, transparent. Clint Eastwood does the right thing putting the entire film at her service and placing himself as the foil to liberate that powerful latent side of Francesca. I though it was ironic and I'm not sure if was meant to be that a wonderful woman like Francesca will sacrifice, what could arguably be call the love of her life, for those children. The grown children's mediocrity was kind of shocking to me. Will the revelation of their mother's secret, reveal a latent, greater side to their natures. I hope so. Francesca deserved extraordinary children. Try no to miss this little miracle.