The Scarlet Letter (1995)

An affair between a young woman and a pastor has disastrous consequences.

Director:

Roland Joffé

Writers:

Nathaniel Hawthorne (novel), Douglas Day Stewart (screenplay)

Stars:

Demi Moore, Gary Oldman, Robert Duvall

1 win & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Demi Moore	...	Hester Prynne
Gary Oldman	...	Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale
Robert Duvall	...	Roger Chillingworth
Lisa Andoh	...	Mituba (as Lisa Joliffe-Andoh)
Edward Hardwicke	...	Gov. John Bellingham
Robert Prosky	...	Horace Stonehall
Roy Dotrice	...	Rev. Thomas Cheever
Joan Plowright	...	Harriet Hibbons
Malcolm Storry	...	Maj. Dunsmuir
James Bearden	...	Goodman Mortimer (as Jim Bearden)
Larissa Laskin	...	Goody Mortimer
Amy Wright	...	Goody Gotwick
George Aguilar	...	Johnny Sassamon
Tim Woodward	...	Brewster Stonehall
Joan Gregson	...	Elizabeth Cheever

Storyline

In 1666 in the Massachusetts Bay colony, Puritans and Algonquian have an uneasy truce. Hester arrives from England, seeking independence. Awaiting her husband, she establishes independence, fixing up a house, befriending Quakers and other outsiders. Passion draws her to a young pastor. He feels the same; when they learn her husband has probably died at the hands of Indians, they consummate their love. A child is born, and on the day Hester is publicly humiliated and made to wear a scarlet letter, her husband appears after a year with Indians. Calling himself Chillingworth, he seeks revenge, searching out Hester's lover and stirring fears of witchcraft. Will his murderous plot succeed?

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Plot Keywords:

17th century | adultery | letter | swimming | new england | 

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Taglines:

When intimacy is forbidden and passion is a sin, love is the most defiant crime of all.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

La letra escarlata

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$10,400,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allied Stars Ltd., Cinergi Pictures Entertainment, Hollywood Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sharon Stone was considered for the role of Hester Prynne.

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Goofs

Nicholas Rice is credited as playing the clerk, but the role was actually played by someone else.

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Quotes

Brewster Stonehall: So... you fucked a minister, eh? Oh, what my father would pay for THAT priceless morsel!

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Lara Flynn Boyle/Bon Jovi (2001)

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Soundtracks

Agnus Dei
(Based on Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings")
Performed by Robert Shaw and the Robert Shaw Festival Singers
(Adm. by G. Schirmen Inc. (ASCAP))
Courtesy of Telarc International Corporation

User Reviews

Strayed from the book; even worse, made no sense whatsoever

Indians?! Excuse me? Did the person who adapted the screenplay even check out Cliffnotes to see what Hawthorne meant the plot to be?

I wouldn't mind as much if the movie had been titled differently. It's just plain disrespectful to use the name of a classic if you mean to change the whole point of the story. Moore was many things Hester shouldn't have been. Hester is a beautiful woman, a romantic, who loves but also knows, deep down, that her sin hurts herself as much as anyone else. Moore lacks any of the depth that Hester Prynne ought to have. And the ending? Pfft. Don't watch this. Read Hawthorne's book, it'll do you some good.