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

Eric Schweig and Sheldon Peters Wolfchild portrayed seventeenth century Native Americans in this film and Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (1994).

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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

Reverand Arthur Dimmesdale: Rev. Dimmensdale: Gary Oldman: Oh, yes, I... I'm sorry, I didn't realize. I should have announced my presence. What are you reading?
Hester Prynne:

• Hester Prynne: Demi Moore "Comus", it's by John - John Milton.

Reverand Arthur Dimmesdale: Rev. Dim: I know it. I've read it. Have you?
Hester Prynne: Hester P.: I'm not all counterpanes and coverlets.

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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

I enjoyed this movie

First, I apologies because my English, I'm from Panama. Second, for me, TSL is a very beautiful movie and I know that it is far from the book by Nathaniel Hawthorne, nevertheless, I found nice things there, for instance, the setting was so refreshing to me and the love scenes were very romantic too. In this movie I felt in love to Gary Oldman. I consider that Demi as well as Gary were chemistry. On the other hand, I think that the producer and the whole team portrait the epoch of the pilgrims, the way they lived and thought about morality and religion. Demi was pretty in this character and convincing. For me this was a sad story of love. Although, the screenplay changed at the end, I found that this movie was done to give audience happier than the original book.