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IMDbPro

Mother Night

  • 1996
  • R
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
5.4K
YOUR RATING
Mother Night (1996)
HV-post
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
30 Photos
DramaRomanceWar

An American spy behind the lines during WWII serves as a Nazi propagandist, a role he cannot escape in his future life as he can never reveal his real role in the war.An American spy behind the lines during WWII serves as a Nazi propagandist, a role he cannot escape in his future life as he can never reveal his real role in the war.An American spy behind the lines during WWII serves as a Nazi propagandist, a role he cannot escape in his future life as he can never reveal his real role in the war.

  • Director
    • Keith Gordon
  • Writers
    • Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
    • Robert B. Weide
  • Stars
    • Nick Nolte
    • Sheryl Lee
    • Tony Robinow
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    5.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Keith Gordon
    • Writers
      • Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
      • Robert B. Weide
    • Stars
      • Nick Nolte
      • Sheryl Lee
      • Tony Robinow
    • 55User reviews
    • 30Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Mother Night
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch Mother Night

    Photos30

    Sheryl Lee in Mother Night (1996)
    Nick Nolte and Norman Rodway in Mother Night (1996)
    Nick Nolte and Sheryl Lee in Mother Night (1996)
    Alan Arkin in Mother Night (1996)
    Nick Nolte and Sheryl Lee in Mother Night (1996)
    John Goodman in Mother Night (1996)
    Nick Nolte in Mother Night (1996)
    Nick Nolte and Zach Grenier in Mother Night (1996)
    Kirsten Dunst in Mother Night (1996)
    Nick Nolte and Sheryl Lee in Mother Night (1996)
    Nick Nolte in Mother Night (1996)
    Nick Nolte in Mother Night (1996)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Nick Nolte
    Nick Nolte
    • Howard Campbell
    Sheryl Lee
    Sheryl Lee
    • Helga & Resi Noth
    Tony Robinow
    • Prison Warden
    • (as Anthony J. Robinow)
    Michael McGill
    • Prison Official
    Shimon Aviel
    • Guard Bernard Liebman
    Bill Corday
    • Campbell's Father
    Bronwen Mantel
    • Campbell's Mother
    Brawley Nolte
    Brawley Nolte
    • Young Howard Campbell
    John Goodman
    John Goodman
    • Major Frank Wirtanen
    Louis Strauss
    • Old Jewish Man
    Zach Grenier
    Zach Grenier
    • Joseph Goebbels
    Richard Zeman
    Richard Zeman
    • Rudolph Hoess
    Thomas Hauff
    Thomas Hauff
    • SS Officer
    Jeff Pufah
    • Young German Soldier
    Norman Rodway
    Norman Rodway
    • Werner Noth
    Kirsten Dunst
    Kirsten Dunst
    • Young Resi Noth
    David Strathairn
    David Strathairn
    • Bernard B. O'Hare
    Arye Gross
    Arye Gross
    • Dr. Abraham Epstein
    • Director
      • Keith Gordon
    • Writers
      • Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
      • Robert B. Weide
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Kurt Vonnegut Jr.: Towards the end of the film when Campbell (Nick Nolte) stands frozen in the street one of the people who pass by him in slow motion is the author of the book the film is based on (the man with a mustache in a beige suit and a blue shirt with a tie.)
    • Quotes

      Howard W. Campbell Jr.: I was deposited on to the streets of New York, restored to the mainstream of life. I took several steps down the sidewalk when something happened. It was not guilt that froze me; I had taught myself never to feel guilt. It wasn't the fear of death; I had taught myself to think of death as a friend. It was not the thought of being unloved that froze me; I had taught myself to do without love. What froze me was the fact that I had absolutely no reason to move in any direction.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Ransom/Set It Off/Mad Dog Time/Mother Night/The Funeral (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      White Christmas
      Written by Irving Berlin

      Performed by Bing Crosby

      Courtesy of MCA Records

    User reviews55

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Sometimes oversentimental, but overall very good
    I haven't yet read the Kurt Vonnegut book this was adapted from, but I am familiar with some of his other work and was interested to see how it would be translated to the screen. Overall, I think this is a very successful adaptation of one of Vonnegut's novels. It concerns the story of an American living in Germany who is recruited as a spy for the US. His job is to ingratiate himself with high ranked Nazi's and send secret messages to the American's via his weekly radio show. But when the war ends he is denounced as a war criminal but escapes to New York, where various odd plot twists await.

    If Mother Night has a problem it's that it tends to get a little too sentimental at times. But for most of the film the schmaltz is kept to a minimum and the very strange plot is carried through with skill and aplomb. And there are some fabulous moments of black comedy involving three right wing Christian fundamentalists and a very highly ranked Nazi in a prison cell. Very much recommended.
    helpful•12
    3
    • heywood100
    • May 25, 2003

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 1, 1996 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Fine Line Features
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • Yiddish
    • Also known as
      • Мајка ноћ
    • Filming locations
      • Montréal, Québec, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Fine Line Features
      • New Line Cinema
      • Whyaduck Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $6,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $403,701
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $48,661
      • Nov 3, 1996
    • Gross worldwide
      • $403,701
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 54 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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