The Patron Saint of Liars (1998)

A woman runs away from her husband when she discovers she is pregnant, going to a Catholic school for girls, where she meets and marries another man, who raises the child as his own. ... See full summary »

Director:

Stephen Gyllenhaal

Writers:

Ann Patchett (novel), Lynn Roth (teleplay)

Stars:

Dana Delany, Sada Thompson, Clancy Brown

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dana Delany	...	Rose Cleardon Abbott
Sada Thompson	...	Sister Evangeline
Clancy Brown	...	Son
Jill Gascoine	...	Mother Corrine
Nancy Moore Atchison	...	Cecilia (age 15)
Debra Christofferson	...	Sister Bernadette
Lisa Rieffel	...	Beatrice
Marissa Ribisi	...	Angie
John Putch	...	Thomas Cleardon
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Lorraine Thomas
Mary-Joan Negro	...	Mrs. Stanton
Ellen Burstyn	...	June Clatterbuck
Anthony Mockus Sr.	...	Father O'Donnell
Brett Pryor	...	Joseph Clatterbuck
Daria Sanford	...	Ann Clatterbuck

Storyline

A woman runs away from her husband when she discovers she is pregnant, going to a Catholic school for girls, where she meets and marries another man, who raises the child as his own. Meanwhile, the first husband spends 15 years searching for his wife.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | 

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Genres:

Drama

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User Reviews

Some great performances here

This film isn't as useless as many of the reviewers here are writing, in my opinion. I enjoyed it, and I especially fell in love with Clancy Brown's character. He was patient, understanding, loyal, and loving.... he was SO good and believable in this role, it's the one I think of him in the most often now. I believe Clancy is more like this character than any of the others he's played.

No, they didn't explain the lead character's issues or motivations very well, but aren't many people intriguing and inexplicable in some (or many) ways? I think you can enjoy this film if you also pay special attention to the stories and characters around her. Ellen Burstyn is always a first-class actor. All of the supporting cast and characters are rich, interesting, and easy to understand. I enjoyed the movie and I'll watch it again, I'm sure, when I have an opportunity.

Clancy Brown was WONDERFUL. I wanted to marry him myself!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Miracle of the Spring

Filming Locations:

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Patchett Kaufman Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1