Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Winter Guest

  • 19971997
  • RR
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
The Winter Guest (1997)
Home Video Trailer from Fine Line
Play trailer2:26
1 Video
14 Photos
Drama
A recent widow, who is determined to leave Scotland for Australia with her son, gets an unexpected visit from her aging mother.A recent widow, who is determined to leave Scotland for Australia with her son, gets an unexpected visit from her aging mother.A recent widow, who is determined to leave Scotland for Australia with her son, gets an unexpected visit from her aging mother.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
    • Alan Rickman
    • Sharman Macdonald(screenplay)
    • Alan Rickman(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Phyllida Law
    • Emma Thompson
    • Sheila Reid
    • Alan Rickman
    • Sharman Macdonald(screenplay)
    • Alan Rickman(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Phyllida Law
    • Emma Thompson
    • Sheila Reid
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 54User reviews
    • 22Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    The Winter Guest
    Trailer 2:26
    Watch The Winter Guest

    Photos14

    The Winter Guest (1997)
    The Winter Guest (1997)
    The Winter Guest (1997)
    The Winter Guest (1997)
    Emma Thompson in The Winter Guest (1997)
    Emma Thompson and Phyllida Law in The Winter Guest (1997)
    Emma Thompson and Sean Biggerstaff in The Winter Guest (1997)
    Emma Thompson and Phyllida Law in The Winter Guest (1997)
    Phyllida Law in The Winter Guest (1997)
    Alan Rickman in The Winter Guest (1997)
    Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, and Phyllida Law in The Winter Guest (1997)
    The Winter Guest (1997)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Phyllida Law
    Phyllida Law
    • Elspeth
    Emma Thompson
    Emma Thompson
    • Frances
    Sheila Reid
    Sheila Reid
    • Lily
    Sandra Voe
    • Chloe
    Arlene Cockburn
    • Nita
    Gary Hollywood
    • Alex
    Sean Biggerstaff
    Sean Biggerstaff
    • Tom
    Douglas Murphy
    • Sam
    Tom Watson
    • Minister
    Jan Shand
    • Café Proprietor
    Sandy Neilson
    • Passer-by
    Billy McElhaney
    Billy McElhaney
    • Bus Driver
    Helen Devon
    • Woman in Tea Shop
    Harry Welsh
    • Boy in Teashop
    Christian Zanone
    • Young Man in Church
    Ross Lewis
    • Jamie
    Alan Rickman
    Alan Rickman
    • Man in Street
    • (uncredited)
      • Alan Rickman
      • Sharman Macdonald(screenplay) (play)
      • Alan Rickman(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Carrington
    6.8
    Carrington
    An Awfully Big Adventure
    5.8
    An Awfully Big Adventure
    The Chain
    6.9
    The Chain
    Mesmer
    5.9
    Mesmer
    Query
    6.8
    Query
    Dark Harbor
    6.0
    Dark Harbor
    The King
    6.6
    The King
    Judas Kiss
    6.1
    Judas Kiss
    Hotel Splendide
    6.2
    Hotel Splendide
    Rasputin
    6.9
    Rasputin
    The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre
    6.3
    The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre
    The Delivered
    6.2
    The Delivered

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Dame Emma Thompson and Phyllida Law are real-life mother and daughter.
    • Quotes

      Elspeth: A person needs to be needed and if you don't need me, you could lie.

    • Connections
      References Now, Voyager (1942)
    • Soundtracks
      Take Me With You
      Sung by Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins)

      Music by Michael Kamen

      Lyrics by Alan Rickman

    User reviews54

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Beautiful Film by Alan Rickman
    When you break it down, life comes in stages; not just stages of development, but stages that can last for a moment, an hour, a day-- or indefinitely. And they come unbidden and unannounced, like an uninvited guest that drops by and burrows into your very soul to ferret out the deepest hopes, dreams, needs and desires which-- consciously or subconsciously-- are a part of everyone who draws a breath upon the planet. In spring, that guest may bring the joy of rebirth and life; in winter, it may bring a reflection of need and confusion, a feeling of loneliness and loss, the desperation of uncertainty or even despair, all born in that seemingly endless moment of searching and seeking out that elusive and intangible something that lies ahead, just out of reach. The winter guest you can neither refuse nor turn away that is desolation of spirit; a visitor to whom we are introduced in `The Winter Guest,' directed by Alan Rickman.

    It's an especially cold February in a small village on the coast of Scotland; even the ocean is frozen for as far as the eye can see. And in the harsh wind that blows in from that frozen sea, we find Frances (Emma Thompson), a woman who has lost her husband, and visited by the winter of indecision is held fast in her confusion, unable to move on with her life. There to help her find the warmth of spring is Elspeth (Phyllida Law), her mother, who needs Frances as much as Frances needs her, though neither can find a way to break through the chill that has engulfed their souls. Then there is Alex (Gary Hollywood), Frances's son, still in school, but on the brink of maturity awaiting on the other side of his own winter, a taste of which he samples in the form of Nita (Arlene Cockburn), a local girl who takes a fancy to him.

    Before it's through, the winter guest will visit others, as well; those in every stage of life. At one end of the spectrum are Lily and Chloe (Sheila Reid and Sandra Voe), elderly friends who seem to stave off the inevitable by attending funerals. At the other end are Sam and Tom (Douglas Murphy and Sean Biggerstaff), boys on the cusp of adolescence, who during their visit will learn that being of a like age does not put them at the same stage of life. And as the story unfolds, in each relationship a different stage of life is revealed and examined, and we see the effects of this winter guest on each.

    Written by Rickman and Sharman Macdonald (adapted from Macdonald's play), this film is a study in contrasts, a pensive portraiture of life; sparse and reflective, Rickman captures in it the human condition at it's most fragile, and therein finds beauty. He uses the original music (written and performed by Michael Kamen) sparingly, opting instead for the sound of the wind, the cry of the gulls overhead or just a backdrop of silence to underscore the dialogue and the drama of the story, all to great effectiveness. By so doing, he allows the drama to speak for itself, to play out thoughtfully and in such a way that the audience is drawn in and included, very reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman's style, though perhaps a bit more wistful at times. And Rickman allows so many wonderfully telling moments in this film: The young boy, Tom, looking out at the vast frozen ocean that seemingly extends on and on forever, as if he is looking out upon his own life, which even now is extending on ahead of him, forever; or Frances, looking out upon that same ocean, a frozen sea reaching out into the unknown, even as her own life is moving on toward an unknown destination; Sam, the same age as Tom, yet younger, watching from the shore, not yet ready and therefore unable to follow as Tom ventures out into the mists that cover the frozen waters. And there's more: Alex and Nita embracing their passion; Chloe, falling and grabbing hold of a railing for support, then finally reaching out to Lily; Elspeth and Tom, sitting together on a rock and sharing a moment at the shore; Frances taking Elspeth by the arm and helping her. All moments that are profound in their simplicity, and all wonderfully presented by Rickman, with not only the eye, but the heart, of a true artist.

    Phyllida Law gives an especially engaging performance as Elspeth, as does Voe as Chloe; and Biggerstaff and Murphy are a delight to watch as Tom and Sam. But the lovely Emma Thompson steals the show as Frances, with a superb, introspective and reserved performance that is entirely captivating. She successfully conveys that deepest yearning that so readily identifies the winter into which Frances has entered in her soul, and her scenes with Law (her real life mother) are a subtle expression of reality, and a joy to behold. But again, it's the prolonged moments of silence--created and staged so well by Rickman-- that are beguiling, and say so much about who Frances really is. it's such a treat to find a film in which the director is wise enough and so willing to allow enough time for his performer to do what she does best-- as Rickman did with Thompson here-- the positive impact of which is certainly evident in the depth of Thompson's portrayal of Frances.

    The supporting cast includes Tom Watson (Minister) and Alan Rickman (Man in the Street). Rickman found beauty in the bleak, frozen landscape of that small, Scottish village, then translated it so well into a representation of those troubling and disorienting transitional periods that can visit us at any given stage of our lives. And, combined with his artistic eye and insight into human nature, it makes `The Winter Guest' a film to be embraced and cherished. It's an experience you'll long remember. 9/10.
    helpful•30
    2
    • jhclues
    • Jan 31, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 24, 1997 (United States)
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Elie, Fife, Scotland, UK
    • Production companies
      • Capitol Films
      • Channel Four Films
      • Fine Line Features
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 48 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Digital

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Winter Guest (1997)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Winter Guest (1997) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.