Cold Mountain (2003)

In the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart.

Director:

Anthony Minghella

Writers:

Charles Frazier (book), Anthony Minghella (screenplay)

Stars:

Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger

Won 1 Oscar. Another 19 wins & 101 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jude Law	...	Inman
Nicole Kidman	...	Ada Monroe
Renée Zellweger	...	Ruby Thewes
Eileen Atkins	...	Maddy
Brendan Gleeson	...	Stobrod Thewes
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Reverend Veasey
Natalie Portman	...	Sara
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Junior
Donald Sutherland	...	Reverend Monroe
Ray Winstone	...	Teague
Kathy Baker	...	Sally Swanger
James Gammon	...	Esco Swanger
Charlie Hunnam	...	Bosie
Jack White	...	Georgia
Ethan Suplee	...	Pangle

Storyline

This Civil War saga addresses romance, friendship, and the ravages of war - both in the field and on the home front. Captures the horrors of war for both those fighting it, and for those left behind. This is a tale of hope, longing, redemption, second chances, and faith.

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Plot Keywords:

cold mountain north carolina | u.s. civil war | year 1864 | nonlinear timeline | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

If hate sends men to war, then it must be love that brings them home. ( Moviepix Canada)

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Cruise and ex-wife Nicole Kidman were considering roles in this movie, yet Cruise was unaware of Kidman's involvement. Cruise backed out, but Kidman immediately signed up.

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Goofs

When they first encounter the dead bull in the creek, the bull is lying diagonally with its front end out in the middle of the creek and its rump on or next to the bank. When Inman steps over the bull to begin sawing it, it is lying completely in the middle of the creek, parallel to the bank.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ada: [voiceover] Dear Mr. Inman, I began by counting the days, then the months. I don't count on anything anymore except the hope that you will return, and the silent fear that in the years since we saw each other, this war, this awful war, will have changed us both beyond all reckoning.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Overrated Movies (2014)

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Soundtracks

Bonaparte's Retreat
Traditional
Arranged by Anthony Minghella and T Bone Burnett (as Henry Burnett)
Performed by Brendan Gleeson

User Reviews

I imagine God is weary of being called down on both sides of an argument.

Cold Mountain is directed by Anthony Minghella who also adapts to screenplay from Charles Frazier's novel of the same name. It stars Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, Eileen Atkins, Kathy Baker, Brendan Gleeson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ray Winstone and Natalie Portman.Music is scored by Gabriel Yared and cinematography by John Seale. Plot finds Law as W.P. Inman, a wounded deserter from the Confederate army who is trying to make his way back to North Carolina to rekindle a fledgling romance with Ada Monroe (Kidman).

This is Minghella's world and the American Civil War movie gets a double shot in the arm as Cold Mountain not only deals in the home front, but also in the perilous life of the soldier. Add into the mix a fire cracker of an opening, a central romance and an array of expertly drawn characters, and it's safe to say that Minghella's film is not only epic in production, but also in story telling. In essence the film is about love, friendships and learning to cope under the most trying of circumstances, but the director doesn't paint it with a sentimental brush. As the three strands of the narrative play out, tone is often gritty, intense, sorrowful even, with Minghella cribbing from the Anthony Mann Western book by having the stunning landscapes form part of the characters emotional world.

Come back to me, come back to me…

Story is strong, even if the key romance is soft; since it's told mostly in flash backs, but those flash backs are threaded into the main seam of Ada's life on the home front and Inman's perilous odyssey. She, befriended by hard working, dirty handed, Ruby Thewes (Zellewegger excellent); who also provides the only moments of levity within, he, meeting up with a number of interesting characters, both good and bad. This of course makes the film episodic, but in this instance it's a good thing, mainly because characters are so utterly compelling. Hoffman as a less than honourable priest and Portman as a young woman out in a wood cabin, alone with her sick baby, they stand out. But there's also the Home Guard attached enforcers led by blood thirsty Teague (Winstone) and a potent thread involving Ruby's fiddle playing father, Stobrod (Gleeson as usual a considerable screen presence).

On the technical front it's hard to find fault, it's a tip top production. Romania's mountains, rolling hills and forests form the backdrop to most of the action, with John Seale's Academy Award nominated photography neatly passing for a rugged North Carolina. While the costumes, set design and Yared's score also add impetus to the feel of the time. There's some minor itches, such as fluctuating accents and the delicacy of the romance lacking the passion to drive such a journey by Inman on, but they are not flaws. Such is the strength of Minghella's story telling ability, Cold Mountain still comes out as great cinema. A film that can stay in your mind for days after viewing it. Bleak yet subtle, savage yet tender, a different sort of Civil war movie. Amen to that. 9/10

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Italy Romania UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cold Mountain

Filming Locations:

Castel Film Studios, Bucharest, Romania

Box Office

Budget:

$79,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,500,000, 28 December 2003

Gross USA:

$95,636,509

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$173,013,509

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, Mirage Enterprises, Bona Fide Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1