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

(At around twenty-six minutes) When Inman and Ada enter the church, they do so to wrangle a bird in the dove family, the "bird of peace and love". This represented or foreshadowed the budding relationship between the two.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie it is supposedly Easter time. There are vases of fresh flowers on their dinner table outside. Some of the flowers are lovely white and pink cosmos which are a mid- to late-summer flower and do not bloom in spring at Easter in the mid-Atlantic.

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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 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004)

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Soundtracks

The Cuckoo
Traditional
Arranged by Anthony Minghella and T Bone Burnett (as Henry Burnett)
Performed by Stuart Duncan and Dirk Powell
Stuart Duncan and Dirk Powell appear courtesy of Rounder Records

User Reviews

My brief review of the film

A strongly acted and always interesting portrait of the hardships that came with the American Civil War, not only for soldiers but for those who did not fight too. The times are portrayed well, with sets and costumes that cannot be faulted. What can be flawed in the film however is the central romance, which is without much spark or realism. But all the action surrounding the romance is great, with some good-natured humorous touches, wonderful supporting characters and the perfect picture overall of life during the American Civil War. The cast is superb, with Zellweger in particular undergoing a superb transformation from her typical roles. The film is generally well written and well directed by Minghella, so that in spite of a lackluster romance, the film is still a captivating and entertaining watch.

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