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IMDbPro

American Pastoral

  • 20162016
  • RR
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
17K
YOUR RATING
Jennifer Connelly, Ewan McGregor, and Dakota Fanning in American Pastoral (2016)
Set in postwar America, a man watches his seemingly perfect life fall apart as his daughter's new political affiliation threatens to destroy their family.
Play trailer2:20
18 Videos
83 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
An All-American college star and his beauty queen wife watch their seemingly perfect life fall apart as their daughter joins the turmoil of '60s America.An All-American college star and his beauty queen wife watch their seemingly perfect life fall apart as their daughter joins the turmoil of '60s America.An All-American college star and his beauty queen wife watch their seemingly perfect life fall apart as their daughter joins the turmoil of '60s America.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Ewan McGregor
  • Writers
    • Philip Roth(based on the novel by)
    • John Romano(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Ewan McGregor
    • Jennifer Connelly
    • Dakota Fanning
Top credits
  • Director
    • Ewan McGregor
  • Writers
    • Philip Roth(based on the novel by)
    • John Romano(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Ewan McGregor
    • Jennifer Connelly
    • Dakota Fanning
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 78User reviews
    • 150Critic reviews
    • 43Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations

    Videos18

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:20
    Official Trailer
    Gen Intv
    Interview 4:24
    Gen Intv
    Gen Intv
    Interview 4:48
    Gen Intv
    Gen Intv
    Interview 6:05
    Gen Intv
    Gen Intv
    Interview 2:00
    Gen Intv
    Gen Intv
    Interview 7:33
    Gen Intv
    Mc Gregor
    Interview 3:05
    Mc Gregor
    Strathairn
    Interview 2:20
    Strathairn
    Mc Kay
    Interview 1:56
    Mc Kay
    Rosenberg
    Interview 1:28
    Rosenberg
    Evans
    Interview 2:25
    Evans
    Aduba
    Interview 3:57
    Aduba

    Photos83

    Ewan McGregor and Hannah Nordberg in American Pastoral (2016)
    Ewan McGregor in American Pastoral (2016)
    Ewan McGregor and Uzo Aduba in American Pastoral (2016)
    Ewan McGregor and Valorie Curry in American Pastoral (2016)
    David Strathairn in American Pastoral (2016)
    Dakota Fanning in American Pastoral (2016)
    Ewan McGregor in American Pastoral (2016)
    Ewan McGregor in American Pastoral (2016)
    Jennifer Connelly and Ewan McGregor in American Pastoral (2016)
    Jennifer Connelly in American Pastoral (2016)
    Molly Parker in American Pastoral (2016)
    Jennifer Connelly, Ewan McGregor, and Dakota Fanning in American Pastoral (2016)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ewan McGregor
    Ewan McGregor
    • Swede Levovas Swede Levov
    Jennifer Connelly
    Jennifer Connelly
    • Dawn Levovas Dawn Levov
    Dakota Fanning
    Dakota Fanning
    • Merry Levovas Merry Levov
    Peter Riegert
    Peter Riegert
    • Lou Levovas Lou Levov
    Rupert Evans
    Rupert Evans
    • Jerry Levovas Jerry Levov
    Uzo Aduba
    Uzo Aduba
    • Vickyas Vicky
    Molly Parker
    Molly Parker
    • Sheila Smithas Sheila Smith
    Valorie Curry
    Valorie Curry
    • Rita Cohenas Rita Cohen
    Hannah Nordberg
    Hannah Nordberg
    • Merry (12 Years Old)as Merry (12 Years Old)
    Julia Silverman
    Julia Silverman
    • Sylvia Levovas Sylvia Levov
    Mark Hildreth
    Mark Hildreth
    • Agent Dolanas Agent Dolan
    Samantha Mathis
    Samantha Mathis
    • Penny Hamlinas Penny Hamlin
    David Strathairn
    David Strathairn
    • Nathan Zuckermanas Nathan Zuckerman
    Ocean James
    Ocean James
    • Merry (8 Years Old)as Merry (8 Years Old)
    • (as Ocean Nalu James)
    David Whalen
    David Whalen
    • Bill Orcuttas Bill Orcutt
    Corrie Danieley
    Corrie Danieley
    • Jessie Orcuttas Jessie Orcutt
    David Case
    David Case
    • Russ Hamlinas Russ Hamlin
    Max Ivcic
    • Hamlin's Sonas Hamlin's Son
    • Director
      • Ewan McGregor
    • Writers
      • Philip Roth(based on the novel by)
      • John Romano(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Paul Bettany was cast as Swede, Jennifer Connelly as his wife and Evan Rachel Wood as their daughter. All dropped out in 2004, after the movie spent many years in development. After 10 years, Connelly returned in the lead role, alongside Ewan McGregor.
    • Goofs
      The newspaper's masthead identifies 1970 as it's "141th Year." Should have been "141st Year."
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Nathan Zuckerman: [narrating funeral] You come at people with an open mind, and yet you never fail to get them wrong. You get them wrong while you're with them, or you tell someone about them and get them wrong again. That's how we know we're alive. We are wrong. About the Swede, how life was going to open its arms and shower blessings upon him, I was never more wrong about anyone in my life.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Graham Norton Show: Danny DeVito/Ewan McGregor/Sam Neill/Miranda Hart/John Bishop/Amber Riley (2016)
    • Soundtracks
      Comes A-Long A-Love
      Written by Al Sherman

      Performed by Kay Starr

      Courtesy of Capitol Records, LLC

      under license from Universal Music Enterprises

    User reviews78

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    American Pastoral (2016)
    I really like the Fanning sisters so I'll basically watch anything with them. I was also curious about this film because its the directional debut of Ewan McGregor. I went in blind not knowing what the film would bring but it seemed to have a strong cast, and for the little buzz it generated it remained something that I really wanted to check out. I think its a solid debut for McGregor as a filmmaker but can't escape being too dull at times.

    The film is based on a novel about a family with a daughter with a speech impediment. She witnesses a traumatic scene of the infamous monk setting himself on fire in television. After this childhood incident Merry (Fanning's character) becomes a radical opponent of war. She starts out vehemently opposing Lyndon Johnson and the war efforts but eventually becomes the culprit in a murder after a bomb goes off. Swede (Ewan McGregor) spends most of the film trying to find his estranged daughter and find out why she is the way she is.

    I think the film has strong performances as you would expect from the cast of this caliber. You immediately see the disenchantment of youth in Fanning's character and understand how radical she is in her anti-war stance. Her pained relationship with her mother is stated quite well, and the uncomfortably in it drives her mother mad. I had no problems with the character interactions, however the film cannot escape feeling dull and prolonged. You don't care enough to follow Swede as he tries to find his daughter, and when you finally find her, its just very underwhelming.

    Its hard to care for Fanning's character as she's unlikable from the get go. The film doesn't offer much else outside of a quest for a character you'd rather remain lost. The method of storytelling does not always prosper as it goes through periods of stalling and the payoff isn't really entertaining. It gets very lost in an antiwar shuffle and remains shallow despite trying to go deep. I'd say its exciting to see McGregor get behind the camera but his first adaptation does not have enough life.

    6/10
    helpful•27
    13
    • rockman182
    • Jan 29, 2017

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 21, 2016 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Hong Kong
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Hebrew
    • Also known as
      • El fin del sueño americano
    • Filming locations
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Production companies
      • Lionsgate
      • Lakeshore Entertainment
      • TIK Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $544,098
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $149,038
      • Oct 23, 2016
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,063,436
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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