The Human Stain

"How far would you go to escape the past?"

2003 1h 46m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 523

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Coleman Silk is a worldly and admired professor who loses his job after unwittingly making a racial slur. To clear his name, Silk writes a book about the events with his friend and colleague Nathan Zuckerman, who in the process discovers a dark secret Silk has hidden his whole life. All the while, Silk engages in an affair with Faunia Farley, a younger woman whose tormented past threatens to unravel the layers of deception Silk has constructed.

“How far would you go to escape the past?”

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Cast

Anthony Hopkins
Coleman Silk
Nicole Kidman
Faunia Farley
Ed Harris
Lester Farley
Gary Sinise
Nathan Zuckerman
Wentworth Miller
Young Coleman Silk
Jacinda Barrett
Steena Paulsson
Harry Lennix
Mr. Silk
Clark Gregg
Nelson Primus

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Benton
Writers: Nicholas Meyer
Languages: English
Countries: France, Germany, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 83% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: France, Germany, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Benton, shot by Jean-Yves Escoffier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Rachel Portman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Christopher Tellefsen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman and Ed Harris carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "How far would you go to escape the past?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Benton directs. Jean-Yves Escoffier behind the camera. Rachel Portman scores. Christopher Tellefsen cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France, Germany, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 83% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 23 years ago.
3International production across 3 countries: France, Germany, United States of America.
4Directed by Robert Benton, shot by Jean-Yves Escoffier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Rachel Portman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Christopher Tellefsen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman and Ed Harris carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "How far would you go to escape the past?".
9IMDB entry: tt0308383 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.