Swept from the Sea

"In the heart of an outcast, he found his destiny. In the passion of an outsider, she found her home."

1998 1h 53m EN

😐

6.4

MID

🥫

28%

ROTTEN

⭐

6.7

IMDB

★6.4TMDB · 78🥫28%Rotten Tomatoes★6.7IMDB · 3,664

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The film tells the story of Russian emigree and the only survivor from ship crash Yanko Goorall and servant Amy Foster in the end of 19th century. When Yanko enters a farm sick and hungry after the shipwreck, everyone is afraid of him, except for Amy, who is very kind and helps him. Soon he becomes like a son for Dr. James Kennedy and romance between Yanko and Amy follows.

“In the heart of an outcast, he found his destiny. In the passion of an outsider, she found her home.”

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Cast

Rachel Weisz
Amy Foster
Vincent Perez
Yanko
Ian McKellen
Dr. James Kennedy
Kathy Bates
Miss Swaffer
Joss Ackland
Mr. Swaffer
Tony Haygarth
Mr. Smith
Fiona Victory
Mrs. Smith
Tom Bell
Isaac Foster

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Beeban Kidron
Writers: Tim Willocks
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, 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

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Beeban Kidron, shot by Dick Pope. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Rachel Weisz and Vincent Perez and Ian McKellen carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In the heart of an outcast, he found his destiny. In the passion of an outsider, she found her home.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0120257 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Beeban Kidron directs. Dick Pope behind the camera. John Barry scores. Alex Mackie cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

128 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Beeban Kidron, shot by Dick Pope. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by John Barry. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Alex Mackie shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Rachel Weisz and Vincent Perez and Ian McKellen carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "In the heart of an outcast, he found his destiny. In the passion of an outsider, she found her home.".
8IMDB entry: tt0120257 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 78 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 10 themes, including "underdog", "sea", "wales", "loss of loved one".

The technical file

Cinematography: Dick Pope
Original score: John Barry
Editing: Alex Mackie
Production design: Simon Holland
Costume design: Caroline Harris
Makeup / hair: Jan Archibald
Runtime: 113 min · 1h 53m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Swept from the Sea (1998)
Rotten Tomatoes: 28% 🥫 Rotten
IMDB rating: 6.7/10 · 3,664 votes
MPAA: PG-13
US box office: $397,020

Also by

Beeban Kidron

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2026-04-11
★ 6/10
A Ukrainian man washes ashore in Cornwall, England, 1888 The plot can be traced back 2750 years to Odysseus’ experiences on the island of Ogygia with nymph Calypso, as well as his washing up on Scheria and the response of Princess Nausicaa. This variation was based on Joseph Conrad’s 1901 story “Amy Foster.” The plot would rear its head once again nine years later in “Tristan + Isolde.” Unfortunately, this isn’t anywhere near as good as “Tristan + Isolde.” The story is way more mundane, and I don’t like the way things pan out in the second half, although it’s telegraphed from the get-go. Still, you can’t beat the Cornish locations and period milieu. Rachel Weisz is lovely; Vincent Perez is effective in a Christopher Lambert kind of way; and Ian McKellen’s character is interesting. Kathy Bates is also on hand as a paraplegic. Fans of, say, “Legends of the Fall” should appreciate it, although it’s less eventful. “December Boys” borrowed from it ten years later for a superior film IMHO. It runs 1h 55m and was shot in late summer/early fall of 1996 in ten spots of Cornwall in southwest England, as well as Keighley, which is located 212 miles northwest of London. GRADE: B-/C+

Production companies