Howards End

"Based on the Novel by E.M. Forster"

1992 2h 22m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

🔥

94%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.4

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 611🍅94%Rotten Tomatoes●88Metacritic★7.4IMDB · 37,509

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A saga of class relations and changing times in an Edwardian England on the brink of modernity, the film centers on liberal Margaret Schlegel, who, along with her sister Helen, becomes involved with two couples: wealthy, conservative industrialist Henry Wilcox and his wife Ruth, and the downwardly mobile working-class Leonard Bast and his mistress Jackie.

“Based on the Novel by E.M. Forster”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Cohen Media Amazon ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Emma Thompson
Margaret Schlegel
Helena Bonham Carter
Helen Schlegel
Anthony Hopkins
Henry J. Wilcox
Samuel West
Leonard Bast
Vanessa Redgrave
Ruth Wilcox
Adrian Ross Magenty
Tibby Schlegel
Prunella Scales
Aunt Juley
James Wilby
Charles Wilcox

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Ivory
Writers: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Languages: English, German
Countries: United Kingdom, Japan

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

Made its money back 3.3× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, Japan.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Ivory, shot by Tony Pierce-Roberts. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter and Anthony Hopkins carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Ivory directs. Tony Pierce-Roberts behind the camera. Richard Robbins scores. Andrew Marcus cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, Japan. Dialogue in English, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 3.3× over at the box office.
234 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, German.
4International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, Japan.
5Directed by James Ivory, shot by Tony Pierce-Roberts. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Richard Robbins. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Andrew Marcus shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter and Anthony Hopkins carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Based on the Novel by E.M. Forster".
10IMDB entry: tt0104454 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 12 themes, including "london, england", "sibling relationship", "countryside", "based on novel or book".

The technical file

Cinematography: Tony Pierce-Roberts
Original score: Richard Robbins
Editing: Andrew Marcus
Production design: Luciana Arrighi
Costume design: Jenny Beavan
Makeup / hair: Christine Beveridge
Runtime: 142 min · 2h 22m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $8,000,000
Box office: $26,126,837
Return: 327% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Howards End (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 88/100
IMDB rating: 7.4/10 · 37,509 votes
MPAA: PG

Awards

Won 3 Oscars. 32 wins & 49 nominations total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
National Board of Review Award for Best Film
Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Production Design
Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

James Ivory

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

badelf2023-11-22
★ 8/10
The script itself is not up the level of Remains of the Day, but then E.M.Forster is not Ishiguro (Never Let Me Go). Nevertheless E.M.Forster gives us a huge, complex story that holds our interest for the entire 142 minutes. And the Ivory-Merchant team contributes a beautiful setpiece, complete with perfect cinematography, locations, costumes and a team of the finest actors in Britain. And two of the Redgrave family to play mother and daughter. The acting from everyone on screen is phenomenal!
CinemaSerf2024-05-23
★ 7/10
I think this might be the pinnacle of the Merchant Ivory storytelling world (with thanks to E.M. Forster), as a strong ensemble cast assembles to tell a tale of Edwardian Britain that brings into stark focus a class system that is just beginning to show some cracks. "Wilcox" (Anthony Hopkins) is what I suppose you'd call nouveau riche. A millionaire industrialist who has acquired quite a few grand country properties from the increasingly impoverished aristocracy. When his first wife (Vanessa Redgrave) dies at the eponymous country cottage, she has apparently promised it to her friend "Margaret" (Emma Thompson) but the family choose to disregard the bequeathing letter and she is none the wiser. Meantime, her well meaning and quite fussy sister "Helen" (Helena Bonham-Carter) has become aware of the hard working clerk "Bast" (Samuel West) who is married, sympathetically but rather unlovingly, to "Jacky" (Nicola Duffett) and not without ambition. "Wilcox" is set upon remarrying, and it's "Margaret" who gets the nod. Thing is, though, can there ever be any chance of any real love between them, or indeed for any of them, as the family ghosts - past and present, come back to haunt them and poor "Bast"? It's a grand looking saga this, and it plays the politics of the day well as there are three initially distinct strata of society gradually intermingling, some more willingly than others, throughout the unfolding drama. I actually thought it was the engaging effort from Duffett that stole the show, but Redgrave also contributes well, if briefly, as the ailing "Mrs. Wilcox" and Samuel West also stands out, portraying his character as a decent man who is a fish-out-of water at the best of times, but even more adrift after entrusting himself and his affairs to "Helen". It's a characterful study of human nature that shows up hypocrisy and delivers kindness, showcases nicely all the artifice of the creative talent and is worth a watch.