If the love story is asked to carry more weight than it can bare, at least this is a film of rich measure and ambition.
Cold Mountain (2003)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:216
Fresh:154
Rotten:62
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: The well-crafted Cold Mountain has an epic sweep and captures the horror and brutal hardship of war.
Runtime: 2 hrs 35 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Directed by Anthony Minghella (THE ENGLISH PATIENT), this Civil War saga addresses romance, friendship, and the ravages of war--both in the field and on the home front. Far more than a simple love... Directed by Anthony Minghella (THE ENGLISH PATIENT), this Civil War saga addresses romance, friendship, and the ravages of war--both in the field and on the home front. Far more than a simple love story, Minghella's film captures the horrors of war for both those fighting it, and for those left behind. Based on the Charles Frazier novel, this is a tale of hope, longing, redemption, second chances, and faith. Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman) is a proper lady who accompanies her preacher father (Donald Sutherland) to Cold Mountain, North Carolina. She waits for her love, W.P. Inman (Jude Law)--a sensitive man with little use for many words--to return from war. In the process she learns basic survival skills and finds strength from no-nonsense Ruby (Renée Zellweger), a spitfire who can work the land as well as any man. Meanwhile, wounded Inman has had enough of war and killing, and is slowly working his way back to Ada despite the perils of being a Confederate deserter. Law and Kidman are genuinely touching as two virtual strangers who invest all of their faith in each other, and Zellweger is astounding as the uncultured but compassionate Ruby. Rounding out the cast is an impressive array of actors, including Brendan Gleeson, Ray Winstone, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Jack White (of the White Stripes), Kathy Baker, Giovanni Ribisi, and many others. [More]
Starring: Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, Donald Sutherland
Starring: Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, Donald Sutherland, Brendan Gleeson, Ray Winstone, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Baker, Natalie Portman, Jack White, Ethan Suplee, Charlie Hunnam, Giovanni Ribisi, Eileen Atkins, Melora Walters, James Gammon, Lucas Black, Cillian Murphy, James Rebhorn, Jena Malone
Director: Anthony Minghella
Director: Anthony Minghella
Screenwriter: Anthony Minghella
Producer: Albert Berger, William Horberg, Sydney Pollack, Ron Yerxa
Composer: Gabriel Yared
Studio: Miramax Films
Reviews for Cold Mountain
Grim in places, and at times gratuitous, this is still terrific five-hanky drama with top-flight technical work, horrifically spectacular action, subtle introspection, rich characters and a love story to die for.
Minghella crafts a complex and entertaining two-and-a-half hours with a cast who play their roles perfectly.
Whether we're watching the domestic struggles of Kidman or Law doing moody wandering, scenes run on randomly, and don't build into a structure with arc or emphasis.
Minghella is well served by his cast. Both principals are convincing, if neither rises quite to the heights of genuine tragedy.
A good-looking but dull and eccentrically cast romantic drama set during American civil war.
Kidman’s locks gets mysteriously re-highlighted during the Civil War's most depressed period — maybe Zellweger’s Ruby was as handy with foils as pitchforks.
Beautifully photographed, moving drama, with impressive performances from its three leads and a terrific supporting cast.
An intensely personal story that catches two vivid perspectives of wartime with an almost eerie timeliness.
So full of hot air, any emotion is blown away -- gone, with the wind.
Only Renee Zellweger maintains a Southern accent in this laughable attempt by director Anthony Minghella ("The English Patient") at filming Charles Frazier's love story set amidst the turmoil of the Civil War.
A kitschy, lugubrious and deeply unhistorical exercise in self-congratulation.
Kidman and Law share almost no screen time together, which harms the film. Still, there are moments that are sufficiently ablaze, and make "Cold Mountain" a worthwhile diversion.
Latest News for Cold Mountain
March 18, 2008:
Anthony Minghella: A Tomatometer Retrospective
English filmmaker Anthony Minghella had a sparse but critically acclaimed career by the time of his passing today at the age of 54. We turn to the six films Minghella directed,... More...
March 18, 2008:
Anthony Minghella: 1954-2008
Anthony Minghella, the Oscar-winning director of The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Cold Mountain, has passed away at the age of 54. More...
December 12, 2007:
Walter Murch on Youth Without Youth: The RT Interview (With Exclusive Photos and Clips!)
This week, Francis Ford Coppola's Youth Without Youth hits theaters in limited release. The tale of a writer who becomes young again after being struck by lightning is a... More...
February 07, 2007:
A searing and haunting period saga with a mournful, universal anti-war lament. ![]()
More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Cold Mountain at Rotten Tomatoes
- Cold Mountain at IGN
- Cold Mountain at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

