RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / The Golden Bowl
The Golden Bowl

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Golden Bowl (2001)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
53 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:85

Fresh:45

Rotten:40

Average Rating:5.3/10

Consensus: Coming from the Merchant-Ivory team, The Golden Bowl is visually stunning, but the filmmakers have difficulty in transporting the characterizations of the Henry James novel to the screen.

Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Set in the rarified world of affluent American expatriate England and Italy between 1903 and 1909, THE GOLDEN BOWL tells the story of an extravagantly rich American widower and his sheltered... Set in the rarified world of affluent American expatriate England and Italy between 1903 and 1909, THE GOLDEN BOWL tells the story of an extravagantly rich American widower and his sheltered daughter, both of whom marry only to discover that their respective mates are romantically entangled with one another. ADAM VERVER (Nick Nolte), America's first billionaire, and his daughter MAGGIE (Kate Beckinsale) live a privileged life in Europe, surrounding themselves with beautiful objects and amassing one of the world's greatest art collections. Their intimate family circle expands when Maggie decides to marry PRINCE AMERIGO (Jeremy Northam), an impoverished (but authentically aristocratic) descendent of a long line of Italian princes, and invites her beautiful, but impecunious school friend CHARLOTTE STANT (Uma Thurman) to attend their wedding. Amerigo and Charlotte have a secret. They are lovers, forced to separate because they are too poor to marry each other. While Charlotte knows that their affair must end, she cannot control her passion for Amerigo. She hides her emotions as best she can, feigning happiness for the couple. She and the Prince have one last rendezvous when they shop together for a wedding present for Maggie. They find an unusual golden bowl, but reject it when they discover that it has a hidden flaw. As Amerigo settles into a domestic routine with Maggie, he discovers that his marriage has a flaw, too. His wife and her father are inseparable, just as they were before her marriage. Maggie invites Charlotte to be their houseguest and encourages her to spend time with Adam, too. In a sudden and seemingly happy twist of fate, Adam proposes to Charlotte and she accepts, despite the age difference between them. For the first time in her life, she is a wealthy woman. But her newfound security is a mixed blessing. As time passes, and Adam and Maggie retreat deeper and deeper into their private world. Charlotte and Amerigo realize that, like the magnificent works of art that surround them, they have become prized additions to the Verver collection. Convinced that fate has brought them together a second time, Charlotte and Amerigo surrender to their passions, secretly betraying their seemingly unsuspecting spouses. But the elusive golden bowl comes back to haunt them, changing Maggie's perception of her relationship with her husband and provoking her to do anything to accomplish her new and most important goal: to have a marriage without a flaw, at any expense. -- © 2001 Lions Gate [More]

Starring: Uma Thurman, Jeremy Northam, Kate Beckinsale, Nick Nolte

Starring: Uma Thurman, Jeremy Northam, Kate Beckinsale, Nick Nolte, James Fox, Madeleine Potter, Peter Eyre, Anjelica Huston

Director: James Ivory

Director: James Ivory
Screenwriter: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Producer: Ismail Merchant
Composer: Richard Robbins
Studio: Lions Gate Films

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 10

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for The Golden Bowl

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/10/01
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Like its eponymous artefact, The Golden Bowl is flawed -- yet it remains an object of great beauty and elegance.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
04/13/01
Ginette Vincendeau
Ginette Vincendeau
Sight and Sound

As compensation for possible bottom-numbing -in-seat towards the end, Ivory once again delivers a well-performed -- most notably by Nolte and Thurman -- and exquisite-looking tale of manners, love and betrayal.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jo Berry
Jo Berry
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Golden Bowl is too often one-dimensional and obvious.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Thomson
Michael Thomson
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
04/27/07
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Despite a denouement which arrives half an hour too late, the complexities of James' work are superbly realised.

Full Review Source: RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) | comment Comment
05/08/03
Harry Guerin
Harry Guerin
RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
03/10/03
Marrit Ingman
Marrit Ingman
Austin Chronicle

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | comment Comment
01/10/03
Nick Davis
Nick Davis
Nick's Flick Picks

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Golden Bowl may not be the most exciting movie you’ll ever see, but those who pay attention should find themselves pleasantly rewarded.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/14/02
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

Decent screenplay, superb acting, fantastic set design and photography: so why doesn’t this movie feel great? Mainly it’s just that the metaphors deployed are fairly obvious and the slow, played-out peacocks’ dance of romantic discovery and recrimination

Full Review Source: Entertainment Today | comment Comment
10/21/02
Brent Simon
Brent Simon
Entertainment Today
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
10/21/02
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
08/17/02
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
08/09/02
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
03/24/02
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
01/22/02
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine

The bowl practically screams, "Look at me! I'm a metaphor!"

Full Review Source: AboutFilm.com | comment Comment
01/17/02
Carlo Cavagna
Carlo Cavagna
AboutFilm.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…
19% 19% Transformers: Revenge …
55% 55% Orphan

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
98% 98% Up
88% 88% Ballast
66% 66% The Merry Gentleman

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Your first look at the swashbuckler.

Vampires

Vampires

We rank cinema's bloodsuckers.

Avatar

Avatar

The full trailer for Cameron's epic.

2012

2012

12 facts about Emmerich's disaster flick.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Rachel McAdams Reads for Spider-Man 4
108
  • Rachel McAdams Rumored for Spider-Man 4 Source: Mania.com
162
  • Danny Elfman Leaves The Wolfman Source: Cinemusic.net
29
  • Oldboy Remake Rumored Dead Source: Latino Review
20
  • Francis Lawrence Directing a Futuristic Sgt. Rock Source: Hollywood Reporter
3
  • Can Avatar Make Money? Source: New York Times
121
  • Robert Pattinson Says Breaking Dawn Could Roll in Fall 2010 Source: Collider.com
38
  • Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman Source: Ain't It Cool News
8
  • Jason Schwartzman Talks Scott Pilgrim Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
102
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: John Cusack's Best Movies
93
  • Five Favorite Films with Roland Emmerich
77
  • Critics Consensus: 2012 Isn't Quite Earth-Shaking
43
  • Weekly Ketchup: Rachel McAdams Reads for Spider-Man 4
36
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Christmas Carol Tops, Precious Rocks
34
  • Five Favourite Films with Ang Lee
29
  • 10 Movies That Changed The (End Of The) World
28
  • Friday Harvest: Clash of the Titans, Kick-Ass, and more!
22
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
4
  • RT's Holiday Movie Preview -- Find Out What's Hot This Season!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
4
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
15
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
  • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
40
  • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
139
  • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
4
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Golden Bowl at Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Golden Bowl at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

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

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

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

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.