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The Shipping News

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The Shipping News (2001)

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Reviews Counted:24

Fresh:9

Rotten:15

Average Rating:2.6/10

Consensus: Though solidly made and acted, The Shipping News is rather heavy-handed and dull, especially given the nature of its protagonist.

Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Lasse Hallstrom (CHOCOLAT, MY LIFE AS A DOG) presents this strong, quiet, chillingly deep adaptation of the popular novel by E. Annie Proulx. In a fishing port set in the Canadian province of... Lasse Hallstrom (CHOCOLAT, MY LIFE AS A DOG) presents this strong, quiet, chillingly deep adaptation of the popular novel by E. Annie Proulx. In a fishing port set in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, newspaper journalist Quoyle (Kevin Spacey), his young daughter Bunny (Alyssa Gainer), and his stern aunt Agnis Hamm (Dame Judi Dench) have reclaimed their ancestral home, which stood vacant for 40 years perched over the raging sea on the edge of a cliff. The fresh air and the mundane routine of the sleepy village act as a balm for Quoyle's wounds. Having grown up with unhappy parents who cautioned him that he'd never amount to anything, Quoyle thought he'd finally found a stroke of luck when he fell in love with Petal (a surprisingly slutty but no less beautiful Cate Blanchett), Bunny's mother. However, after Petal's sudden death, and the simultaneous passing of his loveless parents, Quoyle's migration from downtrodden Poughkeepsie, N.Y. to coastal Canada is his salvation. As Quoyle gains confidence and pride daily through his coworkers at the tiny newspaper the Gammy Bird, through his friendship with Wavey (a lovely Julianne Moore), and through his reconciliation with some spooky family secrets from the distant past, Quoyle, Bunny, and Agnis slowly find new direction, new hope, and the beginnings of a new life. [More]

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Scott Glenn, Rhys Ifans, Gordon Pinsent, Jason Behr, Larry Pine, Jeannetta Arnette, Robert Joy, Alyssa Gainer, Lauren Gainer, Kaitlyn Gainer, Will MCallister

Director: Lasse Hallström

Director: Lasse Hallström
Screenwriter: Robert Nelson Jacobs
Producer: Irwin Winkler, Leslie Holleran, Linda Goldstein Knowlton
Composer: Christopher Young
Studio: Miramax Films

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for The Shipping News

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1 - 16 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/03/02
Almar Haflidason
Almar Haflidason
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: DVDnett.no | comment Comment
07/31/05
DVDnett.no

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Full Review Source: Digitalvd.de | comment Comment
07/21/05
Carsten Scheibe
Carsten Scheibe
Digitalvd.de

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Full Review Source: Daily-Reviews | comment Comment
03/04/04
Aaron J. Bossig
Aaron J. Bossig
Daily-Reviews
N/R

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Full Review Source: Dvdrama | comment Comment
07/31/03
Dvdrama
N/R

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Full Review Source: DVD Review.net | comment Comment
06/19/03
DVD Review.net
N/R

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Full Review Source: Fantastica Daily | comment Comment
01/08/03
Staci Layne Wilson
Staci Layne Wilson
Fantastica Daily
N/R

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Full Review Source: DVD.net.au | comment Comment
11/24/02
Anthony Horan
Anthony Horan
DVD.net.au
N/R

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Full Review Source: DVD Review e-zine | comment Comment
10/02/02
DVD Review e-zine
N/R

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Full Review Source: DVD Verdict | comment Comment
08/12/02
Barrie Maxwell
Barrie Maxwell
DVD Verdict
N/R

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Full Review Source: DVD Angle | comment Comment
08/01/02
Steve Bates
Steve Bates
DVD Angle

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Full Review Source: CinemaZone.dk | comment Comment
07/21/02
CinemaZone.dk
N/R

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Full Review Source: CurrentFilm.com | comment Comment
06/26/02
Aaron Beierle
Aaron Beierle
CurrentFilm.com
N/R

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Full Review Source: DVD Authority.com | comment Comment
06/19/02
Matt Brighton
Matt Brighton
DVD Authority.com

Scorsese fans can rejoice: included on the disc's Sneak Peeks section is a trailer for the director's upcoming Gangs of New York.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
06/17/02
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

...fits into the ho-hum category, much too sudsy for my short attention span.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
06/14/02
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
 
 
1 - 16 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
all

Latest News for The Shipping News

August 01, 2005: Trailer Bulletin: An Unfinished Life
Finally earning a (limited) release after sitting on a Miramax shelf for about a year is Lasse Hallstrom's "An Unfinished Life," which stars Robert Redford, Morgan... More...

August 20, 2001: 'It's been a curious journey playing a character who just sort of responds,' says two-time Oscar winner Spacey. Opens in new window
More...

March 27, 2001: Before I started writing non-fiction, which I did simply to put meat and potatoes on the table, I was working on my doctorate in history. Opens in new window
More...

March 27, 2001: It's interesting to note that this is another tale of an ordinary man in the midst/crossroads of his life, which seems to be a recurring theme for Spacey. Opens in new window
More...

See All

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