The Bridges of Madison County

Name: The Bridges of Madison County
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: June 2, 1995
Duration: 135 min
Rating: 69
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep

1995

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 118 Ratings

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8.5

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8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 118 Ratings

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The Bridges Of Madison County

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: June 2, 1995 | PG-13

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep

Summary: World-traveling National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) and Iowa housewife Francesca Johnson (Streep) aren't looking to turn their lives upside down. Each is at a point in life where expectations are behind them. Yet four days after meeting, they won’t want to lose the love they've found in this story of love, choice andWorld-traveling National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) and Iowa housewife Francesca Johnson (Streep) aren't looking to turn their lives upside down. Each is at a point in life where expectations are behind them. Yet four days after meeting, they won’t want to lose the love they've found in this story of love, choice and consequence. [Warner Bros.]… Expand

Director: Clint Eastwood

Genre(s): Drama, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 135 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Gene Siskel

Streep is an actress known for her uncanny ability with accents, but her quiet performance in "Bridges" proves that she would have made a world-class silent-film star, too. Read full review

Roger Ebert

It is easy to analyze the mechanism, but more difficult to explain why this film is so deeply moving. Read full review

Noel Murray

The strength of Eastwood’s Bridges is in its patience, and how it lets the love story develop from start to finish, even though the audience knows from the beginning the broad strokes of what’s going to happen. Read full review

Anthony Lane

Screenwriter Richard LaGravenese and director Clint Eastwood have turned out something sombre and restrained -- almost, in fact, good (though it's too long). Read full review

Desson Thomson

The reason for the film's success is simple. Screenwriter Richard LaGravenese and director Eastwood skirt most of novelist Robert James Waller's excesses. Read full review

Mike Clark

Richard LaGravenese's flashback script craftily tones down Waller's wind, adds a germane subplot and strengthens the novella's framing device. [02 Jun 1995, p.D1]

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Clint Eastwood resurrects the star system, the Hollywood love story, and middle-aged romance, but despite all his craft and sincerity, he and screenwriter Richard LaGravenese can't quite turn Robert James Waller's cardboard best-seller into flesh and bone. Read full review

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User Reviews

annbd

Dec 26, 2019

Cry my butt off watching this one. Great performance both from Clint and Maryl. Real emotions during the whole movie. Highly recommend it.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Karin73

May 9, 2022

Changed my life, thankful for seeing this movie at the time I needed to see it. It opened my eyes and my relationship with my mother.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Alonsinxxx

Apr 17, 2019

One of my favorites movies! Great performance of Meryl Streep. The soundtrack of this movie is really good. Old fashioned times...

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Spangle

Mar 10, 2017

After watching David Lean's brilliant film Brief Encounter yesterday, it seems like fate that I would encounter Clint Eastwood's The Bridges of Madison County. Though it is possible that Eastwood did not take inspiration from Lean's film, the two are incredibly similar thematically andAfter watching David Lean's brilliant film Brief Encounter yesterday, it seems like fate that I would encounter Clint Eastwood's The Bridges of Madison County. Though it is possible that Eastwood did not take inspiration from Lean's film, the two are incredibly similar thematically and plot-wise. Portraying two people meeting for a fleeting few days in 1965, this film is a transcendent look at love and denial that is positively heart wrenching. Set in both 1965 and the present day, the film looks at the affair between Francesca Johnson (Meryl Streep) and Robert Kincaid (Clint Eastwood) as it occurs and as it is viewed by Francesca's two children as they learn about it after their mother's death. Both a passionate and mournful look at love, the film is a brilliantly constructed look at relationships.

In 1965, Francesca is an unhappy housewife. With her husband and children out of town for a few days, she plans on just getting some time away from them and breathing. However, photographer Robert Kincaid comes to town to take pictures of the bridges of her Iowa hometown for a National Geographic spread. Quickly falling for him, their relationship is brief, just four days, but very much akin to the one in Brief Encounter. Robert is not married to a woman, but is married to his work. Taking him all over the world, he is devoted to the world to the detriment of his relationships with women. Francesca, meanwhile, ditched her dreams long ago to have children. The part of her that would jump and leave at the drop of a hat is long gone, for fear of instilling a bad message to her children. Thus, both know their relationship is doomed. It will end because there are forces beyond their control that pull them away from one another. Yet, as much as it hurts them both, neither wish to forget what they felt over the course of those four days as they, by their own admission, cram a lifetime of passion into just four days.

With the relationship defined in small moments - Robert picking her flowers, dancing in the kitchen, taking photos at the bridge, laying in the bathtub, and simply talking at the table - the romance is incredibly authentic. Yet, no moment really rips your heart out akin to the last chance they have to be together in spirit. With her husband Richard (Jim Haynie) home now, Francesca goes into town with him where she sees Robert. Staring at one another in the rain, the film refuses to go for the overly dramatic and unrealistic conclusion. They look at one another, Francesca leans over in the front seat to get a better look at him in the pouring rain, but they go their separate ways. Leaving town, Richard winds up behind Robert. In his truck, Robert can be seen hanging the crucifix Francesca gave him on his rearview mirror and waiting at a green light. He gives her one last chance to come with him. She clutches the door handle and waits. Her worries about Robert no longer wanting her are long gone. The connection is mutual. The experience unique. They are brief soulmates, but Francesca must choose: her family or Robert. In this tense and dramatic scene, the drama feels real. It is not manufactured and you can feel her dilemma. Regardless of what she chooses, she will never feel complete as her heart is guaranteed to be pulled in two separate directions. As is the case throughout, Streep beautifully portrays this complex character and the dilemmas before her. She acts out at Robert for making her feel this way, is set to leave, and is set to stay. She cannot make up her mind, but settles on hurting the least amount of people. Were it not for Streep's powerful performance, the film would still be good but not great. This is the perfect marriage between actor and material as she brings power and grace to the picture, as well as the dilemmas put before her character.

One of the film's greatest assets, however, is the portrayal of Francesca's husband. Often times in these films about affairs, the spouse is shown to be boring or abusive or any number of things. Robert, however, is not treated in such a way. He is a great husband and father. On his death bed, he expresses his regret that he never gave Francesca her dreams. His role in the film is moving and powerfully written. A large part of why Francesca stays is to not hurt Richard and it is easy to see why. He is a beautiful soul who never hurt anybody. Why would he deserve to be hurt in such a way by his wife, who he never wronged. Thus, by not portraying him negatively, The Bridges of Madison County brilliantly shows the pull her marriage has on her heart. Had he been portrayed negatively, it would be a mystery as to why she would stay when she was so unhappy. But, due to his characterization, it becomes clear that she stayed because she loved him. She could not hurt somebody she loved for the simple reason that he was not her soulmate. It is a truly selfless act and yet another example of her giving up her dreams for her family.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Mylena31

Feb 7, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If they would have ended up together it would of been 10/10 . being only 5 year's old when this first came out I wouldn't have been thrilled to see it. but now at 31 year's old, and a sucker for forbidden love. It is one of my top 10 favorite movies! always will be a fan of Clint as well as Streep! such an amazing love story that will make you want more and more. To think about the story, and try to see it as a ''real life'' synario, I can honestly say that it would be really creepy if a random bridge photographer stopped at my place and ask for directions in a remote small farming town. But its fiction, so there for I absolutely love it and I will watch this repeatedly through out my life while teaching the children to never trust anyone who says they're lost even though they new what their profession entailed.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Anna_Scott

Aug 4, 2021

To me this movie is about the child parent relationship. Parents know their children - but do children know their parents. And even as an adult child - what effort do we make to really know our parents?

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Broyax

Apr 16, 2020

De temps en temps (même si ça reste heureusement assez rare !) le grand Clint a un sacré coup de mou et nous démoule un film complètement et désespérément tarte... il étale sa merdasse romantico-pleurnicharde sur deux bonnes heures qu'il n'hésite pas à bourrer de guimauve avariée... IlDe temps en temps (même si ça reste heureusement assez rare !) le grand Clint a un sacré coup de mou et nous démoule un film complètement et désespérément tarte... il étale sa merdasse romantico-pleurnicharde sur deux bonnes heures qu'il n'hésite pas à bourrer de guimauve avariée... Il rajoute et surajoute un gros paquet de clichés qu'il balance n'importe comment, puis il engage une actrice expérimentée qui va se pâmer sur le grand Clint puis regretter le grand Clint, encore trop merveilleusement séduisant en jeune papy... ou en pépé pas encore trop fossilisé.

Pendant ce temps-là qui est très long, on ne sait plus si on doit rire de dépit ou s'auto-flageller, le film étant lui-même une auto-flagellation à tenter de regarder : une niaiserie lente mais très concentrée qui s'insinue dans nos veines et nous fait mourir d'ennui. En vérité, devant un tel "film", une telle "oeuvre", toute la collection Harlequin est partie en auto-combustion...

C'est donc ici une chose atroce, atrocement niaise et dégoulinante, interdite par la Convention de Genève... même pour faire parler les prisonniers (trop de cervelles qui implosaient).… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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43	#43 Best Movie of 1995
37	#37 Most Discussed Movie of 1995
24	#24 Most Shared Movie of 1995