Aberdeen (2000)

87% of critics liked it
(38 reviews)
76% of users liked it
(1,384 ratings)

Set in Norway and Scotland, Aberdeen is a road movie that is as concerned with the geography of the heart as that of a topographical map. Kaisa (Lena Headey) is an ambitious lawyer who has just celebrated her recent promotion by having dominant sex with a man whose name she has no interest in… More Set in Norway and Scotland, Aberdeen is a road movie that is as concerned with the geography of the heart as that of a topographical map. Kaisa (Lena Headey) is an ambitious lawyer who has just celebrated her recent promotion by having dominant sex with a man whose name she has no interest in learning. When her estranged mother, Helen (Charlotte Rampling), whom she hasn't been in contact with for a decade, calls her up to tell her that she is dying of cancer, Kaisa is faced with her mother's request to track down her divorced husband, Tomas (Stellan Skarsgard). A raging drunk, Tomas has been frequenting the pubs of Norway for a number of years, and Kaisa, after some initial hesitation, sets out for Oslo to find him. When she is finally reunited with Tomas, his drunkenness prevents them from being allowed on the flight back to Aberdeen, where her mother is hospitalized. Kaisa and Tomas embark on an overland journey that takes them across Norway and on a ferry to England, with Tomas drinking constantly and Kaisa discovering something that may be love with a self-effacing truck driver (Ian Hart). ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 53 min.
Directed By: Hans Petter Moland
Written By: Lars Bill Lundholm, Hans Petter Moland
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Aug 17, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Apr 23, 2002
Studio: First Run Features

Critic Reviews

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
Grips us precisely because its actors are so utterly absorbed in their roles, so unfettered and nakedly expressive.
Loren King, Boston Globe
An uncompromising family tale, one that's dark but lyrical and moving in its rendering of the ties that bind even the most dysfunctional families, despite valiant efforts to destroy them.
Kevin Maynard, Mr. Showbiz
[A] frank father-daughter drama.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
A raw, harrowing film with a streak of dark, sometimes rowdy humor.
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
Clean and transparent, with no movie director tricks.
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
A little European indie pic that digs down to the roots of its characters, describing people's lives and relationships in ways that resonate with clarity and heart.
F.X. Feeney, L.A. Weekly
Moland ... has a fine eye for landscapes, but an even surer touch with actors.
Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com
The movie is to be admired for refusing to romanticize alcoholism and for finding, in its bleak story, much humor and emotion.
Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide
Contrived or not, anything that stirs raw emotions as Aberdeen does is worth a viewing.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A gripping film about the tattered ties of familial love that matter even to ferociously wayward and addicted individuals.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
A strangely lyrical tale of addiction and family distance.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
A splendid package from First Run Features for a little-seen gem perhaps best savored on a rainy, introspective day.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
Evokes the long, lonesome noir tableaux of American painter Edward Hopper.
Arthur Lazere, culturevulture.net
The acting alone can't fill the motivational gaps.
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Hans Petter Moland avoids the usual movie cliches of addiction and abuse in his fierce, discomforting portraits...
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
The material is treated with such brutal honesty and the performances are so strong that it actually makes what should be stale material look fresh.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
For all its attempts at bending the rules, Aberdeen still comes off as frustratingly conventional.
Kim Morgan, Oregonian
It's a twisted, very human ride where the remarkable, effortless acting of both Headey and Skarsgard is rich with sympathy, heartbreak and morbid humor.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Miraculously manages to sidestep easy manipulation.

Read all 19 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Film C

well acted but i hated the storyline it was pointless, strange and just tidious to watch after a while!
♥˩ƳИИ &

Cast: Stellan Skarsgård, Lena Headey, Charlotte Rampling, Ian Hart, Louise Goodall, Jason Hetherington, Jean Anderson, Kate Lynn Evans, John Killoran, John Harwood, Fergus McLarnon Director: Hans Petter Moland Summary: Kaisa (Lena Headey), a beautiful and feisty Scottish woman,… More
Cast: Stellan Skarsgård, Lena Headey, Charlotte Rampling, Ian Hart, Louise Goodall, Jason Hetherington, Jean Anderson, Kate Lynn Evans, John Killoran, John Harwood, Fergus McLarnon Director: Hans Petter Moland Summary: Kaisa (Lena Headey), a beautiful and feisty Scottish woman, finally has her life together - at least until her mother (Charlotte Rampling) asks an enormous favor: to bring back to her Kaisa's estranged, larger-than-life father (Stellan Skarsgard). The two of them, father and daughter together, set out on a wild, brutally funny yet heartbreaking journey, which takes them through their emotional past before reaching their ultimate destination. My Thoughts: "I was adding movies to my 'instant watch' que on netflix, when I accidently pushed play on this film. I was going to stop it, but thought, "why not?" It was in the end, a happy accident. The movie was a real surprise, and I enjoyed the film. It's quite dark, but acted out brilliantly by Stellan Skarsgard and Lena Headey. Their performances are what made this a four star film for me. There was just so much hurt and anger these characters. She hasn?t seen her father in fifteen years and wants no relationship with either parent. But in the end, shw gives in to her mothers wishes and that is where the journey begins for her and her estranged alcoholic father. Aberdeen is not particularly a pleasant film. In fact, at times it?s difficult to watch. It's an honest film, and Skargard plays his character so well. He is truly a great actor. Great film.. Give it a watch."
Daisy M

<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i29.tinypic.com/ixguwl.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> A dying mom asked her daughter to bring her alcoholic father from… More
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i29.tinypic.com/ixguwl.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> A dying mom asked her daughter to bring her alcoholic father from Norway to Aberdeen Scotland, so she can see them before she dies. Stellan Skarsgard played the alcoholic father with low self-esteem and Lena Headey, as Kaisa, their daughter. The road trip did not go so smooth, but had some violent and funny moments. But the whole story got sweet and touchy as Kaisa and Tomas learn to understand and even love each other. It's a good movie directed by Hans Petter Moland and extremely well-acted by Stellan Skarsgard and Lena Headey.