Agatha (1979)

82% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
55% of users liked it
(189 ratings)

What happened when best-selling mystery novelist Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days back in 1926? The British Agatha "answers" that question. Vanessa Redgrave is cast as Ms. Christie, who vanished from her home not long after her husband (Timothy Dalton) informed her that he was leaving her.… More What happened when best-selling mystery novelist Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days back in 1926? The British Agatha "answers" that question. Vanessa Redgrave is cast as Ms. Christie, who vanished from her home not long after her husband (Timothy Dalton) informed her that he was leaving her. Nearly two weeks later, after being the subject of a nationwide search, Christie showed up none the worse for wear at a health spa in Yorkshire, insisting that she could remember nothing of her experiences during her disappearance. According to scriptwriters Kathleen Tynan and Arthur Hopcraft, Christie was located before her return by American reporter Wally Stanton (an uncomfortable-looking Dustin Hoffman), after enjoying a brief romantic fling with the authoress. The journalist decided to keep his discovery a secret. Another plot wrinkle concerns Christie's plan for revenge against her errant husband -- a scheme with all the earmarks of a Miss Marple or Poirot whodunit. Agatha represented former TV director Michael Apted's matriculation to A-pictures with major stars; he fared better with his subsequent endeavor, Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Michael Apted
Written By: Drama, Thriller, Biography
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Feb 9, 1979 Wide

Critic Reviews

Clint Morris, Moviehole
Hoffman at his best.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A curio item, an art film that wants to be commercial, this mild mystery (about Agatha Christie's disappearance) evoked expectations due to the high-caliber cast of tall Vanessa Redgrave and short Dustin Hoffman.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Fascinating drama with Hoffman and Redgrave.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Agatha is a visually rich movie filmed exquisitely by Vittorio Storro.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
The film has moments of absolutely breathtaking beauty that more than make up for any dramatic shortcomings. Occasionally the imagery actually becomes the drama.