Antonia (Antonia's Line) (1995)

64% of critics liked it
(25 reviews)
89% of users liked it
(5,991 ratings)

A strong-willed Dutch woman recalls her life in this uplifting picture that won the 1996 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Antonia (Willeke van Ammelrooy) is an elderly woman who wakes up one morning and realizes that this is the last day of her life. She begins to tell her story in… More A strong-willed Dutch woman recalls her life in this uplifting picture that won the 1996 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Antonia (Willeke van Ammelrooy) is an elderly woman who wakes up one morning and realizes that this is the last day of her life. She begins to tell her story in flashback, beginning with her arrival home to the family farm after World War II with her daughter, Danielle (Els Dottermans). For the next fifty years, a variety of colorful characters come and go on the farm. Danielle becomes a painter, and decides she wants a child but no husband, so Antonia arranges the proper donation. Danielle giving birth to Therese (Veerle van Overloop), who laters has her own child, Sarah (Thyrza Ravesteijn), also without virtue of a husband. Antonia and her descendants come to symbolize the freedom of independent females, with little need for men in their lives. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Marleen Gorris
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 12, 1995 Wide
On DVD: Oct 12, 1999
Studio: BMG

Critic Reviews

Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle
Odd feminist fun.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Here is female empowerment as you've never seen it on screen before, with the narrative daring to make no compromises at all.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Written and directed with quirky charm by Marleen Gorris.
Tom Keogh, Film.com
Pleasant, if too-precious.
John Teegarden, Film.com
This is the rare film that does actually succeed in suggesting the experience of a lifetime.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Gorris has fashioned a rare and wonderful world capable of provoking both laughter and tears -- sometimes at the same time.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Harsh and gentle, sensual and intellectual, wise-ass and heartfelt -- it's a full package.
John Wirt, Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)
An amateurish, self-conscious film with a ham-fisted message.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Can women live happily without men? This is the question posed by the Dutch director Marleen Gorris in her idealized feminist fairytale about one independently minded woman and her family.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A wonderfully eccentric film about the high value of feminine friendship, independence, intuition, and solidarity.
Shlomo Schwartzberg, Boxoffice Magazine
If only Gorris ... had pandered less to her audience.
Brian Gorman, Jam! Movies
A little movie with an enormous heart.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jan Marc M

Antonia's Line is a quirky and whimsical story of Antonia with themes on love, family, and community that also gently explores topics on feminism and independence. Emotionally engaging, pleasant, and precious masterpiece. Remarkable.
Jim H

A woman recalls her entire adult life on her deathbed. This film is way too expository, relying almost solely on narration to tell the story. It's not really a film because it uses almost none of the elements inherent to film; rather, it's a short novel with pictures and… More
A woman recalls her entire adult life on her deathbed. This film is way too expository, relying almost solely on narration to tell the story. It's not really a film because it uses almost none of the elements inherent to film; rather, it's a short novel with pictures and actors. A perfect example of the film's flaws is the impact of the second rape scene. Out of the blue, we hear that a character has been raped, and then we see Antonia's response to it, taking a gun and kicking the rapist out of town. But this sequence, ripe with emotional resonance, has almost no impact on the audience because there wasn't an adequate set-up, so that we can feel suspense and fear for the victim, and there wasn't any visual, graphic or implied, that allowed us to see the result of the crime. The sequence becomes mere Cliff's Notes, and the same problem pervades the entire film. And the titular character is almost a minor role. I'm surprised that the film didn't center around her and the other interesting character, "Crooked Finger," more. Overall, <i>Antonia's Line</i> is like the connective tissue of a Victorian novel, over-narrated, maudlin, and unspecific.

Cast

            Willeke van Ammelrooy as Antonia

            Els Dottermans
            
            Jan Decleir as Farmer Bas

            Marina De Graaf as Deedee

            Mil Seghers
            
            Jan Steen as Loony Lips

            Reinout Bussemaker as Simon

            Hans Kesting as Blacksmith

            Michaël Pas as Janne

            Lineke Rijxman as Narrator

            Catherine ten Bruggencate as Malle Madonna

            Hans Man in't Veld as Professor

            Victor Löw as Harry

            Margo Dames as ThÃ©rÃ¨se

            Dora van der Groen as Allegonde

            Filip Peeters as Pitte

            Truus Te Selle as Ma GÃ©

            Erik de Bruyn as Arend

            Petra Laseur as Mother Theodora

            Paul R. Kooij as Protestant

            Jakob Beks as Farmer Daan

            Pieter Callens as Farmer Bas's Other Child

            Igor Corbeau as Simon 13 Years

            Daniel Dailly as Farmer Bas's Other Child

            Elsie de Brauw as Lara

            Sarah De Ceuleer as Letta's Other Child

            Christophe De Laere as Letta's Other Child

            Jenne Decleir as Farmer Bas's Other Child

            Ilse Dense as Letta's Other Child

            Ellen Dikker as Muisje

            Flip Filz as Chaplain

            Johan Heldenbergh as Tom

            Leo Hogenboom as Priest

            Christophe Horemans as Farmer Bas's Other Child

            Jeroen Huysmans as Letta's Other Child

            Barbara Maes as Letta's Other Child

            Tamara Maes as Letta's Other Child

            Gabriella Martinson as Letta's Other Child

            Cederic Missine as Muisje's Child

            Kristel Olejniejoh as Letta's Other Child

            Charlène Pottevin as Deedee's Child

            Eddy Praet as Farmer Bas's Other Child

            Stijn Rabaey as Muisje's Child

            Thyrza Ravesteijn as Sarah

            Gilles Robertino as Letta's Other Child

            Antoon Schotsaert as Farmer Bas's Other Child

            Manon Sodderland as Picture of Maria

            Carolien Spoor as ThÃ©rÃ¨se 6 Years

            Jesse Tomballe as Letta's Other Child

            Menno Tomballe as Letta's Other Child

            Carlo Van Dam as Simon 6 Years

            Adriaan Van Den Hoof as Farmer Bas's Other Child

            Michel van Dousselaere as Blacksmith

            Gilles Van Durme as Letta's Other Child

            Daisy Van Laer as Letta's Other Child

            Dorien Van Laer as Letta's Other Child

            Veerle van Overloop as ThÃ©rÃ¨se

            Tine Vanhoucke as Muisje's Child

            Aurelie Verstraeten as Letta's Other Child

            Jascha Vervoort as Farmer Bas's Other Child

            Esther Vriesendorp as ThÃ©rÃ¨se 13 Years

            Wimie Wilhelm as Letta

            Nicky Wolfs as Letta's Other Child

            Dirk Zeelenberg as Pier

            Fran Waller Zeper as Olga

            Gosewijn Zwanikken as Picture of Jesus
See full cast