Cookie's Fortune

Cookie's Fortune (1999)

  • 86% of critics liked it
    (56 reviews)

  • 57% of users liked it
    (6,672 ratings)

Robert Altman directed this bittersweet ensemble piece about an eccentric and entangled group of family and friends living in the Deep South. Jewel Mae "Cookie" Orcutt (Patricia Neal) is the widowed matriarch of a small-town Mississippi family, which includes her nieces Camille (Glenn Close), a… More

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PG-13, 1 hr. 58 min.
Directed By
Robert Altman
Written By
Anne Rapp
Genres
Drama, Comedy
In Theaters
Apr 2, 1999 Wide
On DVD
May 1, 2001
USA Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

  • Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

    Most of what transpires is low-key, affectionate comedy and a fair amount of fun.

  • Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

    Cookie's Fortune is a wittily diagrammed portrait of a small town shaken to its roots by this deceptive calamity. The movie, though, never really becomes more than a diagram.

  • Todd McCarthy, Variety

    The deceptively modest Cookie's Fortune may or not be Robert Altman's best film in years, but it is certainly his most pleasurable.

  • James Berardinelli, ReelViews

    This movie delivers agreeable performances and a charming, amusing story that offers little in the way of substance.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    Cookie's Fortune is Robert Altman's sunniest film, a warm-hearted comedy that somehow manages to deal with death and murder charges without even containing a real villain.

Read all 19 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Steven C


    "Cookie's Fortune" is a sharp, dazzling dark comedy from Robert Altman. Anne Rapp's screenplay both captures the essence of small town life and character as well as satirizes it. The 'murder' mystery centerpiece is clever, funny and unique. Punctuated by… More

  • Sunil J


    Nothing amazing but a solid small town dramedy/mystery that's well acted and amusing. I haven't seen most of Altman's work before but this seems very much his style from what I've seen.

  • Ina S


    This isn't Altman's best, but having said that Altman is also easily one of my favourite directors - so even when he is not at his best, he never fails to entertain. And entertaining this is, a quirky, very Southern comedy with endearing characters. Julianne Moore is… More

  • Leo L


    A favorite!

  • FanGirl B


    Nice, charming lttle comedy.

Cast

See full cast

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