Crimes of the Heart

Crimes of the Heart (1986)

  • 81% of critics liked it
    (21 reviews)

  • 54% of users liked it
    (2,652 ratings)

Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Beth Henley (who also penned the screenplay), Crimes of the Heart stars three high-powered actresses as three high-strung sisters. Lenny (Diane Keaton), Meg (Jessica Lange) and Babe (Sissy Spacek) gather at Lenny's deep-South home for her birthday.… More

Play Trailer

PG-13,
Directed By
Genres
Drama, Comedy
In Theaters
Dec 12, 1986 Wide
On DVD
Feb 3, 2004
De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)

Critic Reviews

  • Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times

    It is excruciating: a combination of Beth Henley's insistently eccentric screenplay, Bruce Beresford's frenzied direction and the sight of three singular talents on an acting roller coaster with no one riding the brakes.

  • , Time Out

    Beresford fails to generate sufficient chemistry to bind the performances. Occasional bursts of delicious tragic humour nevertheless make this a not unlikeable 'feminist' mood piece.

  • Vincent Canby, New York Times

    [It] has the dubious distinction of calling attention to just about everything the play isn't, and was never meant to be.

  • Paul Attanasio, Washington Post

    As Spacek, Lange and Keaton clamor for attention, "Crimes of the Heart" becomes less a movie than a three-ring circus, and ringmaster Beresford does little to direct your gaze.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    There are moments when the movie doesn't seem to know where it's going, but for once that's a good thing because the uncertainty almost always ends with some kind of a delightful, weird surprise.

Read all 16 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

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

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

Featured Audience Ratings

  • jay n


    quirky in both a good and bad way

  • ashley h


    I was really expecting alot more from this because I love the 3 stars,but it just wasn't quire there. There are some very funny parts and I enjoyed their interaction,but there needed to be more story.

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