Jefferson in Paris (1995)

33% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
28% of users liked it
(1,183 ratings)

Best known for their historical epics that examine class and social issues in British life through a thick lens of tasteful production design and good manners, director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant set their sights on an American protagonist for a change with Jefferson in Paris. As the… More Best known for their historical epics that examine class and social issues in British life through a thick lens of tasteful production design and good manners, director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant set their sights on an American protagonist for a change with Jefferson in Paris. As the title suggests, Jefferson in Paris deals with the five years that Thomas Jefferson (Nick Nolte) spent as U.S. ambassador to France prior to the French Revolution; while Jefferson is sympathetic to the revolutionary forces in France, he's become well enough acquainted with the ruling aristocracy that he finds himself torn between the two sides of the issue. Jefferson, a recent widower, also becomes friends with Maria Cosway (Greta Scacchi), who is married to a foppish British artist; while it's obvious the two are in love, neither is in a position to do anything about their infatuation. And while Jefferson's daughter Patsy (Gwyneth Paltrow) loves her father, she's very upset with him when he sends her to a convent school. In this midst of this personal turmoil, Jefferson's younger daughter Polly (Estelle Eonnet) arrives in Paris, with her slave Sally Hemmings (Thandie Newton) in tow. Attractive and bright (if uneducated), Sally catches Jefferson's eye, and a friendship develops that grows into something deeper; in time, Sally becomes pregnant, and her family claims that Jefferson is the father. At the time Jefferson In Paris was released, the question of Sally Hemmings' relationship with Thomas Jefferson was a matter of lively historical debate; since then, genetic evidence has shown that, while Jefferson's paternity can't be proved beyond a doubt, it is likely that he did father children with Hemmings. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 16 min.
Directed By: James Ivory
Genres: Drama, Romance

In Theaters: Mar 31, 1995 Wide
On DVD: Apr 6, 2004

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Aka the affairs of Jefferson. Handsome production.
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
Good idea, but Nolte is not believable as Jefferson.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Contains ample pleasures for those who appreciate subtlety and sophistication in their movie fare.

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Cast

            Nick Nolte as Thomas Jefferson

            Greta Scacchi as Maria Cosway

            Jean-Pierre Aumont as D'Hancarville

            Simon Callow as Richard Cosway

            Seth Gilliam as James Hemings

            James Earl Jones as Madison Hemings

            Michel Lonsdale as Louis XVI

            Marisa Berenson
            
            Todd Boyce as William Short

            Catherine Chevalier as Lady in Court

            Tim Choate as Reporter

            Stanislas Carre de Malberg as Surgeon

            Thibault de Montalembert as Assistant

            Charlotte de Turckheim as Marie Antoinette

            Vernon Dobtcheff as King's Translator

            Philippe Girard as Post Office Spy

            Jacques Herlin as Savant

            Herve Hiolle as King's Messenger

            André Julien as Savant

            Elizabeth Kaza as Card Player

            Laure Killing as Lady in Court

            Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as Head and Heart Game

            Nancy Marchand as Abbesse

            Philippe Mareuil as Liberal Aristocrat

            Daniel Mesguich as Mesmer

            Thandie Newton as Sally Hemings

            Gwyneth Paltrow as Patsy Jefferson

            Jean-François Perrier as Liberal Aristocrat

            Yvette Petit as Dressmaker

            Martine Sarcey as Head and Heart Game

            Christopher Thompson as Interpreter

            Cicely Tyson
            
            Anthony Valentine as British Ambassador

            Lambert Wilson as Comte de Lafayette

            Beatrice Winde as Mary Hemings

            Elsa Zylberstein as Adrienne de Lafayette

            Humbert Balsan as Mutilated Officer

            Ismail Merchant as Tipoo Sultan's Ambassador

            Steve Kalfa as Dr. Guillotin

            Bob Sessions as James Byrd

            Nicolas Silberg as Monsieur Petit

            Bruno Putzulu as Liberal Aristocrat

            Catherine Samie as Cook

            Vincent Cassel as Camille Desmoulins
See full cast

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