Jefferson in Paris (1995)
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33% of critics liked it
(15 reviews) -
27% of users liked it
(1,218 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
- Directed By
- James Ivory
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Mar 31, 1995 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Aka the affairs of Jefferson. Handsome production.
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Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
Good idea, but Nolte is not believable as Jefferson.
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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Contains ample pleasures for those who appreciate subtlety and sophistication in their movie fare.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Nick Nolte
as Thomas Jefferson
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Greta Scacchi
as Maria Cosway
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Jean-Pierre Aumont
as D'Hancarville
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Simon Callow
as Richard Cosway
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Seth Gilliam
as James Hemings
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James Earl Jones
as Madison Hemings
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Michel Lonsdale
as Louis XVI
- Marisa Berenson
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Todd Boyce
as William Short
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Catherine Chevalier
as Lady in Court
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Tim Choate
as Reporter
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Stanislas Carre de Malberg
as Surgeon
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Thibault de Montalembert
as Assistant
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Charlotte de Turckheim
as Marie Antoinette
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Vernon Dobtcheff
as King's Translator
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Philippe Girard
as Post Office Spy
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Jacques Herlin
as Savant
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Herve Hiolle
as King's Messenger
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André Julien
as Savant
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Elizabeth Kaza
as Card Player
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Laure Killing
as Lady in Court
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Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu
as Head and Heart Game
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Nancy Marchand
as Abbesse
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Philippe Mareuil
as Liberal Aristocrat
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Daniel Mesguich
as Mesmer
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Thandie Newton
as Sally Hemings
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Gwyneth Paltrow
as Patsy Jefferson
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Jean-François Perrier
as Liberal Aristocrat
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Yvette Petit
as Dressmaker
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Martine Sarcey
as Head and Heart Game
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Christopher Thompson
as Interpreter
- Cicely Tyson
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Anthony Valentine
as British Ambassador
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Lambert Wilson
as Comte de Lafayette
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Beatrice Winde
as Mary Hemings
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Elsa Zylberstein
as Adrienne de Lafayette
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Humbert Balsan
as Mutilated Officer
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Ismail Merchant
as Tipoo Sultan's Ambassador
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Steve Kalfa
as Dr. Guillotin
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Bob Sessions
as James Byrd
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Nicolas Silberg
as Monsieur Petit
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Bruno Putzulu
as Liberal Aristocrat
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Catherine Samie
as Cook
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Vincent Cassel
as Camille Desmoulins
