Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990)

80% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
45% of users liked it
(1,266 ratings)

Mr. and Mrs. Bridge (played by real-life "Mr. and Mrs." Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward) are well-to-do residents of Kansas City in the 1940s. So far as the Bridges are concerned, however, it's the 1920s, with Mr. Bridge treating his wife like property, regarding his grown children as if they're… More Mr. and Mrs. Bridge (played by real-life "Mr. and Mrs." Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward) are well-to-do residents of Kansas City in the 1940s. So far as the Bridges are concerned, however, it's the 1920s, with Mr. Bridge treating his wife like property, regarding his grown children as if they're still adolescents, and habitually voting against that upstart Roosevelt. Though the underlying painfulness of such an archaic arrangement is never ignored, Mr. Bridges' obstinancy is for the most part amusing. The scene that seemed to please the audience most was the one in which Mr. Bridge orders Mrs. Bridge not to leave their table at their country club despite tornado warnings (they sit quietly in the deserted dining room while the building shakes and shudders). As for Mrs. Bridge, her "life" is totally defined by those around her--which in any other film would be a tragedy, but which here seems a logical extension of all that's gone before. Based on two separate novels by Evan S. Connell, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge is a rare excursion into Americana by the Ismail Merchant-James Ivory team. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 7 min.
Directed By: James Ivory
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Nov 23, 1990 Wide
On DVD: Feb 13, 2001
Studio: Miramax Films

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Great period character study with Newman and Woodward in very good form.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
Slow and lacking much drama, even by Merchant-Ivory standards, but the lead performances, especially by Newman, are impeccable.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
Excellent performances, uneventful story
Jon Niccum, Lawrence Journal-World
slow and distant
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Admirably portrays the different seasons in the long marriage of a Midwestern couple.

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

The Newmans acquit themselves well here especially Joanne Woodward but it all moves just a little too slow and several of the characters in particular their son are impossible to warm to.
Anthony V

Good performances, but very slow.

Cast

            Paul Newman as Walter Bridge

            Joanne Woodward as India Bridge

            Kyra Sedgwick as Ruth Bridge

            Blythe Danner as Grace Barron

            Margaret Welsh as Carolyn Bridge

            Simon Callow as Dr. Alex Sauer

            Robert Sean Leonard as Douglas Bridge (grown-up)

            Malachy McCourt as Dr. Forster

            Austin Pendleton as Mr. Gadbury

            Diane Kagan as Julia

            Saundra McClain as Harriet

            Gale Garnett as Mabel Ong

            Marcus Giamatti as Gil Davis

            Linden Ashby
            
            John Bell as Douglas Bridge as a Boy

            Roch Leibovici as Watch Seller on the Quai

            Robert Levine as Avrum Rhinegold

            Joanna Merlin
            
            Melissa Newman as Young India at the Pool

            Remak Ramsay as Virgil Barron

            Robyn Rosenfeld as Genevieve

            Hubert Saint-Macary as Copyist in the Louvre

            Al Christy as Judge

            Nora Denney as Second Bridge Player

            Richard Ross as Jazz Musician

            Tom Hall as Aztec Room Waiter
See full cast