Out of Africa

Out of Africa (1985)

  • 63% of critics liked it
    (32 reviews)

  • 83% of users liked it
    (38,317 ratings)

Out of Africa is drawn from the life and writings of Danish author Isak Dinesen, who during the time that the film's events occured was known by her married name, Karen Blixen-Flecke. For convenience's sake, Karen (Meryl Streep) has married Baron Bor Blixen-Flecke (Klaus Maria Brandauer). In 1914,… More

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PG, 2 hr. 41 min.
Directed By
Sydney Pollack
Written By
Kurt Luedtke
Genres
Drama, Romance
In Theaters
Dec 18, 1985 Wide
On DVD
Jan 29, 2002
Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

    Out of Africa is, at last, the free-spirited, fullhearted gesture that everyone has been waiting for the movies to make all decade long. It reclaims the emotional territory that is rightfully theirs.

  • Joe Bigelow, Variety

    Maybe the problem of the pacing is simply the nature of the beast these days with expensive period pieces. Once the difficult details are all in place, it may be too much to expect a director to resist milking every scene for more than it's worth.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    Sydney Pollack applies craftsmanship and restraint to a classic plot curve of longing, fulfillment, and loss, and although the denouement is a bit overextended, he never yields to facile, insistent sentimentality -- his effects are honestly won.

  • Vincent Canby, New York Times

    With the exception of Miss Streep's performance, the pleasures of Out of Africa are all peripheral -- David Watkin's photography, the landscapes, the shots of animal life -all of which would fit neatly into a National Geographic layout.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    Out of Africa is a great movie to look at, breathtakingly filmed on location. It is a movie with the courage to be about complex, sweeping emotions, and to use the star power of its actors without apology.

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

  • Thomas B


    Incredible in so many ways. Full review later.

  • Chris W


    The Academy certainly loves the Prestige Picture, don't they? This film filled that niche in 1985, and it was decided that this was the film that should take home the big awards that night. Some of them are deserved, don't get me wrong, but I think this film is just really… More

  • Red L


    I saw this again today -- mind you for the first time since joining Flixster. It is a good movie. Keeps you interested, good story, good acting, good scenery. Interesting that it is based on a true story. This movie features a strong-willed woman who makes the decisions in a… More

  • Daniel M


    Hollywood is a sucker for romantic epics. Long after the genre reached its peak, studios have made quick money by putting two big stars together and leaving them in the middle of nowhere. In the aftermath of Heaven's Gate, you would have thought that filmmakers had learnt their… More

  • Jeremy S


    Confirms Meryl Streep as greatest actress of modern times.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

See full cast

Trailers & Clips

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