Rating: R
Genre: Comedy Drama
Theatrical Release: 06/12/1998(USA)
Release Date: 12/22/1998
SubTitles: Espanol/English
Dubbed: English
Sound: 2
Run Time: 110 Minutes
Flags: Adult Situations, Adult Humor, Sexual Situations
Distributor/Studio: 20th Century Fox

Acclaimed theater director Des McAnuff made his feature-film directorial debut with this period comedy-drama adapted from Honore de Balzac's novel La Cousine Bette (1846) about a jealous and bitter spinster who attempts to destroy the romance between her niece and a Polish sculptor. In Paris of the 1840s, spinster Bette Fisher (Jessica Lange) steps in to "take care" of her relatives after a decline in the Hulot family fortunes, mainly due to wastrel Hector Hulot (Hugh Laurie). After penniless sculptor Wenceslas Steinbach (Aden Young) marries Hector's daughter, Hortense (Kelly Macdonald), Bette schemes and plots, drawing Hector's mistress, music-hall star Jenny Cadine (Elisabeth Shue), into her web by arranging for wealthy Cesar Crevel (Bob Hoskins) to become Jenny's benefactor. Filmed at locations in and around Bordeaux. Shown at the 1998 Seattle Film Festival.

~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

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Cast:
Jessica Lange - Bette Fisher
Elisabeth Shue - Jenny Cadine
Bob Hoskins - Cesar Crevel
Hugh Laurie - Baron Hector Hulot
Kelly MacDonald - Hortense Hulot
Aden Young - Count Wenceslas Steinbach
Geraldine Chaplin - Adeline Hulot
Toby Stephens - Victorin Hulot
John Sessions - Musical Director

Production:
Des McAnuff - Director
Sarah Radclyffe - Producer
Philippe Guez - Co Producer
Simon Boswell - Composer
Barry Alexander Brown Tariq Anwar - Editor
Lynn Siefert Susan Tarr - Screen Writer
Robert Le Corre - Set Designer
Didier Naert - Art Director
Neris Thomas - Associate Producer
Rodney Liber - Associate Producer
Karen Margiotta - Casting
Liora Reich - Casting
Mary Margiotta - Casting
Jane Gibson - Choreography
Andrzej Sekula - Cinematographer
Gabriella Pescucci - Costume Designer
Lynn Siefert - Executive Producer
Rob Scheidlinger - Executive Producer
Susan Tarr - Executive Producer
Eric Bartonio - First Assistant Director
Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski - Production Designer
Drew Kunin - Sound/Sound Designer
Honoré de Balzac - Book Author

Dangerous Liaisons
    Glenn Close / R / 1988
The Advocate
    Colin Firth / R / 1993
The Affair of the Necklace
    Hilary Swank / R / 2001
Ridicule
    Charles Berling / R / 1996
Valmont [WS]
    Colin Firth / R / 1989
The Golden Bowl
    Uma Thurman / R / 2000