Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Release Date: 08/19/2003
SubTitles: English
Dubbed: English
Sound: DD2
Run Time: 122 Minutes
Flags: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children
Distributor/Studio: Merchant Ivory

Adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala from the novel by Henry James, Merchant/Ivory's The Bostonians is set among the Back Bay uppercrust of the 19th century. Basil Ransom (Christopher Reeve), bored by his opulent lifestyle and his "proper" friends, is fascinated by his cousin, outspoken suffragette Olive Chancellor (Vanessa Redgrave). Basil and Olive's mutual friend is likeable, gregarious Verena Tannant (Madeleine Potter). Soon a triangle develops, albeit an unorthodox one: Basil and Olive both find themselves pursuing Verena, Basil because he is in love with her, and Olive because she wants to exploit Verena's social connections and gift for public speaking to promote her own political ideology. Lurking in the background is Verena's true love, poor-but-honest attorney Henry Burrage (John Van Ness).

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Cast:
Christopher Reeve - Basil Ransome
Vanessa Redgrave - Olive Chancellor
Madeleine Potter - Verena Tarrant
Jessica Tandy - Miss Birdseye
Nancy Marchand - Mrs. Burrage
Wesley Addy - Dr. Tarrant
Linda Hunt - Dr. Prance
Nancy New - Mrs. Adeline Luna
Wallace Shawn - Mr. Pardon
Maura Moynihan - Henrietta Stackpole
Martha Farrar - Mrs. Farrinder

Production:
James Ivory - Director
Connie Kaiserman Michael S. Landes Ismail Merchant Al Schwartz - Producer
Richard Robbins - Composer
Mark Potter Katherine Wenning - Editor
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala - Screen Writer
Richard Elton - Set Designer
Walter Lassally - Cinematographer
Jenny Beavan - Costume Designer
John Bright - Costume Designer
Leo Austin - Production Designer
Ray Beckett - Sound/Sound Designer
Henry James - Book Author

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