The Portrait of a Lady (film)



The Portrait of a Lady is a 1996 film adaptation of Henry James's novel The Portrait of a Lady directed by Jane Campion.

The film stars Nicole Kidman, Barbara Hershey, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Martin Donovan, Shelley Duvall, Richard E. Grant, Shelley Winters, Viggo Mortensen, Valentina Cervi, Christian Bale, and John Gielgud.

Premise
The film tells the story of Isabel Archer (Kidman), an innocent young woman of independent means who is manipulated by her "friend" Madame Merle (Hershey) and the devious Gilbert Osmond (Malkovich).

Cast

 * Nicole Kidman as Isabel Archer
 * John Malkovich as Gilbert Osmond
 * Barbara Hershey as Madame Serena Merle
 * Mary-Louise Parker as Henrietta Stackpole
 * Martin Donovan as Ralph Touchett
 * Shelley Winters as Mrs. Touchett
 * John Gielgud as Mr. Touchett
 * Shelley Duvall as Countess Gemini
 * Richard E. Grant as Lord Warburton
 * Viggo Mortensen as Caspar Goodwood
 * Christian Bale as Edward Rosier
 * Valentina Cervi as Pansy Osmond
 * Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Bob Bantling

Reception
The Portrait of a Lady received mixed reviews from critics, as it holds a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 28 reviews.

Awards
The film was released in 1996 and won several awards for costuming, screenplay, as well as acting awards for Hershey and Donovan. It was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (Barbara Hershey) and Best Costume Design. (Janet Patterson)

Home media
On December 11, 2012, Shout! Factory released The Portrait Of A Lady: Special Edition on DVD and Blu-ray.