Story of movie Henry %26 June :
Henry & June is a 1990 American biographical drama film directed by Philip Kaufman, and starring Fred Ward, Maria de Medeiros, and Uma Thurman. It is loosely based on Anaïs Nin's French book of the same name, and tells the story of Nin's relationship with Henry Miller and his wife, June.
| Henry & June | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Philip Kaufman |
| Produced by | Peter Kaufman |
| Written by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot |
| Edited by |
|
Production company | Walrus & Associates |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 136 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $23.5 million |
The film was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 63rd Academy Awards. It is one of three NC-17 films to receive Oscar nominations; the other films are Wild at Heart (1990) and Requiem for a Dream (2000).
Screenplay
Paris, France in 1931. Anaïs Nin is in a stable relationship with her husband Hugo, but longs for more out of life. When Nin first meets Henry Miller, he is working on his first novel. Nin is drawn to Miller and his wife June, as well as their bohemian lifestyle. Nin becomes involved in the couple's tormented relationship, having an affair with Miller and also pursuing June. Ultimately, Nin helps Miller to publish his novel, Tropic of Cancer, but catalyzes the Millers' separation, while she returns to Hugo.
- Fred Ward as Henry Miller
- Uma Thurman as June Miller
- Maria de Medeiros as Anaïs Nin
- Richard E. Grant as Hugo
- Kevin Spacey as Richard Osborn
- Jean-Philippe Écoffey as Eduardo Sanchez (credit spelt as Ecoffey)
- Maurice Escargot (Gary Oldman) as Pop
- Artus de Penguern as Brassaï
- Liz Hasse as Jean
- Brigitte Lahaie as Henry's prostitute
- Féodor Atkine as Francisco Miralles Arnau
The soundtrack was arranged by Mark Adler, consisting of period popular songs.
Henry & June was the first film to receive the MPAA's rating of NC-17 (Predator 2 originally received this rating, but was cut to qualify for an R rating) which was devised as a replacement for the X rating. NC-17 was intended to signify serious, non-pornographic films with more violence or (especially) sexual content than would qualify for an R rating. The inclusion of the postcard Nin views at the start of the film (which is of Hokusai's The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife), and some scenes of le Bal des Beaux Arts contributed to the NC-17 rating.
The film was given a more lenient M rating in Australia and an uncut 18 in the UK. Conversely, it was banned in South Africa. The ban has since been lifted. The film was given an R18 rating in New Zealand.
Box office
Henry & June grossed $11,567,449 in the domestic market and $11,905,000 internationally for a worldwide total of $23,472,449.
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B-, but felt that, "Kaufman, trying to deepen the erotic explorations of Unbearable Lightness, ends up with a triangle movie that’s watchable but also arty and rather stilted. The biggest disappointment of the film is that, after all the ratings brouhaha, it’s not very sexy." Janet Maslin of The New York Times noted the film's efforts to present sex in a more artistic, highbrow manner, remarking, "The film's sex scenes, photographed delicately by Philippe Rousselot and directed with great intensity by Mr. Kaufman, are particularly lofty. These sequences, often tinged with symbolism (a hand playing a guitar juxtaposed with a hand on a woman's breast), tend to be self-consciously bold," but felt the film lacked daring.
The film has a 60% approval rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes.
- Nudity in film
