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Format: VHS
Sep 1995
Rated PG-13
Recording Mode: Stereo
Sound: Stereo, HiFi
Closed Captioned
139 min.
UPC: 786936470833 |
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* ML=ships from multiple locations, AE/AP/AA=ships from U.S. Military location.
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Movie Description
From Merchant Ivory Productions, director James Ivory brings to the screen the story of statesman and Declaration of Independence author Thomas Jefferson (Nick Nolte). The film takes place during the five years Jefferson lived in pre-revolutionary Paris, serving as the American ambassador to France prior to the fall of the Bastille in 1789. JEFFERSON IN PARIS focuses, however, on the personal side of his time there. A widower, he meets beautiful Anglo-Italian artist Maria Cosway (Greta Scacchi), whom he starts to court. When his slave's sister, Sally Hemings (Thandie Newton), joins the family in Paris, Jefferson also begins a relationship with her that would last for many years and would produce, arguably, many children. This passionate affair with his African-descended slave has been the subject of many historical debates and is thought-provokingly rendered in this period drama. Gwyneth Paltrow also stars as Jefferson's daughter, Patsy.
Synopsis
JEFFERSON IN PARIS depicts historical statesman Thomas Jefferson's 5-year ambassadorship in pre-revolutionary France where he not only begins a relationship with the married Maria Cosway, but also engages in a passionate affair with his black slave, Sally Hemings, who becomes pregnant with his child. The film is a fascinating interpretation of a relationship in Jefferson's life of which the historical details are widely debated; it stars Nick Nolte as Jefferson and Thandie Newton as Hemings.
Film Notes
Theatrical release: April 7, 1995.
JEFFERSON IN PARIS was filmed on location in Paris, France.
Thomas Jefferson became the American ambassador to France in 1784, succeeding another famous statesman, Benjamin Franklin.
Ivory has said that when the film premiered in 1995, many people in the press condemned it for being inaccurate. However, since then it has become believed that DNA studies prove Jefferson to be the father of at least one of Hemings’s children.
Industry Reviews
"...[A] customarily sterling job in capturing the opulent detail..."
Travers
"...Paltrow is captivating as one of the story's most intriguing figures..."
Variety - Todd McCarthy (03/27/1995)
"...An extraordinary spectacle....The rare contemporary film that's both entertainment and an education..."
New York Times - Janet Maslin (03/31/1995)
"...The look of the past has been beautifully re-created with great care..."
Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan (03/31/1995)
"...[The] décor and costuming are meticulous..."
Sight and Sound - Michael Atkinson (06/01/1995)
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