Sommersby
1993 · Movie · PG-13 · 109 min · ★ 6.4 · 65% critics
In the post–Civil War South, a woman struggles to keep her farm afloat after her husband is presumed dead. When a man returns claiming to be him—changed in ways that seem almost too good to be true—old wounds reopen, neighbors grow suspicious, and a tender new bond forms under the shadow of doubt.
Based on The Return of Martin Guerre
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Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1993
- Release date
- 1993-02-05
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Critic score
- 65/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.4/10 (426 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a slow-burn romance wrapped in an identity mystery and moral pressure, with courtroom tension later on; Not for you if you need airtight realism or fast pacing—try What Lies Beneath for a more overt mystery vibe.
Pros: engaging identity mystery; strong lead performances; emotional romantic pull | Cons: slow start for some; believability gaps; uneven pacing shifts
Themes
- husband wife relationship
- court case
- war veteran
- ku klux klan
- southern usa
- village life
- return
- peasant
- suspicion of murder
- gallows
- violent husband
- death sentence
- +9 more
Cast & crew
Jodie Foster
as Laurel Sommersby
Richard Gere
as John Robert Sommersby / Horace Townsend
Bill Pullman
as Orin Meecham
James Earl Jones
as Judge Barry Conrad Issacs
Lanny Flaherty
as Buck
William Windom
as Reverend Powell
- WW
Wendell Wellman
as Travis
- BK
Brett Kelley
as Little Rob
Clarice Taylor
as Esther
Frankie Faison
as Joseph
Directed by Jon Amiel