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Shadowlands

Shadowlands

Drama · Romance · 1993

C.S. Lewis, a world-renowned writer and professor, leads a passionless life until he meets spirited poet Joy Gresham.

Movie details

Shadowlands

“He distanced himself from love as he distanced himself from pain, until one woman got close enough to open his heart to the world.”

1993 Drama · Romance 2h 11m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

C.S. Lewis, a world-renowned writer and professor, leads a passionless life until he meets spirited poet Joy Gresham.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Shadowlands?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Richard Attenborough

Written by

William Nicholson

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins

C. S. 'Jack' Lewis

Debra Winger

Debra Winger

Joy Gresham

Edward Hardwicke

Edward Hardwicke

Warnie Lewis

John Wood

John Wood

Christopher Riley

Michael Denison

Michael Denison

Harry Harrington

Peter Firth

Peter Firth

Dr Craig

Matthew Delamere

Matthew Delamere

Simon Chadwick

Court is in session

Put Shadowlands on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.