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An Angel at My Table

An Angel at My Table

Drama · History · 1990

Based on the autobiographical work of New Zealand writer Janet Frame, this production depicts the author at various stage of her life. Afflicted with mental and emotional issues, Frame grows up in an impoverished family and experiences numerous tragedies while still in her youth, including the deaths of two of her siblings. Portrayed as an adult by Kerry Fox, Frame finds acclaim for her writing while still in a mental institution, and her success helps her move on with her life.

Movie details

An Angel at My Table

“Based on the autobiographies of Janet Frame”

1990 Drama · History 2h 38m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

7.4 / 10

9.1K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

96 %

Tomatometer

Metacritic

79 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

Based on the autobiographical work of New Zealand writer Janet Frame, this production depicts the author at various stage of her life. Afflicted with mental and emotional issues, Frame grows up in an impoverished family and experiences numerous tragedies while still in her youth, including the deaths of two of her siblings. Portrayed as an adult by Kerry Fox, Frame finds acclaim for her writing while still in a mental institution, and her success helps her move on with her life.

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 An Angel at My Table?

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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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Jane Campion

Written by

Laura Jones

Kerry Fox

Kerry Fox

Janet Frame

Alexia Keogh

Alexia Keogh

Janet Frame as a child

K

Karen Fergusson

Janet Frame as a teenager

I

Iris Churn

Mother

J

Jessie Mune

Janet Frame as a baby

Kevin J. Wilson

Kevin J. Wilson

Father

E

Edith Campion

Miss Lindsay

Court is in session

Put An Angel at My Table on trial.

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

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.