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The Whales of August

The Whales of August

Drama · 1987

Two aged sisters reflect on life and the past during a late summer day in Maine.

Movie details

The Whales of August

“The Screen's Immortals... A movie you'll never forget.”

1987 Drama 1h 30m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

Two aged sisters reflect on life and the past during a late summer day in Maine.

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 The Whales of August?

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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Daddy Longlegs

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After months of living a solitary existence, Lenny, 34, picks up his kids from school. Every year he spends a couple of weeks with his sons Sage, 9, and Frey, 7. Lenny hosts his kids within a midtown studio apartment in New York. During these two weeks, he must figure out if he wants to act as their father or be their friend. Ultimately, their trip upstate results in complete lawlessness taking over their lives.

The Winter Guest

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Skin

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Lindsay Anderson

Written by

David Berry

Bette Davis

Bette Davis

Libby Strong

Lillian Gish

Lillian Gish

Sarah Webber

Vincent Price

Vincent Price

Mr. Maranov

Ann Sothern

Ann Sothern

Tisha Doughty

Harry Carey Jr.

Harry Carey Jr.

Joshua Brackett

Margaret Ladd

Margaret Ladd

Young Libby

Mary Steenburgen

Mary Steenburgen

Young Sarah

Court is in session

Put The Whales of August 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.