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American Pastoral
2016 108 min Hong Kong, United States of America R 18+
★5.5
Crime, Drama
Director: Ewan McGregor
🎭 Based on
«American Pastoral»
byPhilip Roth
Trailers
Description
Set in postwar America, a man watches his seemingly perfect life fall apart as his daughter's new political affiliation threatens to destroy their family.
Budget:
$10M
US Gross:
$544,098
Worldwide:
$1.72M
Starring
Ewan McGregor
Actor
Jennifer Connelly
Actor
Dakota Fanning
Actor
Awards
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2016
— Golden Shell
Key opinion
Ewan McGregor's directorial debut, an adaptation of Philip Roth's novel, is a polarizing film that succeeds as a intimate family drama for some while failing others as a reductive take on its source material. Critics are divided over whether the shift in focus from the broader "American Dream" critique to personal parental struggle creates a compelling character study or a hollow, clichéd narrative.
| Production | The film excels in its production design and aesthetic, effectively capturing the mid-century atmosphere with vivid colors and polished, high-quality cinematography. | |
| Adaptation | The adaptation suffers in comparison to the novel, as it reduces complex multi-generational thematic depth into a simplified, disjointed parental dispute. | |
| Acting | Performances by Ewan McGregor and Jennifer Connelly are widely acknowledged as strong and committed, though viewers disagree on whether the characters they inhabit are well-written or illogical. | |
| Pacing | The pacing and tone are subjects of debate; some find the measured, contemplative rhythm engaging and emotionally resonant, while others experience it as a dull or exhausting slog. |