Mr. & Mrs. Bridge

Mr. & Mrs. Bridge
Theatrical poster
Directed by	James Ivory
Written by	Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Based on	Mrs. Bridge and Mr. Bridge by Evan S. Connell
Produced by	Ismail Merchant
Starring	Paul Newman Joanne Woodward Blythe Danner Simon Callow Kyra Sedgwick Robert Sean Leonard
Cinematography	Tony Pierce-Roberts
Edited by	Humphrey Dixon
Music by	Richard Robbins Jacques Offenbach ("Barcarolle" & "Can Can")
Production companies	Cineplex Odeon Films Merchant Ivory Productions
Distributed by	Miramax Films
Release dates	September 1990 (Venice) November 23, 1990 (1990-11-23)
Running time	126 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$7,698,010

Mr. & Mrs. Bridge is a 1990 American drama film based on the novels by Evan S. Connell of the same name. It is directed by James Ivory, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and produced by Ismail Merchant.

The film stars real-life couple Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward as Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. The character of Mrs. Bridge is based on Connell's mother, Ruth Connell.

Plot

The story of a traditionally minded family living in the Country Club District of Kansas City, Missouri, during the 1930s and 1940s. The Bridges grapple with changing mores and expectations. Mr. Bridge (Paul Newman) is a lawyer who resists his children's rebellion against the conservative values he holds dear. Mrs. Bridge (Joanne Woodward) labors to maintain a Pollyanna view of the world, against her husband's emotional distance and her children's eagerness to adopt a world view more modern than her own.

Cast

• Paul Newman as Walter Gene Bridge
• Joanne Woodward as India Bridge
• Margaret Welsh as Carolyn Bridge, daughter of India and Walter
• Kyra Sedgwick as Ruth Bridge, daughter of India and Walter
• Robert Sean Leonard as Douglas Bridge, son of Walter and India
• Simon Callow as Dr. Alex Sauer, a psychiatrist
• Remak Ramsay as Virgil Barron, Grace's husband
• Blythe Danner as Grace Barron, India's best friend
• Austin Pendleton as Mr. Gadbury, India's art instructor
• Gale Garnett as Mabel Ong, India's friend
• Saundra McClain as Harriet Rogers, the maid for the Bridge family
• Diane Kagan as Julia, Walter's secretary
• Robyn Rosenfeld as Genevieve, Dr. Sauer's girlfriend
• Marcus Giamatti as Gil Davis, Carolyn's husband
• Sal Licata as Young Child

Production

Mr. and Mrs. Bridge was filmed entirely on location in Kansas City, Missouri; Paris, France; and Ottawa, Canada. Joanne Woodward received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Awards

Academy Award

• Nominated: Best Actress – Joanne Woodward

Golden Globe Award

• Nominated: Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama – Joanne Woodward

Independent Spirit Award

• Nominated: Best Female Lead – Joanne Woodward

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award

• Won: Best Actress – Joanne Woodward

New York Film Critics Circle Awards

• Won: Best Actress – Joanne Woodward
• Won: Best Screenplay – Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

External links

• Mr. & Mrs. Bridge at IMDb
• Mr. & Mrs. Bridge at Box Office Mojo
• Mr. & Mrs. Bridge at Rotten Tomatoes