Bright Star

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Bright Star

PG

2009

1h 59m

Drama

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

173 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

In 1818, high-spirited young Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) finds herself increasingly intrigued by the handsome but aloof poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw), who lives next door to her family friends the Dilkes. After reading a book of his poetry, she finds herself even more drawn to the taciturn Keats. Although he agrees to teach her about poetry, Keats cannot act on his reciprocated feelings for Fanny, since as a struggling poet he has no money to support a wife.

Critics Consensus

Jane Campion's direction is as refined as her screenplay, and she gets the most out of her cast -- especially Abbie Cornish -- in this understated period drama.

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Valerie Lapinski

Vox

05/20/2022

Manages to bottle the fleeting feeling of spring bliss.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

08/30/2018

Yes, it is a thing of beauty and, yes, things of beauty are joys for ever but we can also probably say this about them: they don't always add up to the most affecting movies.

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Ed Koch

The Atlantic

01/17/2018

Wonderful attention is paid to detail, including clothing, furniture and highly-stylized behavior. What is missing is emotion.

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Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

Jan 30

Their initial flirtation is shockingly modern with its verve and sass, while the chemistry between Whishaw and Cornish buzzes with erotic electricity.

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Philip Bagnall

Loud and Clear Reviews

09/19/2024

4/5

Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw dazzle in Bright Star, Jane Campion’s sumptuous tale of a simple romance that inspired great art.

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CJ Sheu

Review Film Review

11/09/2021

Everything is simple and understated, allowing the big moments their space. ... [Whishaw's] line readings are disastrous. ... Cornish is a revelation[.]

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Tassie C

@Tazzie Mar 16

Two+ hours of my life wasted, the film is very slow in progression. I would rather watch grass grow legs and run a marathon then watch this film. Absolutely a waste of time, far better movies to watch.

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Luciano B

@RT67981578 12/10/2022

Brilliant romance film; well-acted and provides a great inside look into the life of the great British poet John Keates.

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Thomas M

@TMProofreader 11/26/2022

The best movie costumes ever designed!

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david f

@dfulmer 08/25/2022

This pedestrian love story set in 19th century England has all the trappings of a great costume drama and was inspired by John Keats' love life but it didn't quite click with me.

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jelisije j

@jjosifovic 03/23/2022

A very long movie about a poor dying poet spending his final 3 years with a women who made him want to live.

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02/14/2022

I think this movie ripped off a song from a game. This movie is really boring and blows hard, but it had a cute cat.

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Jane Campion

Director

Abbie Cornish

Fanny Brawne

Ben Whishaw

John Keats

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Mrs. Brawne

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Synopsis

In 1818, high-spirited young Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) finds herself increasingly intrigued by the handsome but aloof poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw), who lives next door to her family friends the Dilkes. After reading a book of his poetry, she finds herself even more drawn to the taciturn Keats. Although he agrees to teach her about poetry, Keats cannot act on his reciprocated feelings for Fanny, since as a struggling poet he has no money to support a wife.

Director: Jane Campion
Producer: Jan Chapman, Caroline Hewitt
Screenwriter: Jane Campion
Distributor: Apparition
Production Co: Pathé Renn Productions, UK Film Council, Hopscotch Productions, New South Wales Film & Television Office, Jan Chapman Pictures, Australian Film Finance Corporation, BBC Films, Screen Australia
Rating: PG (Incidental Smoking|Brief Language|Some Sensuality|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 16, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.4M
Runtime: 1h 59m