Drama

Romance

The Bridges of Madison County

Malpaso Productions

Warner Bros. Pictures

Amblin Entertainment

United States of America

English

Meryl Streep

Clint Eastwood

Annie Corley

Victor Slezak

Jim Haynie

Sarah Zahn

Christopher Kroon

Phyllis Lyons

Debra Monk

Richard Lage

Michelle Benes

Alison Wiegert

Brandon Bobst

Pearl Faessler

R.E. 'Stick' Faessler

Tania Burt

Billie McNabb

Art Breese

Lana Schwab

Larry Loury

James Rivers

Mark A. Brooks

Peter Cho

Eddie Dejean Sr.

Jason C. Brewer

Kyle Eastwood

George Orrison

Ken Billeter

Judy Trask

David Trask

Edna Dolson

Dennis McCool

Michael C. Pommier

Jana Corkrean

M. Jane Seymour

Karla Jo Soper

Kathleen Kennedy

Michael Maurer

Lennie Niehaus

Ellen Chenoweth

Jeannine Oppewall

Robert James Waller

Tom Rooker

Jack N. Green

Joel Cox

Richard LaGravenese

William Arnold

Colleen Kelsall

Michael Hancock

Jay Hart

J. Roy Helland

Carol A. O'Connell

Willie D. Burton

_**Real-life questions about love and infidelity**_

RELEASED IN 1995 and directed by Clint Eastwood, “The Bridges of Madison County” details what happens in 1965 when a world-traveling photographer for National Geographic (Eastwood) inadvertently meets an Iowa Farm wife (Meryl Streep). 

This is a drama about the nature of eros love and potential infidelity that will only be appreciated by mature viewers. It consists of two people meeting, getting acquainted, discovering something profound and then forced to make decisions that’ll determine the rest of their lives, as well as the consequences for those linked to them. 

Some questions addressed include: What if you’re married and you meet someone you genuinely romantically love? What if you’re single and you meet a married person you profoundly love? How far do you (or can you) wisely take the relationship? What about others who would be negatively affected by pursuing the relationship?

These are all honest questions that most people have to consider at one time or another in their lives. The movie’s not corrupt for asking them or featuring a certain questionable act any more than the story of David & Bathsheba makes the Bible corrupt (or, arguably worse, the story of Judah & Tamar).

One character is too loose with morals, which he justifies by criticizing all the “borders” in life. But there are boundaries everywhere: National, state, county, city, school, government, business, social and… marital. The bottom line is: You’re either married or you’re not. If you’re married that means you have a committed lifelong covenant with your spouse. That’s what taking vows is all about. The movie tries to have its cake and eat it too by supporting such loyalty while flirting with the temptation to discard it in the name of true love. Regardless, the picture smacks of real life, real people, real (hard) decisions and is very well done, which is to be expected with Eastwood at the helm.    

THE FILM RUNS 2 hours, 15 minutes, and was shot in Winterset & Adel, Iowa.

GRADE: A-

A bit too cheesy for me to overly enjoy, but <em>'The Bridges of Madison County'</em> is a sweet romantic drama.

Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep are a strong pairing and produce very good performances, with Streep particularly standing out... even if her acting Italian doesn't always feel convincing, to me anyway. The parts of the story told via Annie Corley and Victor Slezak aren't the best, though the eventual pay-off with their characters is worthwhile.

Best Movies

The Bridges of Madison County

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Meryl Streep

Clint Eastwood

Annie Corley

Victor Slezak

Jim Haynie

Sarah Zahn

Christopher Kroon

Phyllis Lyons

Debra Monk

Richard Lage

Box office

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