(1992)
5
Rebecca Flint Marx
Praised almost as often as its source, Ismail Merchant and James Ivory's version of E.M. Forster's best novel is also widely recognized as the most accomplished filmization of Forster's work. Like Merchant/Ivory's other Forster adaptations, Howards End is saturated with petticoats, stiff upper lips, suffocating class consciousness, and enough repressed longing to blow a hole through Buckingham Palace. But strip away the tasteful facade, and what remains is a bracing critique of the English class system. The film's Oscar-winning script, by frequent Merchant/Ivory collaborator Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, is largely faithful to Forster's original work, capturing the spirit of his prose without making it seem outdated. The lead performances are instrumental in the film's timely feel; Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins earned well-deserved praise for their roles, and Thompson won an Oscar and numerous other awards. Equally remarkable but not as lavishly recognized were Helena Bonham Carter, all righteous fire and headstrong will as Helen Schlegel, and Samuel West, touchingly awkward as Leonard Bast, the cause around whom the war between the Schlegels and Mr. Wilcox revolves, and also its ultimate casualty. Thanks to the work of the entire cast, the film manages to be consistently engaging; thanks to the efforts of its production team as a whole, it is one of the rarest of paradoxes, a topical period piece. It was nominated for 9 Oscars overall, including Best Picture and Best Director, and it also won for Luciana Arrighi's art direction.
awards for Howards End on AllMovie
Howards End (1992)
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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Won |
Best Actress
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1992 |
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Won |
Best Adapted Screenplay
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1992 |
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Won |
Best Art Direction
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Cinematography
|
1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Costume Design
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1992 |
|
Nominated |
Best Director
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Picture
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Score
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress
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1992 |
American Society of Cinematographers
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Nominated |
Best Cinematography
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1992 |
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
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Nominated |
Best Actress
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Adapted Screenplay
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1992 |
|
Nominated |
Best Cinematography
|
1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Production Design
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Supporting Actor
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress
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1992 |
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Nominated |
David Lean Award
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Editing Award
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Costume Design
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1993 |
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Nominated |
Best Picture
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1993 |
Cannes Film Festival
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Won |
Special 45th Anniversary Prize
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1992 |
Directors Guild of America
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Nominated |
Best Director
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1992 |
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
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Nominated |
Best Director
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1992 |
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Won |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Picture - Drama
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1992 |
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Nominated |
Best Screenplay
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1992 |
Independent Spirit Awards
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Nominated |
Best Foreign Film
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1992 |
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
National Board of Review
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Won |
Best Actress
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1992 |
|
Won |
Best Director
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1992 |
|
Won |
Best Picture
|
1992 |
National Society of Film Critics
New York Film Critics Circle
