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The Remains of the Day

Play trailer Poster for The Remains of the Day PG 1993 2h 15m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 48 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
During the 1930s, James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) serves as a proper English butler to the doltish Lord Darlington (James Fox). Stevens is so dedicated that he forgoes visiting his father on his deathbed in order to serve, and overlooks Darlington's Nazi sympathies and growing anti-Semitism. Twenty years after his employer's death, Stevens tries to reconnect with Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), Darlington's head housekeeper, and begins to regret his loyalty to his former master.

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The Remains of the Day

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Critics Consensus

Smart, elegant, and blessed with impeccable performances from Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, The Remains of the Day is a Merchant-Ivory classic.

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Critics Reviews

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Chris Bennion The Times (UK) 09/08/2023
Anthony Hopkins is magnificent as Stevens, with his blinkered code of honour, and Emma Thompson his match as the housekeeper. Go to Full Review David Hunter The Hollywood Reporter 11/05/2019
Beautiful to look at and deeply moving in many scenes. Go to Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 02/11/2008
The actors keep this interesting, but as a story it drifts and rambles. Go to Full Review Adrian Turner Radio Times 08/30/2024
5/5
This impeccable adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's Booker Prize-winning novel stars Anthony Hopkins as the emotionally repressed butler and Emma Thompson as the housekeeper he possibly loves. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 02/04/2024
4/4
...a slow-moving yet increasingly absorbing drama... Go to Full Review Farah Cheded A Good Movie To Watch 08/25/2023
Sublime filmmaking and performances turn Stevens’ every minute choice into a pillar of profound tragedy, giving us a maddeningly heartwrenching life lesson for the ages. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Srdjan V @Srdjan Apr 7 Pure masterpiece! Hopkins is magnificient ☆☆☆☆☆ See more John S @RT07700383 Mar 12 Everything is perfect in that film: acting, filming, music, atmosphere... An excellent adaptation of a no less excellent novel. See more Joy B. @9mr_0 Dec 20 فيلم جميل جدا و ‏هادىء و انتوني هبكنز وحش مو ممثل حضوره قوي ويطغى على الاخرين حوارت جميله قصه رائعه تصوير و اخراج ممتاز See more bob c @RT46426964 Nov 26 Pretty good depiction of UK ruling class and an obedient butler doing their work. Overdoes the appeasement gang and Hitler, but does the story well. American producer, Japanese novelist, Indian screenwriter and Welsh star hardly likely to make the English look good. See more Geri H. @Ghlowe Nov 20 Superb movie. Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson have wonderful interactions throughout but are bound by the codes of proper boundaries imposed on them. See more Carol P. @CRSPoole Oct 25 I thoroughly enjoyed this movie . Analyzing the characters is very interesting. Rather sad ending See more Read all reviews
The Remains of the Day

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Cast & Crew

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James Ivory

Director

Anthony Hopkins

Stevens

Emma Thompson

Miss Kenton

James Fox

Lord Darlington

Christopher Reeve

Lewis

Peter Vaughan

Father

Movie Clips

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The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - Goodbye The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - Goodbye 1:52 The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - I'll See To It, Mister Stevens The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - I'll See To It, Mister Stevens 2:13 The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - Guilty Smile The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - Guilty Smile 2:11 The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - Room of Amateurs The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - Room of Amateurs 2:07 The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - My Warmest Congratulations The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - My Warmest Congratulations 2:05 The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - The Rules of the Manor The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - The Rules of the Manor 2:08 The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - No Longer Needed The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - No Longer Needed 1:47 The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - A Racy Book The Remains of the Day: Official Clip - A Racy Book 2:13 View more videos

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The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day (1993) The Remains of the Day (1993) The Remains of the Day (1993) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis During the 1930s, James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) serves as a proper English butler to the doltish Lord Darlington (James Fox). Stevens is so dedicated that he forgoes visiting his father on his deathbed in order to serve, and overlooks Darlington's Nazi sympathies and growing anti-Semitism. Twenty years after his employer's death, Stevens tries to reconnect with Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), Darlington's head housekeeper, and begins to regret his loyalty to his former master.
Director
James Ivory
Producer
John Calley, Ismail Merchant, Mike Nichols
Screenwriter
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Kazuo Ishiguro
Distributor
Columbia Pictures, Columbia Tristar
Production Co
Merchant Ivory Productions, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 5, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$23.0M
Runtime
2h 15m
Sound Mix
Surround