SummaryIn 1909, poor theology student Henrik falls in love with Anna, the intelligent daughter of a rich family in Uppsala. After marrying Henrik becomes a priest in northern Sweden. Urbane Anna hates living in the county, growing restless.
Directed By:Bille August
Written By:Ingmar Bergman
The Best Intentions
Metascore
Generally Favorable
77
User score
Generally Favorable
6.4
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
77
90% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
10% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
Warmer and more forgiving than Bergman's own work, it is one of the most moving films ever made about the exacting, full-time job of living with another person.[31 Jul 1992, p.17]
88
Despite the melancholy background of Scandinavia, the repressive work ethic, the class struggle, this is a beautiful love story. [14 Aug 1992, p.3G]
88
Never mind that Best Intentions, which was filmed both as a six-part TV miniseries and a three-hour movie, is occasionally uneven and sometimes confusing. It remains a rare August pleasure, a film for grown-up audiences that challenges and enriches.
75
Best Intentions should be engaging for those unfamiliar with Bergman -- and at three hours, it had better be engaging. To Bergman buffs, it is fascinating -- a lively, clever drama of opposites powerfully attracted. [14 Aug 1992, p.17]
70
Not a masterpiece, but it's not negligible either. [14 Aug 1992]
67
For those looking to be stylishly entertained while learning more than anyone might ever want to know about the formation of the Bergman psyche, well, here it is.
60
The film boasts impeccable performances (von Sydow is splendid as Anna's father). But with a running time of three hours, this weighty drama tests the most patient soul.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.4
60% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
20% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
20% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Jul 5, 2021
9
This really is a remarkable project. The great Ingmar Bergman wrote this drama, which describes the lives of his parents and other relatives before he came on the scene. However, Bergman did not direct it - that job went to Bille August, another leading Swedish director. I don't know how close to the truth it is, but one imagines that there are some exaggerations. The film successfully presents a society and a family from the early 20th century, as Samuel, a stubborn young minister, and Anna, a girl from a higher social station than her husband, struggle to begin their life together.
Production Company:
- SVT Drama
- Danmarks Radio (DR)
- Yleisradio (YLE)
- La Sept Cinéma
- Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
- Channel Four Films
- RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana
- Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK)
- Ríkisútvarpið-Sjónvarp (RÚV)
- Focus Features International (FFI)
Release Date:Jul 10, 1992
Duration:3 h
Tagline:In 1983 after completing the Oscar winning "Fanny And Alexander", Ingmar Bergman retired from international cinema. Now, after 10 years of writing and reflection, he finds he has "one last story to tell"
Awards
Guldbagge Awards
• 2 Wins & 6 Nominations
Cannes Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
