| Antonia's Line | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Marleen Gorris |
| Written by | Marleen Gorris |
| Produced by | Gerard Cornelisse Hans de Weers Hans de Wolf George Brugmans |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Willy Stassen |
| Edited by | Wiebe van der Vliet |
| Distributed by | Meteor Film |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Language | Dutch |
| Budget | £1.5 million[1] |
| Box office | $4.2 million[2] |
Antonia's Line (Original title:Antonia) is a 1995 Dutchfeminist film written and directed byMarleen Gorris. The film, described as a "feminist fairy tale",[3][4][5] tells the story of the independent Antonia (Willeke van Ammelrooy) who, after returning to the anonymous Dutch village of her birth, establishes and nurtures a close-knitmatriarchal community. The film covers a breadth of topics, with themes ranging from death and religion to sex, intimacy,lesbianism,[6] friendship and love.
Antonia's Line was made after challenges in finding locations and funding in the 1980s and 1990s. It enjoyed critical success and several awards, including winning theAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the68th Academy Awards. The film also won thePeople's Choice Award at the20th Toronto International Film Festival.
FollowingWorld War II, the widow Antonia and her daughter Danielle arrive in Antonia's home town where her mother is dying. She reunites with her old friend Crooked Finger, a depressed intellectual who refuses to leave his house. She also begins attracting a following, including Deedee, a mentally handicapped girl, after she is raped by her brother Pitte, and Loony Lips, a simple-minded man who falls in love with Deedee. A pariah, Pitte flees the village. Antonia turns down an offer of marriage from Farmer Bas, but develops a lasting romance with him.
Danielle, who has a vivid imagination, becomes an artist and expresses interest in raising a child, while rejecting the idea of having a husband. Antonia and Danielle visit the city to find a man to impregnate Danielle, resulting in the birth of Therèse, achild prodigy. Danielle falls in love with Therèse's tutor, Lara, and they remain together in alesbian relationship. Therèse develops an understanding and kinship with Crooked Finger beyond what Danielle could be capable of.
Years later, Pitte returns to town to collect his inheritance and rapes Therèse. Antonia places a curse on him, after which he is beaten by men of the village and drowned by his brother. Therèse is unable to find her intellectual match but eventually has a relationship with a childhood friend, resulting in her pregnancy. She decides to keep the baby and gives birth to Sarah, the film's narrator, who has a fascination with death. Sarah observes many of her elders die off, including Crooked Finger who commits suicide, and Loony Lips who suffers a tractor accident on the farm. Antonia later dies of old age, surrounded by family and friends.
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Director and screenwriterMarleen Gorris envisioned the story as distinct from her previous work, such asA Question of Silence (1982), which she referred to as "indictments against society". She referred toAntonia as "a celebration of life", incorporatingfairy tale elements and cruel details.[7] Gorris finished the screenplay in 1988. However, making the film took three attempts, with challenges stemming from putting together a large cast and finding a village that could be portrayed as realistic for a 50-year period. It was eventually filmed inBelgium.[8]
Another major challenge was finding investors.[9] Funding ultimately came from the Netherlands, Belgium and theUK.[8] With the help of producerHans de Weers, Gorris found investors and also worked with British producerJudy Counihan of Red Hot Organization.[9] The budget was £1.5 million.[1] Filming finished in November 1994.[10]
In the Netherlands, the film grossed $272,294.[11] In the United States,Antonia's Line opened in 99 theatres, and made $1.8 million in its first 10 days. After 164 days, it crossed the $4 million mark.[1] According toBox Office Mojo, the film completed its run grossing $4,228,275 in North America and $21,046 inSouth Korea, for a worldwide total of $4,249,321.[12] In theEuropean Union, it had 1,660,901 ticket sales.[1]
According to Dutch directorMike van Diem, the film received more positive reviews in the United States than in its native Netherlands, saying "We thought it was a good film, but nobody thought it wasthat good".[13] Dutch writer Hans Kroon suggested the U.S. reception was out of a need for escapism.[14] OnRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 67%, based on 51 reviews, and an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critical consensus states: "Magical and morbid,Antonia picturesque landscapes and proficient performances elevate a somewhat pedestrian parable".[15]
Roger Ebert gave the film four stars, saying the film showed "the everyday realities of rural life, a cheerful feminism, a lot of easygoing sex and a gallery of unforgettable characters".[16] Emanuel Levy, writing forThe Advocate, wrote "It's easy to see why" the film was winning awards in festivals, calling it "an enchanting fairy tale that maintains a consistently warm, lighthearted feel", andWilleke van Ammelrooy wonderful.[17]Janet Maslin ofThe New York Times called it "a work of magical feminism".[18] Alan A. Stone of theBoston Review called it an "astonishingly beautiful film" representing "a truce in the gender war".[9] Kevin Thomas of theLos Angeles Times saidAntonia's Line is "Beautiful, tender, hearty and poetic", and Van Ammelrooy is warm.[19] Conversely, Edward Guthmann of theSan Francisco Chronicle called the film "an odd mix of schmaltz and anti-male orneriness" and the character of Antonia a "sour pickle".[20] Jonathan Rosenbaum of theChicago Reader called it "humorless" "feminist rage".[21]
In his2002 Movie & Video Guide,Leonard Maltin called it "a treat from start to finish".[22]
Women's studies professorLinda López McAlister commented that "It seems to me that Gorris's accomplishment in this film is to have created a sense of place and characters full of life, full of quirks and idiosyncrasies and peccadillos, full of love, and rage, and desire".[23] Anneke Smelik analyzed the film, writing "It isOedipal in the sense that it is about a family, but instead of featuring the triangle of father, mother and child, the film establishes a line of mothers and daughters." She goes on to write, "Female desire is represented in all of its diverse manifestations: Antonia's wish for independence, Danielle's quest for artistic creativity, Therèse's pursuit of knowledge, and Sarah's curiosity about life in general".[24]
Antonia's Line won the 1996Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film,[22] theToronto International Film Festival People's Choice award,[20] and twoNederlands Film FestivalGolden Calf awards.[25] Gorris also won for Best Director at theHamptons International Film Festival and Best Screenplay at theChicago International Film Festival.[10]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | 25 March 1996 | Best Foreign Language Film | Marleen Gorris | Won | [26] |
| BAFTA Awards | 29 April 1997 | Film Not in the English Language | Hans de Weers and Marleen Gorris | Nominated | [27] |
| Chicago International Film Festival | 12–29 October 1995 | Best Screenplay | Marleen Gorris | Won | [28] |
| Audience Choice Award | Won | ||||
| GLAAD Media Award | March 1997 | Outstanding Film– Limited Release | Nominated | [29] | |
| Hamptons International Film Festival | October 1995 | Best Director | Won | [10] | |
| Joseph Plateau Awards | 1995 | Best Actress | Els Dottermans | Won | [30] |
| Netherlands Film Festival | 20–29 September 1995 | Best Director | Marleen Gorris | Won | [25] |
| Best Actress | Willeke van Ammelrooy | Won | |||
| Toronto International Film Festival | 7–16 September 1995 | People's Choice Award | Marleen Gorris | Won | [20] |
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