Cold Mountain (2003)
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A wounded deserter from the Confederate army journeys home to reunite with the woman he loves during the final stages of the American Civil War.
The story
Set during the American Civil War, the film follows W.P. Inman, a carpenter and soldier who becomes separated from his love, Ada Monroe, when he enlists in the Confederate States Army. After being wounded in battle and left for dead, Inman deserts and begins a perilous journey back to his home in North Carolina. Meanwhile, Ada remains in her community, struggling to maintain her family's farm while enduring the pressures of the war and the advances of a local man who covets her land. The two paths slowly converge as they both navigate the hardships of the war-torn landscape to find one another.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1861, W.P. Inman and Ada Monroe fall in love before Inman joins the Confederate army. Three years later, after being wounded and left for dead, Inman deserts and begins a trek toward Cold Mountain. Along the way, he encounters a preacher named Veasey and survives various skirmishes. Meanwhile, Ada manages her farm with the help of neighbors and a hired farmer, Ruby, while facing harassment from Captain Teague. The two paths eventually cross in a hidden camp where they reunite and spend the night together. In a final confrontation, Inman and Ada face off against Teague's men; Inman kills the primary antagonists but is mortally wounded. He dies in Ada's arms. The film ends years later, showing Ada's daughter and Ruby's new family celebrating together.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 154
- Production countries
- United States; Romania; Italy; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Anthony Minghella
- Writers
- Anthony Minghella · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jude Law · Inman; Nicole Kidman · Ada Monroe; Renée Zellweger · Ruby Thewes; Eileen Atkins · not specified; Brendan Gleeson · not specified; Philip Seymour Hoffman · not specified; Natalie Portman · not specified; Giovanni Ribisi · not specified; Donald Sutherland · not specified; Ray Winstone · not specified
- Genres
- war drama; romance
- Themes
- war
- Tone and mood
- epic; poignant
- Premise and plot tags
- period piece; war; romance; deserter
- Source material / true-story basis
- novel by Charles Frazier
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial success, receiving positive reviews for the performances of its lead actors and being noted for its portrayal of the Civil War.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 41
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · win
- Production trivia
- The film was edited using Final Cut Pro software on a Mac.; The soundtrack features songs by Jack White, Elvis Costello, and Sting.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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