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A Map of the Worls

The movie A Map of the Worls was based on the book A Map of the World.

Which one did you like better, the movie or the book?  There are 5 votes for the book, and 8 votes for the movie.

Movie details for A Map of the Worls

The movie was released in 1999 and directed by Scott Elliott (II). A Map of the Worls was produced by USA. More information on the movie is available on Amazon.com and also IMDb.

Actors on this movie include Sigourney Weaver, Dara Perlmutter, David Strathairn, Kayla Perlmutter, Deborah Lobban, Marc Donato, Julianne Moore, Chloë Sevigny, Richard McMillan, Hayley Lochner, Victoria Rudiak, Ron Lea, Brenda Robins, Colleen Williams, Sarah Rosen Fruitman, Peter Haworth, Louise Fletcher, Lisa Hynes, Kathryn Kirkpatrick and Elva Mai Hoover.

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If you're among those who thinks that statuesque Sigourney Weaver is one of the best American actresses going, then A Map of the World is for you--it's a showcase for one terrific, Oscar-worthy performance. As Wisconsin farm wife and school nurse Alice Go... Read More
If you're among those who thinks that statuesque Sigourney Weaver is one of the best American actresses going, then A Map of the World is for you--it's a showcase for one terrific, Oscar-worthy performance. As Wisconsin farm wife and school nurse Alice Goodwin, Weaver projects an awkward, difficult woman--a quintessential outsider, too smart for comfort, at home in neither her own skin nor in life. In contrast to the Good Housekeeping perfection that flows from serene best friend Teresa (Julianne Moore), Alice's house is a mess, her kids hate her, and her ineffectual husband (David Strathairn) has never gotten used to the way she blurts out uncensored, often caustic truths.

In the time it takes for Alice--while baby-sitting--to find her bathing suit and glance at a map of an imaginary world she colored as a child, one of Teresa's daughters drowns. It's the first catastrophe of two--she's subsequently accused of child abuse--that mark the end of the Goodwins' world. Ostracized by her neighbors, jailed with "baby-killers," Alice slowly reconstitutes, drawing unexpected penance and community from her stripped-down environment. It's an utterly fascinating process, watching Weaver's character develop emotional focus and anchorage--as wife, mother, woman.

A Map of the World challenges us--refreshingly--with unpredictable narrative turns, from domestic drama to gritty slice of prison life to romantic interlude to courtroom climax and more. Along the way, this fine adaptation of Jane Hamilton's popular novel delivers insights into what it means to be fallibly human--as well as strong supporting performances by Strathairn and Moore especially, plus Arliss Howard and Chloë Sevigny. --Kathleen Murphy

Book details for A Map of the World

A Map of the World was written by Jane Hamilton. The book was published in 1994 by Anchor Books: Doubleday. More information on the book is available on Amazon.com.

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