The film tells the story of a traditional family living in the Country Club District of Kansas City, Missouri, during the 1930s and 1940s. The Bridges grapple with changing mores and expectations. Mr. Bridge, played by Paul Newman, is a lawyer who resists his children's rebellion against the conservative values he holds dear. Mrs. Bridge, played by Joanne Woodward, labors to maintain a Pollyanna view of the world against her husband's emotional distance and her children's eagerness to adopt a world view more modern than her own.

The movie features Blythe Danner as Mrs. Bridge's troubled friend, Simon Callow as a foreign psychiatrist the Bridges find unsavory, Saundra McClain as the Bridges' maid, and, as the Bridge children, Kyra Sedgwick, Robert Sean Leonard, and Margaret Welsh.

It was filmed entirely on location in Kansas City, Paris, France, and Ottawa, Canada. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress (Joanne Woodward).

Cast

Starring

• Paul Newman - Walter Bridge
• Joanne Woodward - India Bridge
• Blythe Danner - Grace Barron
• Simon Callow - Dr. Alex Sauer
• Kyra Sedgwick - Ruth Bridge
• Robert Sean Leonard - Douglas Bridge (grown-up)
• Margaret Welsh - Carolyn Bridge
• Austin Pendleton - Mr. Gadbury
• Saundra McClain - Harriet
• Diane Kagan - Julia

Order in appearance

• Gale Garnett - Mabel Ong
• Remak Ramsay - Virgil Barron
• Robert Westenberg - Ruth's Boyfriend
• John Bell - Douglas Bridge, as a boy
• Marcus Giamatti - Gil Davis
• Robert Levine - Avrum Rhinegold
• Addison Myers - Man at Businessmen's Table
• Roger Burget - Man at Businessmen's Table
• Al Christy - Judge
• Joe Tinoco - Plaintiff
• Ben Stephenson - Law Clerk
• Alison Sneegas - Band Vocalist
• Mark Yonally - Youth at High School Dance
• Buck Baker - Scoutmaster
• Danny Cox - Country Club Steward
• Robyn Rosenfeld - Genevieve
• Roch Leibovici - Watch Seller on the Quai
• Hubert Saint-Macary - Copyist in the Louvre
• Laurence Goua - Principal Can-Can Dancer
• The Nicolodis - Moulin Rouge Tumblers
• Judy Judd - First Bridge Player
• Nora Denney - Second Bridge Player
• Charles Perkins - Jazz Musician
• Allen Monroe - Jazz Musician
• Richard Ros - Jazz Musician
• Milton Abel - Jazz Musician
• Spencer Keesee - Couperin
• Robin Humphrey - Bridal Gown Lady
• Kathy Quinn-Byrne - Paquita
• John Anthony - Rod
• Jennifer Conforti - Rod's Girl
• Tom Hall - Aztec Room Waiter
• Joanne Carr - Prison Matron
• Florence Hall - The Barrons' Maid
• Lee Lambert - Cpl. Cipkowski
• Jocelyn Hamilton - Florist's Assistant
• Andy Knott - Flower Shop Owner

Awards

1990 New York Film Critics Circle Awards

• Won : Best Screenplay for Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
• Won : Best Actress for Joanne Woodward

1991 Kansas City Film Critics Circle

• Won : Best Actress for Joanne Woodward

1991 Academy Awards

• Nominated : Best Actress in a Leading Role for Joanne Woodward

1991 Golden Globes

• Nominated : Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for Joanne Woodward

1991 Independent Spirit Awards

• Nominated : Best Female Lead for Joanne Woodward

External links