Certain Women

Name: Certain Women
Genre: Drama
Released: October 14, 2016
Duration: 107 min
Rating: 82
Cast: James LeGros, Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern, Michelle Williams

2016

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 38 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 70 Ratings

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6.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 70 Ratings

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Certain Women

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: October 14, 2016 | R

Starring: James LeGros, Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern, Michelle Williams

Summary: This look at three women striving to forge their own paths amidst the wide-open plains of the American Northwest follows a lawyer (Laura Dern) who finds herself contending with both office sexism and a hostage situation; a wife and mother (Michelle Williams) whose determination to build her dream home puts her at odds with the men in herThis look at three women striving to forge their own paths amidst the wide-open plains of the American Northwest follows a lawyer (Laura Dern) who finds herself contending with both office sexism and a hostage situation; a wife and mother (Michelle Williams) whose determination to build her dream home puts her at odds with the men in her life; and a young law student (Kristen Stewart) who forms an ambiguous bond with a lonely ranch hand (Lily Gladstone). As their stories intersect in subtle but powerful ways, a portrait emerges of flawed, but strong-willed individuals in the process of defining themselves. [IFC Films]… Expand

Director: Kelly Reichardt

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 107 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Kate Taylor

May 25, 2017

Stewart does an intriguing job creating a paradoxical character who explains herself without giving of herself, her very persona exposing the false promise of personal exposition. Read full review

100

Justin Chang

Oct 13, 2016

Reichardt has never been one to reduce her characters to an easy emotional or dramatic equation, and here the everyday challenge of being female in a male-dominated profession is just one element on an extraordinarily fine-grained human canvas. Read full review

Tirdad Derakhshani

Oct 27, 2016

Set against the backdrop of Montana's stunning wilderness, Certain Women portrays women at work and women in desire with the quiet confidence, simplicity, and directness of a true artist. Read full review

Lauren Humphries-Brooks

Oct 4, 2016

Certain Women more than justifies itself as a serious argument for the beauty of the small and intimate drama and the importance of female-driven filmmaking. Read full review

Bill Goodykoontz

Oct 20, 2016

The acting is good throughout the film, but Gladstone and Stewart are a step up from everyone else. It’s tempting to say it could have been a feature all on its own, but as it stands it’s nearly perfect, making an already solid Certain Women that much better. Read full review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Oct 26, 2016

The subtlety and restraint in the way Reichardt links the vignettes is also commendable. It’s as if she’s reminding us that we’re all part of the grander scheme of things but at the same time disconnected from one another. Read full review

Rex Reed

Oct 12, 2016

Comprising three separate, unrelated and thoroughly inconsequential short stories about lonely, miserable women in the isolated landscape of Montana, Certain Women is the latest thumping bore from Kelly Reichardt, a writer-director-editor who makes bland, low-budget films about various hidden aspects of women’s lives they are reluctant to reveal, then take forever to do so. Read full review

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User Reviews

cnakhla

Jan 21, 2017

It is clear by its mixed reviews that this film is a very acquired taste. This film feels less like a film and more like a painting to me. Every frame has been so thoughtfully put together that time is needed for the viewer to take in what they are watching. Certain Women isn't meant to haveIt is clear by its mixed reviews that this film is a very acquired taste. This film feels less like a film and more like a painting to me. Every frame has been so thoughtfully put together that time is needed for the viewer to take in what they are watching. Certain Women isn't meant to have a groundbreaking story. The benign nature of the narrative reminds the audience of the subtleties of life. To make a film this beautiful, Reichardt had to make it simple. If there was a complex and intense narrative going on them so much of what the film fights for would be lost. There is nothing to be distracted by in this film, allowing you to be completely present as you watch.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Christopher_G2

Oct 31, 2020

Kelly Reichardt, who has had a strong directorial track record of small, high-acclaimed, understated, character-driven films—for me a notable standout being a terrific little western from 2010 called Meek’s Cutoff—added to her career resume in 2015 with another impressive feat: CertainKelly Reichardt, who has had a strong directorial track record of small, high-acclaimed, understated, character-driven films—for me a notable standout being a terrific little western from 2010 called Meek’s Cutoff—added to her career resume in 2015 with another impressive feat: Certain Women. With this film she has solidified herself as one of the best American, female directors—or maybe of either gender—of independent films out there right now. The plotline involves three loosely-interconnected stories of women depicting their struggles within their work, their life goals, their romances etc. High-class female talent in Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, and the always fantastic Michelle Williams are put to wonderful use, not really with huge dramatic scenes (though some characters around them provide us that element) but with solid, realistic, and non-showy portrayals of women in life’s twists and turns. If you haven’t yet seen a Reichardt movie, this would be an excellent first experience. Along with Meek’s Cutoff, I’d also recommend her Old Joy; and I look forward to seeing her most recent release First Cow, just released earlier this year.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DSEN

Jan 5, 2021

I remember I worked the premiere of this movie at Sundance in 2016 and it really resonated with me in a way that not many other films had. A movie I was really glad I stuck with and immediately made me a fan of Reichardt and offered what I thought was Kristen Stewart’s best performance toI remember I worked the premiere of this movie at Sundance in 2016 and it really resonated with me in a way that not many other films had. A movie I was really glad I stuck with and immediately made me a fan of Reichardt and offered what I thought was Kristen Stewart’s best performance to date. I hope more people discover this movie after First Cow(Which I have yet to see) and visit some of her other works like Meeks Cutoff.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Beecee

Oct 24, 2016

I agree with the users rather than the critics. This is very much in the tradition of "Cinema Verite", and it looks at the lives of four women who loosely intersect in a small town in Montana. The film does manage to create a mood, and there are some good actors and performances. Yet itI agree with the users rather than the critics. This is very much in the tradition of "Cinema Verite", and it looks at the lives of four women who loosely intersect in a small town in Montana. The film does manage to create a mood, and there are some good actors and performances. Yet it is a very slow-moving, tedious and rather depressing film which focusses on the inability of the characters to make (or keep) connections with other people. The first segment, with Laura Dern as an attorney who has a prospective client who was injured on his former job, initially holds some promise, yet this story doesn't go much of anywhere. The point to the second story seems to be that the audience knows something about her husband that she doesn't. The young actress who plays the ranch hand in the third segment is sympathetic, yet the story is undeveloped. I saw this film because I like to support women filmmakers, but there are too many long, drawn out shots - and, again, no compelling story.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Brent_Marchant

Oct 21, 2016

Boring, pretentious and unfocused -- what more need be said. Despite a fine cast and skillful performances that make this material look far better than it really is, this drawn-out collection of pregnant pauses, lingering emotive shots and endless nice-to-look-at-but-ultimately-pointlessBoring, pretentious and unfocused -- what more need be said. Despite a fine cast and skillful performances that make this material look far better than it really is, this drawn-out collection of pregnant pauses, lingering emotive shots and endless nice-to-look-at-but-ultimately-pointless images is an exercise in tedium and unfulfilled hopes that something will eventually materialize from its underdeveloped, underwritten narrative. Of its three story lines, only one is even modestly interesting, leaving viewers baffled by the point the other two overly vague vignettes are trying to make. Don't buy into the hype surrounding this one -- it's not worthy of it.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

CMC

Oct 15, 2016

Very disappointing. I am not pleased to report that Rex Reed nails it pretty well. I like movies that are slow, unusual, and that strive to define personalities and moods. The performances were good and the movie is generally technically adequate, but for all the time allotted to the threeVery disappointing. I am not pleased to report that Rex Reed nails it pretty well. I like movies that are slow, unusual, and that strive to define personalities and moods. The performances were good and the movie is generally technically adequate, but for all the time allotted to the three women their true personalities don't emerge much and it all seems pointless and unfocussed. I kept wanting it to all come together, and it just does not. Sorry, don't waste your time on this one.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

lmyk105

Feb 23, 2018

Painfully slow and painfully boring film. Just wasted two hours of my life.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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