The Portrait of a Lady

The Portrait of a Lady

PG-13 1996 · 144 min · ★ 5.9 · Drama, Romance

Ms. Isabel Archer isn't afraid to challenge societal norms. Impressed by her free spirit, her kindhearted cousin writes her into his fatally ill father's will. Suddenly rich and independent, Isabelle ventures into the world, along the way befriending a cynical intellectual and romancing an art enthusiast. However, the advantage of her affluence is called into question when she realizes the extent to which her money colors her relationships.

Directed by Jane Campion · Written by Laura Jones

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Rent or Buy

Amazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At Home

Cast

Trailers & Videos

Make it a double feature

4h 24m together

The Portrait of a Lady

The Piano

Both from Jane Campion.

More from Jane CampionSee all →

Getting WetGetting Wet · 1984
Getting Wet
★ 9.01984
MovieDrama
While on a seaside holiday with his family, a teenage boy becomes infatuated with a young woman accompanying them as a housekeeper. As his older brother begins a relationship with her, the boy’s frustration grows, leading to actions that disrupt both the family dynamic and the fragile relationships around him. The conflict culminates in a breakdown of trust between the brothers.
The PianoThe Piano · 1993
The Piano
★ 7.41993
MovieDramaRomance
When an arranged marriage brings Ada and her spirited pre-teen daughter Flora to the wilderness of 19th-century New Zealand, she finds herself locked in a battle of wills with both her controlling husband and a rugged frontiersman to whom she develops a forbidden attraction.
Top of the LakeTop of the Lake · 2013
Top of the Lake
★ 7.02013
SeriesCrimeDrama
A woman haunted by her past, Detective Robin Griffin, investigates complex and unsettling cases.
An Angel at My TableAn Angel at My Table · 1990
An Angel at My Table
★ 7.01990
MovieDramaHistory
Based on the autobiographical work of New Zealand writer Janet Frame, this production depicts the author at various stage of her life. Afflicted with mental and emotional issues, Frame grows up in an impoverished family and experiences numerous tragedies while still in her youth, including the deaths of two of her siblings. Portrayed as an adult by Kerry Fox, Frame finds acclaim for her writing while still in a mental institution, and her success helps her move on with her life.
The Power of the DogThe Power of the Dog · 2021
The Power of the Dog
★ 6.72021
MovieDramaWestern
A domineering but charismatic rancher wages a war of intimidation on his brother's new wife and her teen son, until long-hidden secrets come to light.
Bright StarBright Star · 2009
Bright Star
★ 6.62009
MovieDramaRomance
In 1818, high-spirited young Fanny Brawne finds herself increasingly intrigued by the handsome but aloof poet John Keats, who lives next door to her family friends the Dilkes. After reading a book of his poetry, she finds herself even more drawn to the taciturn Keats. Although he agrees to teach her about poetry, Keats cannot act on his reciprocated feelings for Fanny, since as a struggling poet he has no money to support a wife.
To Each His Own CinemaTo Each His Own Cinema · 2007
To Each His Own Cinema
★ 6.42007
MovieComedyDrama
Commissioned to mark the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, "To Each His Own Cinema" brought together 33 of the world's pre-eminent filmmakers to produce short pieces exploring the multifarious facets of cinema and their perspective on the state of their chosen artform in the early 21st century.
Typist Artist Pirate KingTypist Artist Pirate King · 2023
Typist Artist Pirate King
★ 6.42023
MovieDramaComedy
In a last-ditch mission to get recognition for her talent, Audrey Amiss (Monica Dolan) persuades her psychiatric nurse, Sandra Panza (Kelly Macdonald) to take her on a road trip back to where her story began – but with so many deviations along the way, will they ever make it?
Two FriendsTwo Friends · 1986
Two Friends
★ 6.31986
MovieDramaTV Movie
The story of the end of a friendship between two teenage girls, told backwards over the course of nine months.
After HoursAfter Hours · 1985
After Hours
★ 6.21985
MovieDrama
A sensitive portrayal of a young office worker who alleges sexual abuse by her employer. She loses her job as a result of her claims. This dramatised situation looks at the ways in which an employee can be victimised in an office environment without those around being aware of the situation.
SweetieSweetie · 1989
Sweetie
★ 6.11989
MovieDramaComedy
The buttoned-down, superstitious Kay is attempting to lead a normal existence with her new boyfriend Louis. That’s until Sweetie, her rampaging, devil-may-care sister, returns home after an absence, exposing the rotten roots of their family and placing a strain on Kay and Louis’ relationship.
Holy SmokeHoly Smoke · 1999
Holy Smoke
★ 5.71999
MovieComedyDrama
While on a journey of discovery in exotic India, beautiful young Ruth Barron falls under the influence of a charismatic religious guru. Her desperate parents then hire PJ Waters, a macho cult de-programmer who confronts Ruth in a remote desert hideaway. But PJ quickly learns that he's met his match in the sexy, intelligent and iron-willed Ruth.
88 · 2008
8
★ 5.42008
MovieDrama
8 shorts centered around 8 themes directed by 8 famous film directors involved and sharing their opinion on progress, on the set-backs and the challenges our planet faces today.
Sleeping BeautySleeping Beauty · 2011
Sleeping Beauty
★ 5.42011
MovieDramaRomance
A haunting erotic fairytale about Lucy, a young University student drawn into a mysterious hidden world of beauty and desire.
The RoosterThe Rooster · 2024
The Rooster
★ 5.32024
MovieDramaMystery
When the body of his oldest friend is found buried in a shallow grave, Dan, a small-town cop, seeks answers from a volatile hermit who was the last person to see his friend alive. As Dan gets closer to the truth, he must confront his own personal demons and he discovers that hope can be found in unlikely places.
In the CutIn the Cut · 2003
In the Cut
★ 5.12003
MovieDramaMystery
A New York City writing professor, Frannie Avery, has an affair with a police detective who is investigating the murder of a beautiful young woman in her neighborhood.

More Like This

Blue My MindBlue My Mind · 2017
Blue My Mind
★ 6.72017
MovieFantasyDrama
15-year-old Mia faces an overwhelming transformation which puts her entire existence into question. Her body is changing radically, and despite desperate attempts to halt the process, Mia is soon forced to accept that nature is far more powerful than she is.
This Boy's LifeThis Boy's Life · 1993
This Boy's Life
★ 7.11993
MovieDrama
When a son and mother move to Seattle in hopes for a better life, the mother meets a seemingly polite man. Things go south when the man turns out to be abusive, endangering their lives. As the mother struggles to maintain hope in an impossible situation, the son has plans to escape.
The Quiet AmericanThe Quiet American · 2002
The Quiet American
★ 6.62002
MovieRomanceThriller
Cynical British journalist Fowler falls in love with a young Vietnamese woman but is dismayed when a naïve U.S. official also begins vying for her attention. In retaliation, Fowler informs the communists that the American is selling arms to their enemy.
Married LifeMarried Life · 2008
Married Life
★ 5.82008
MovieCrimeDrama
A very gentle middle-aged man is married, but when he falls in love with another woman, he decides that to divorce his wife would humiliate her too much – so instead he decides to kill her.
2121 · 2008
21
★ 6.72008
MovieDramaCrime
Ben Campbell is a young, highly intelligent student at M.I.T. who strives to succeed. Wanting a scholarship to transfer to Harvard School of Medicine to become a doctor, Ben learns that he cannot afford the $300,000 tuition as he comes from a poor, working-class background. But one evening, Ben is introduced by his unorthodox math professor to a small but secretive club of five students, Jill, Choi, Kianna, and Fisher, who are being trained by Professor Rosa to count cards at blackjack.
A Life Less OrdinaryA Life Less Ordinary · 1997
A Life Less Ordinary
★ 6.21997
MovieFantasyComedy
Upon being fired, a desperate guy kidnaps a daughter of his former boss. Two angels are sent to Earth to check if love is possible in this case.
Gorky ParkGorky Park · 1983
Gorky Park
★ 6.31983
MovieThrillerCrime
Police Inspector Renko tries to solve the case of three bodies found in Moscow's Gorky Park but finds his attempts to solve the crime impeded by his superiors. Working on his own, Renko seeks out more information and stumbles across a conspiracy involving the highest levels of the government.
Howards EndHowards End · 1992
Howards End
★ 7.01992
MovieDramaRomance
A saga of class relations and changing times in an Edwardian England on the brink of modernity, the film centers on liberal Margaret Schlegel, who, along with her sister Helen, becomes involved with two couples: wealthy, conservative industrialist Henry Wilcox and his wife Ruth, and the downwardly mobile working-class Leonard Bast and his mistress Jackie.
The CountessThe Countess · 2009
The Countess
★ 5.92009
MovieDramaHistory
Kingdom of Hungary, 17th century. As she gets older, powerful Countess Erzsébet Báthory (1560-1614), blinded by the passion that she feels for a younger man, succumbs to the mad delusion that blood will keep her young and beautiful forever.
HolesHoles · 2003
Holes
★ 6.92003
MovieAdventureFamily
After being wrongfully convicted for stealing a pair of shoes, Stanley Yelnats is sent away to Camp Green Lake, a boys detention facility where inmates are forced to dig holes all day in the hot desert sun as a form of character building. As he endures the brutal routine, Stanley begins to uncover a hidden truth behind the camp, one that connects to a dangerous secret—and possibly Stanley’s family itself.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter