• Trending
    • Certified Fresh & Verified Hot
    • TV Premier dates
    • New horror Movies
    • Best Movies of All Time
  • Movies
    • Movies In Theaters
    • Movies at Home
  • TV Shows
    • New TV
    • Most Popular TV
  • News
    • What to Watch
    • Guides
    • RT News
    • Awards
  • Games
    • Find Your Next Horror Watch
  • Video
  • Showtimes
  • Fanstore
  • About Rotten Tomatoes
  • Critics
  • Download the App Now
  • Logout
Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App New News Showtimes

Butley

Play trailer Poster for Butley R,  1974,  2h 7m,  Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist - - 4 Reviews Tomatometer 62% 500+ Ratings Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 4 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Directed by influential British playwright, Harold Pinter, Ben Butley (Alan Bates) is an embittered English professor whose male lover leaves him on the same day his estranged wife (Susan Engel) asks him for a divorce. To make matters worse, Butley must also haggle with his spinsterish colleague (Jessica Tandy) and face the downward spiral of a once promising career. As his life crumbles around him, Butley fights back with the only weapon at his disposal: his razor-sharp wit.

Critics Reviews

View More
Joseph Gelmis Newsday Sep 24, 2024
The theme and character are tedious. But the vigor of the wit in the language is stimulating and full of callous humor. Bates is good at this mixture of self-pity, anger and pain. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Jun 18, 2005
4/4
We don't pity [Butley], even though we should. He somehow doggedly weathers each crisis, and we even feel a sneaky affection for him. Maybe that's the way the role is written, or maybe it's because of the double-reverse charm Bates brings to it. Go to Full Review
George Anderson Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sep 24, 2024
Alan Bates was superb in this final American Film Theater production about a British professor whose life is crumbling about him. He fights back with abusive humor in this well-made film. Go to Full Review
Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Nov 7, 2005
3/5
Read all reviews
Butley

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Harold Pinter

Director

Alan Bates

Ben Butley

Jessica Tandy

Edna Shaft

Susan Engel

Anne Butley

Michael Byrne

Reg Nuttall

Colin Haigh

Second Student

More Like This

View All
The Battle of Jangsari 38% 79% The Battle of Jangsari Watchlist The Teacher 91% 81% The Teacher Watchlist TRAILER for The Teacher 1985 96% 80% 1985 Watchlist TRAILER for 1985 The Queen of Fear 71% 71% The Queen of Fear Watchlist Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel 57% 92% Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel Watchlist TRAILER for Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Butley

Butley (1974) Butley (1974) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Directed by influential British playwright, Harold Pinter, Ben Butley (Alan Bates) is an embittered English professor whose male lover leaves him on the same day his estranged wife (Susan Engel) asks him for a divorce. To make matters worse, Butley must also haggle with his spinsterish colleague (Jessica Tandy) and face the downward spiral of a once promising career. As his life crumbles around him, Butley fights back with the only weapon at his disposal: his razor-sharp wit.
Director
Harold Pinter
Producer
Ely Landau
Screenwriter
Simon Gray
Production Co
Cinévision Ltée, The American Film Theatre
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Jun 11, 2007
Runtime
2h 7m
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings