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Ironweed

Play trailer Poster for Ironweed R,  1987,  2h 21m,  Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 58% 24 Reviews Tomatometer 59% 2,500+ Ratings Popcornmeter
58% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
In Depression-era Albany, N.Y., erstwhile baseball star Francis Phelan has become an alcoholic vagabond after guilt over accidentally killing his infant son led him to desert his family. Over the course of several days, he ambles from gritty job to dirty bar to makeshift sleeping quarters. By chance, he encounters fellow itinerant drinker and his sometime lover, Helen Archer. Together, they wax nostalgic about their haunted pasts.
Ironweed

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep play masterfully off each, but Ironweed's unrelenting bleakness proves to be more monotonous than compelling.

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Critics Reviews

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John Pym Sight & Sound Jan 28, 2020
Perhaps the heart of the matter is the false lure of the original: some books, such as Ironweed despite strung visual incidents and an almost palpable sense of place, just do not translate to the screen. Go to Full Review
Ed Potton The Times (UK) Dec 3, 2019
4/5
If you enjoyed Richard E Grant and Melissa McCarthy as on-the-skids New Yorkers in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, here's an even starrier example of Hollywood poverty porn. Go to Full Review
Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune Dec 19, 2011
Watching "Ironweed" is like having a large, metal object lodged in your brain for 2 1/2 hours. It hurts. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Aug 21, 2025
2/4
...the picture, which runs a palpably padded-out 143 minutes, has been suffused with a decidedly sluggish pace that’s exacerbated by the episodic, momentum-free narrative... Go to Full Review
Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal Jun 22, 2024
3/5
Few would argue Meryl Streep's Oscar loss to Cher in "Moonstruck." Neither would many defend "Ironwood" as a lost Streep gem. At least she delivers several majestic moments in an otherwise middling effort. Go to Full Review
Ángel Fernández-Santos El Pais (Spain) Apr 8, 2020
Misery is made into an esthetic. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Draco G Jun 17, 2017 Heartbreaking performances from Oscar nominees Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep as drunk derelicts who find evanescences of felicity in a relentlessly Cimmerian portraiture of vagrancy in Depression-striken Albany, New York City. See more
Albus L Feb 17, 2017 There are a huge array of Hollywood legends who have co starred in movies together. Some of these include Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington in Philadelphia, Al pacino and Robert De Niro in Heat, Slyvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzengerr in the Expendables series, Paul Newman and Robert Redford in butch Cassidy in the sundance kid. In 1987 another one was added to the list Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson in Ironweed. A clearcut showcase of two of the best actors to ever do it and they nail both of these dramatic roles. Jack plays Francis a bum with a tragic past who returns to his hometown in upstate, Ny in the 1938. As he walks through his old stomping grounds he is plagued with flashbacks and unpleasant memories of people in his life including his young son whom he accidently killed. Francis also meets his former lover Helen whom he remisnces with in the streets and at a bar. The movie looks at what happens to him and her in a series of life altering days. This is a mostly character driven story, well two characters to be exact but still a great feature. trmemendous screenplay. At the heart it's a story about two people that need each other no matter what. It's a beautifully written friendship. jack Nicholson and meryl streep both disappear greatly into these roles. They're constant banter was fantastic to watch. In general seeing these two legends of the game act off each other in scenes is fantastic. I've never seen Jack play such an emotional character who is haunted by his past. jack's brings a sense of nostalgia to the character that is very relatable and human for anyone who hasn't been in their old neighborhood in a long time. Streep in an breathtaking fashion brings to life this incredible bum character. She very much embodies this woman with her mannerisms, bum teeth and rugged appearance. Streeps makes her truely someone we can enjoy on screen. Her singing of he's me pal was marvelous and the films major standout scene. The film had an awesome production design. Makes you really feel immersed in an authentic 1930's upstate Ny town. good lighting and decent cinematography See more
George W Feb 12, 2017 I watched IRONWEED back in 80's 5 times on theater. It's dark,and yes,depressing,Still there are some pure emotion in this film.I loved especially support actors,Tom Waits,Nathan Lane, See more
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Ironweed

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis In Depression-era Albany, N.Y., erstwhile baseball star Francis Phelan has become an alcoholic vagabond after guilt over accidentally killing his infant son led him to desert his family. Over the course of several days, he ambles from gritty job to dirty bar to makeshift sleeping quarters. By chance, he encounters fellow itinerant drinker and his sometime lover, Helen Archer. Together, they wax nostalgic about their haunted pasts.
Director
Hector Babenco
Producer
Keith Barish, Marcia Nasatir, Gene Kirkwood, C.O. Erickson
Distributor
TriStar Pictures, Columbia Tristar
Production Co
TAFT Entertainment, Keith Barish Productions, Home Box Office (HBO)
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 18, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.9M
Runtime
2h 21m
Sound Mix
Surround
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