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Winter's Tale (film)

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Winter's Tale
Company typeFilm
IndustryMotion picture
Founded2014; 12 years ago (2014)
FounderAkiva Goldsman (director, writer, producer)
Headquarters
United States
ProductsRomantic fantasy film
Number of employees
Cast includes Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Eva Marie Saint, Russell Crowe, Will Smith

Winter's Tale (titled A New York Winter's Tale in the UK and Ireland) is a 2014 American romantic fantasy motion picture adapted from Mark Helprin's 1983 novel of the same name. This film marks Akiva Goldsman's debut as a director, who also wrote and produced the project. The cast features Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Eva Marie Saint in her final screen appearance, Russell Crowe, and Will Smith. Its premiere took place in London on February 14, coinciding with its release across the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Although backed by a star-studded ensemble and a $75 million production budget, Winter's Tale failed to achieve commercial success, earning only $30.8 million worldwide. The movie was largely met with unfavorable critiques but did receive a Golden Trailer Award nomination for Best Romance Poster.

Plot

In 1895, a young immigrant couple is denied entry into Manhattan because of tuberculosis. Their infant son is set adrift inside a model ship named the City of Justice, eventually arriving in New York City. By 1916, this boy, Peter Lake, has grown into a thief raised under the influence of Pearly Soames, a demon masquerading as a gangster. When Peter attempts to break away from Pearly’s criminal gang, he becomes a target for assassination but is saved by an enigmatic white winged horse.

Peter intends to relocate to Florida but is convinced to commit one final burglary at the residence of Beverly Penn, a young woman suffering from consumption who habitually sleeps outdoors due to her illness. During this attempted theft, Peter and Beverly meet and exchange life stories, leading to their falling in love. Pearly orders an assault on Beverly’s home; however, Peter manages to protect her and they flee to the Lake of the Coheeries—a sanctuary beyond Pearly’s supernatural influence. There, Peter earns the respect of Beverly’s family at their summer estate.

Beverly reveals that every individual is born with a miracle destined to transform into a star after death. Seeking access to the lake, Pearly requests permission from Lucifer but is refused; instead, he calls upon another angel to collect on a debt by poisoning Beverly at a social event. Despite Peter’s efforts to save her, Beverly succumbs to the poison. Pearly confronts Peter on the Brooklyn Bridge; although attacked, Peter survives but loses his memory and wanders New York City for a century, creating chalk drawings of a red-haired girl.

In 2014, Peter encounters Abby, a cancer patient who resembles his chalk sketches. He uncovers the Theatre of the Coheeries established by Beverly’s father Isaac and reconnects with Beverly’s sister Willa, now owner of a newspaper. Recognizing Abby as his true "miracle," Peter commits himself to saving her life.

Upon discovering that Peter is still alive, Pearly challenges him to mortal combat. After eliminating Pearly’s men who pursue them beyond New York’s five boroughs, Peter and Pearly engage in battle atop a rooftop near Abby’s apartment. With divine assistance, Peter triumphs over Pearly using the nameplate from the City of Justice model ship. He rescues Abby and ascends skyward on the winged horse as Willa looks on.

Cast

Production

Warner Bros. initially approached Martin Scorsese in 2002 to direct the film, but he declined, describing the project as "unfilmable." The adaptation of Winter's Tale eventually became a personal endeavor for director Akiva Goldsman, who secured studio approval in February 2011 with a budget set at $75 million. By February 2012, the budget was scaled back to $60 million, coinciding with the casting announcements of Will Smith and Russell Crowe in supporting roles. The lead role of Peter Lake attracted auditions from actors such as Benjamin Walker, Tom Hiddleston, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, while actresses like Elizabeth Olsen and Bella Heathcote were considered for the part of Beverly Penn. Jessica Brown Findlay was offered the role of Beverly by March 2012, and Colin Farrell emerged as a potential Peter Lake by April.

In August 2012, William Hurt was cast as Beverly’s father. Additional cast members revealed in September included Matt Bomer, Lucy Griffiths, and Eva Marie Saint. Jennifer Connelly was confirmed as a significant addition to the cast in October 2012, shortly before filming commenced. Principal photography began that same month but encountered interruptions due to Hurricane Sandy. The shooting took place at multiple New York City locations such as Grand Central Terminal, Red Hook, East Village, and Central Park, along with scenes filmed at the Lyndhurst mansion in Tarrytown, New York. Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel employed Arri Alexa digital cameras paired with Panavision C-, E-, and G-Series anamorphic lenses throughout production.

Release

Winter's Tale held its premiere in London on February 13, 2014, followed by its theatrical release in the United States through Warner Bros. Pictures on February 14, 2014. The film debuted at number seven at the box office, earning $7.3 million during its opening weekend. Its domestic gross reached $12.6 million while international receipts totaled $18.2 million, culminating in a worldwide revenue of $30.8 million. Warner Home Video subsequently released the movie on DVD and Blu-ray on June 24, 2014.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Winter's Tale holds a 12% approval rating based on 154 reviews, with an average rating of 3.55 out of 10. The critical consensus highlights its failure to translate the novel’s expansive scope into compelling characters or a coherent storyline. Metacritic assigned the film a score of 31 out of 100 from 35 critics, indicating predominantly unfavorable reviews. Audience polling by CinemaScore resulted in a grade of "B."

Sheila O'Malley from RogerEbert.com awarded the film one-and-a-half stars, criticizing its lack of visual grandeur, emotional resonance, and narrative clarity while acknowledging Colin Farrell’s "urgent and heartfelt" portrayal. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave it one star and questioned Farrell’s choice to use an Irish accent; he concluded that only absurd interruptions could have made the film worse.

Justin Chang of Variety described director Akiva Goldsman as "out of his depth," yet praised Farrell’s watchability and Jessica Brown-Findlay’s luminous presence alongside commendations for production design and cinematography. In contrast, Jordan Gass-Pooré from Slackerwood found the film’s moral message ultimately unsatisfying.

Positive assessments included Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle who rated it three out of four stars; Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Times who appreciated its earnest romantic ambition; and Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader who recognized its rare emotional depth despite awkward dialogue. Author Neil Gaiman also publicly supported the film and encouraged viewers to experience it firsthand.

Awards

The poster for the movie earned a nomination at the Golden Trailer Awards.

Music

The score for Winter's Tale was created by Hans Zimmer and Rupert Gregson-Williams, with Nick Glennie-Smith serving as conductor, and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony. The official soundtrack was made available on February 11, 2014, through WaterTower Music. Prior to this, on February 4, 2014, four tracks were shared on SoundCloud, featuring the lead single "Miracle" performed by Scottish artist KT Tunstall. The additional pieces—"What's the Best Thing You've Ever Stolen?", "You Don't Quit Me, Boy", and "She Was Like a Bright Light"—were composed by Zimmer and Gregson-Williams.

Soundtrack

See also

External links

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