Antonia's Line

Director: Marleen Gorris Marleen Gorris

Overview

A strong-willed Dutch woman recalls her life in this uplifting picture that won the 1996 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Antonia (Willeke van Ammelrooy) is an elderly woman who wakes up one morning and realizes that this is the last day of her life. She begins to tell her story in flashback, beginning with her arrival home to the family farm after World War II with her daughter, Danielle (Els Dottermans). For the next fifty years, a variety of colorful characters come and go on the farm. Danielle becomes a painter, and decides she wants a child but no husband, so Antonia arranges the proper donation. Danielle giving birth to Therese (Veerle van Overloop), who laters has her own child, Sarah (Thyrza Ravesteijn), also without virtue of a husband. Antonia and her descendants come to symbolize the freedom of independent females, with little need for men in their lives.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/19/2016
UPC:	0857692005802
Original Release:	1995
Rating:	R
Source:	Film Movement
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:43:00
Sales rank:	51,086

Special Features

cc Archival interview with director Marleen Gorris* * Excerpt from VPRO Laat: Stardust 1995 VPRO/The Netherlands. Courtesy: VPRO/Stardust

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Willeke van Ammelrooy	Antonia
Els Dottermans	Danielle
Jan Decleir	Boer Bas,Farmer Bas's Other Child
Mil Seghers	Crooked Finger
Catherine ten Bruggencate	Mad Madonna
Jan Steen	Loony Lips
Marina De Graaf	Deedee
Therese	Veerle Van Overloop
Dora van der Groen	Allegonde
Veerle van Overloop	Therese
Jakob Beks	Farmer Daan
Elsie de Brauw	Lara
Thyrza Ravesteijn	Sarah
Wimie Wilhelm	Letta
Flip Filz	The Curate
Fran Waller Zeper	Olga
Reinout Bussemaker	Simon
Filip Peeters	Pitte
Michael Pas	Janne
Paul Kooij	The Protestant
Leo Hogenboom	The Village Priest
Esther Vriesendorp	Therese (age 13)
Carolien Spoor	Therese (age 6)
Dirk Zeelenberg	Pier
Ellen Dikker	Muisje
Truus te Selle	Ma Ge
Erik de Bruyn	Arend
Petra Laseur	Mother Theodora
Michel van Dousselaere	Blacksmith
Hans Man in't Veld	The Professor
Johan Heldenbergh	Tom
Victor Low	Harry
Igor Corbeau	Simon (age 13)
Carlo Van Dam	Simon (age 6)
Lineke Rijxman	Narrator
Hans Kesting	Blacksmith
Pieter Callens	Farmer Bas's Other Child
Daniel Dailly	Farmer Bas's Other Child
Margo Dames	Thérèse
Sarah De Ceuleer	Letta's Other Child
Christophe De Laere	Letta's Other Child
Ilse Dense	Letta's Other Child
Christophe Horemans	Farmer Bas's Other Child
Jeroen Huysmans	Letta's Other Child
Barbara Maes	Letta's Other Child
Tamara Maes	Letta's Other Child
Gabriella Martinson	Letta's Other Child
Cederic Missine	Muisje's Child
Kristel Olejniejoh	Letta's Other Child
Charlène Pottevin	Deedee's Child
Eddy Praet	Farmer Bas's Other Child
Stijn Rabaey	Muisje's Child
Gilles Robertino	Letta's Other Child
Antoon Schotsaert	Farmer Bas's Other Child
Manon Sodderland	Picture of Maria
Jesse Tomballe	Letta's Other Child
Menno Tomballe	Letta's Other Child
Adriaan Van Den Hoof	Farmer Bas's Other Child
Gilles Van Durme	Letta's Other Child
Daisy Van Laer	Letta's Other Child
Dorien Van Laer	Letta's Other Child
Tine Vanhoucke	Muisje's Child
Aurelie Verstraeten	Letta's Other Child
Jascha Vervoort	Farmer Bas's Other Child
Nicky Wolfs	Letta's Other Child
Gosewijn Zwanikken	Picture of Jesus
Ilona Sekacz	Composer

Technical Credits

Marleen Gorris

Marleen Gorris	Director,Screenwriter
Olivier de Laveleye	Special Effects
Hans de Weers	Producer
Job Gosschalk	Casting
Hans Kemna	Casting
Steven van Couwelaar	Special Effects
Dirk Bombey	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Antonia's Line
1. Chapter 1 [9:12]
2. Chapter 2 [8:38]
3. Chapter 3 [8:29]
4. Chapter 4 [9:44]
5. Chapter 5 [10:27]
6. Chapter 6 [6:50]
7. Chapter 7 [9:25]
8. Chapter 8 [9:01]
9. Chapter 9 [7:47]
10. Chapter 10 [10:40]
11. Chapter 11 [8:28]
12. Chapter 12 [3:40]
13. Chapter 13 [:02]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Antonia's Line
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   Chapters
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      Subtitles: On
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   Special Features
      Archival Interview With Director Marleen Gorris
      Film Movement Classics Trailers:
         The Pillow Book
         Best Intentions
         Full Moon In Paris
         The Marquise Of O
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         The Tall Blond Man With One Black Shoe
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Editorial Reviews

A lively, robust look at 50 years in the life of a remarkable Dutch woman, Antonia's Line is equal parts laid-back comedy and perceptive social commentary. The film is built on character development, thanks to the strengths of director Marleen Gorris and her actors, particularly Willeke van Ammelrooy as Antonia. van Ammelrooy is quite convincing as she ages from 30 to 85, and even more convincing is Gorris' complete belief in the values espoused by the film's characters, and her refusal to question the decisions made by Antonia and her descendents. Theirs is an open-minded, independent existence, free of the need for male protectors or male approval. Although many viewers praised the film's feminist slant, others labelled it one-dimensional male-bashing. Antonia's Line does at times come across as a little too self-satisfied, as if Gorris were hesitant to allow her philosophy to suffer the weight of even mild criticism. Even so, the film remains a delightful paean to independent women, and to the power of carving one's own path instead of merely following someone else's.

All Movie Guide

Antonia's Line, which won the Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival, concludes gracefully. It ends on such a note of peace and well-being that even death, in this context, is appreciated as a miracle. Janet Maslin

New York Times