Antonia (Antonia's Line) poster & wallpaper
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Willeke van Ammelrooy, Els Dottermans, Jan Decleir, Marina De Graaf, Mil Seghers ... see more see more... , Jan Steen , Reinout Bussemaker , Hans Kesting , Michaël Pas , Lineke Rijxman , Catherine ten Bruggencate , Hans Man in't Veld , Victor Löw , Margo Dames , Dora van der Groen , Filip Peeters , Truus Te Selle , Erik de Bruyn , Petra Laseur , Paul R. Kooij , Jakob Beks , Pieter Callens , Igor Corbeau , Daniel Dailly , Elsie de Brauw , Sarah De Ceuleer , Christophe De Laere , Jenne Decleir , Ilse Dense , Ellen Dikker , Flip Filz , Johan Heldenbergh , Leo Hogenboom , Christophe Horemans , Jeroen Huysmans , Barbara Maes , Tamara Maes , Gabriella Martinson , Cederic Missine , Kristel Olejniejoh , Charlène Pottevin , Eddy Praet , Stijn Rabaey , Thyrza Ravesteijn , Gilles Robertino , Antoon Schotsaert , Manon Sodderland , Carolien Spoor , Jesse Tomballe , Menno Tomballe , Carlo Van Dam , Adriaan Van Den Hoof , Michel van Dousselaere , Gilles Van Durme , Daisy Van Laer , Dorien Van Laer , Veerle van Overloop , Tine Vanhoucke , Aurelie Verstraeten , Jascha Vervoort , Esther Vriesendorp , Wimie Wilhelm , Nicky Wolfs , Dirk Zeelenberg , Fran Waller Zeper , Gosewijn Zwanikken

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 ... read more read more...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. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

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89% liked it

5,991 ratings

Critics

64% liked it

25 critics

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Marleen Gorris

Release Date: September 12, 1995

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DVD Release Date: October 12, 1999

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Flixster Reviews (384)

  • fb1216165431
    September 10, 2011
    fb1216165431
    Antonia's Line is a quirky and whimsical story of Antonia with themes on love, family, and community that also gently explores topics on feminism and independence. Emotionally engaging, pleasant, and precious masterpiece. Remarkable.
  • hunterjt13
    July 29, 2011
    hunterjt13
    A woman recalls her entire adult life on her deathbed.
    This film is way too expository, relying almost solely on narration to tell the story. It's not really a film because it uses almost none of the elements inherent to film; rather, it's a short novel with pictures and actors.... read more
    A perfect example of the film's flaws is the impact of the second rape scene. Out of the blue, we hear that a character has been raped, and then we see Antonia's response to it, taking a gun and kicking the rapist out of town. But this sequence, ripe with emotional resonance, has almost no impact on the audience because there wasn't an adequate set-up, so that we can feel suspense and fear for the victim, and there wasn't any visual, graphic or implied, that allowed us to see the result of the crime. The sequence becomes mere Cliff's Notes, and the same problem pervades the entire film.
    And the titular character is almost a minor role. I'm surprised that the film didn't center around her and the other interesting character, "Crooked Finger," more.
    Overall, Antonia's Line is like the connective tissue of a Victorian novel, over-narrated, maudlin, and unspecific.
  • philliprenke
    May 12, 2009
    philliprenke
    A grandmother on her deathbed prompts the return of her daughter and grand-daughter. This dutch town is equivilant to some inbread, backwoods, redneck town in Arkansas, which doesn't explain why she stays and settles down there. The movie continues through two more generations of... read more daughters, so we never seem to develope one character for to long. This won best foreign film for some reason. I just didn't like it.
  • lunaviker
    October 4, 2008
    lunaviker
    I saw this many years ago with my mom when we used to sneak into the free weekly movie showings at the local senior citizen center. I don't remember much of it at all, but it made such an impression on me that even after all these years I list it as one of my favorite movies. Whi... read moremsical and imaginative, and sweetly moving.
  • heybarbara
    August 30, 2008
    heybarbara
    I think the other viewers got it wrong when they said the movie suggested "who needs men?". This movie contains every kind of relationship combination imaginable-- the message was anybody can find love. People also have children under all sorts of circumstances in this movie. The... read more characters are in a family like relationship to each other because in a lot of cases they don't fit in with their family or the norm. Not to mention it explores the relationship of a woman with her family--- her mother, her daughter and her granddaughter. This movie explores religion and atheism, namely the hypocrisy of religion and the emptiness and search for meaning when one doesn't have religion. This movie explores a lot of themes- love, life, death, good vs. evil, and meaning. If all a person got out of it was that it was anti-family and anti-religion and anti-male, then they have lived a pretty sheltered life and won't get "it" anyway.
  • bradshawamber
    September 10, 2007
    bradshawamber
    For feminists and lovers of women everywhere, this movie is about a 4 generations of powerful women in a small country town.
  • nkkigrrl28
    August 2, 2007
    nkkigrrl28
    I was expecting more. There was so much hype! Cute film...but I was underwhelmed. Maybe I expected too much
  • ettajoy
    February 14, 2007
    ettajoy
    The movie started a bit slow but about 2 minutes in the whole pace changes. I enjoyed this movie and all the actors. It spans 40 years but it goes quick! Definately rent it if you enjoy foreign films.
  • WoofiesMom
    January 14, 2007
    WoofiesMom
    A quirky foreign film that addresses deep seated things in a light manner, you'll see just why it won Best Foreign Film and wins your heart, too!

View All Antonia (Antonia's Line) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jeff Millar
January 1, 2000
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle

Odd feminist fun.

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Here is female empowerment as you've never seen it on screen before, with the narrative daring to make no compromises at all. Full Review

Janet Maslin
January 1, 2000
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Written and directed with quirky charm by Marleen Gorris. Full Review

Tom Keogh
January 1, 2000
Tom Keogh, Film.com

Pleasant, if too-precious.

John Teegarden
January 1, 2000
John Teegarden, Film.com

This is the rare film that does actually succeed in suggesting the experience of a lifetime.

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Gorris has fashioned a rare and wonderful world capable of provoking both laughter and tears -- sometimes at the same time. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Even if [Gorris] is too optimistic, I am glad her movie made me feel hopeful and cheerful. Full Review

Lyall Bush
January 1, 2000
Lyall Bush, Film.com

It's an ambitious project, this telling of a whole life as well as its consequences, and Gorris manages to pull it off.

Edward Guthmann
January 1, 2000
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

Antonia is obviously our point person here, but she's such a sour pickle that you never get to ease into her story. Full Review

Rob Gonsalves
April 9, 2007
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

Harsh and gentle, sensual and intellectual, wise-ass and heartfelt -- it's a full package. Full Review

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