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William Hurt, Maria Bello, Kristen Stewart, Eddie Redmayne, Kaori Momoi ... see more see more... , Emanuel K. Cohn , Nurith Cohn , Veronica Russell , Grover Coulson , Lisha Brock , Lucy Faust , John Gregory Willard , Rebecca Newman , Ross Britz , Marshall Cain , Aimee Spring Fortier , Ross Francis , Douglas M. Griffin , Jeffrey Galpin , Ashlynn Ross , Tanner Gill , Eric F. Adams , Shane Tingle , Michael Kennedy , Paige Pareti , Bello Nock , Victor Brunette , Holly O'Quinn , B. Martin Williams , Noelle Bercy , Dawna Williams

A band of outsiders takes to the highways in this touching independent drama. Brett (William Hurt) is a petty criminal who is eager to turn his life around after spending six years in jail. Brett is l... read more read more...ooking for a ride home to Louisiana, and happens upon a pair of teenagers up for a road trip -- Martine (Kristen Stewart), a 15-year-old girl whose attempts to catch the eye of a boy she loves have ended in failure, and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne), a geeky outcast wishing he could find somewhere to fit in. Brett persuades Martine and Gordy to give him a ride home, and together the three misfits bond over their shared need for acceptance. Driving toward a New Orleans that's been leveled by Hurricane Katrina, Brett can't help but ponder the biggest question in his life -- if his wife, May (Maria Bello), will take him back now that he's a free man. Based on a short story by Pete Hamill, The Yellow Handkerchief received its world premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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60% liked it

12,293 ratings

Critics

68% liked it

47 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 42 min.

Directed by: Udayan Prasad

Release Date: February 26, 2010

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DVD Release Date: July 1, 2010

Stats: 282 reviews

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The Yellow Handkerchief Kristen Stewart Kristen Stewart Kristen Stewart Kristen Stewart Photo shoot Photo shoot Kristen Kristen and the ptotografers At the premiere of the movie Kristen Stewart Photo shoot The Yellow Handkerchief Sundance Film Festival 2008 Sundance Film Festival 2008 Sundance Film Festival 2008 Kristen Stewart and Maria Bello New Photo
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Flixster Reviews (282)

  • romy861
    March 17, 2012
    romy861
    A little disappointing - kind of dull story that hinted at more than it actually was in the flashbacks. Good cast and good acting. I wouldn't say it is a horrible movie, or not worth watching, but I had hoped it would be better. Kristen is the standout here.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    November 22, 2011
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    A love lost in the past. A love struggling for a future.

    Good movie. Kinda of a slow story but develops really well if you have the patience. The film's perspective is about tolerance, acceptance of things as they are, and forgiveness for loved ones and above all for ones self. ... read moreA very good performance from William Hurt and everyone in this film. If you like road movies this is one to see, very deep.

    One lazy afternoon in a backwater Louisiana town, Martine takes a leap into an unfamiliar convertible. The driver, Gordy, an awkward young itinerant who eyed her in the diner earlier, isn't displeased to find this pretty sylph in his front seat. Soon they meet Brett, a laconic, humble man just released from prison. Martine isn't keen on going solo with Gordy, and now it's raining cats and dogs, so she invites Brett along, and the unlikely trio sets out, each person unsure of the destination. What ensues is a journey through the lush green byways of rural Louisiana and into the depths of these characters' souls.
  • itsjustme2004
    November 21, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    The legendary William Hurt does a fantastic job in this moving, yet rather slow, drama. The performances by all were subtle, layered, and charming. A really good story told in a really nice way, with an extremely touching ending. Good Indie flick.
  • aliceinpunderland
    July 29, 2011
    aliceinpunderland
    I remember when this first came out, I was teaching a literature-based composition class, and I kept mistakenly referring to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" as The Yellow Handkerchief.

    Wallpaper seems to be an apt descriptor for this film though. It's ... read morekinda nice to look at - KStew is very pretty with her balletic movements and rust-red hair pulled off her face - but it's ultimately just background - too many flashbacks detailing Brett and May's melodramatically tumultuous relationship and the disappointing reason for Brett's incarceration.

    Eddie Redmayne is the only highlight as the mildly retarded or extremely subversive Gordy.
  • ythelastman89
    October 9, 2010
    ythelastman89
    I think it's a cool road trip movie. Nothing to exciting, but the whole mood of the movie was something I admired and enjoyed. The performances and characters are all really good. Obviously it has some really interesting dialogue and character moments that you don't see in every ... read morerun of the mill drama. It's interesting that the coming of age story isn't part of one of the teenagers, it's from William Hurt. Very peaceful and I liked watching it.
  • LWOODS04
    August 30, 2010
    LWOODS04
    Cast: William Hurt, Maria Bello, Kristen Stewart, Eddie Redmayne, Emmanuel Cohen, Nurith Cohn, Veronica Russell, Marco St. John, Ross Francis, Jeff Galpin, John Gregory Willard

    Director: Udayan Prasad

    Summary: Recently released from jail, convict Brett Hanson (William Hurt)... read more grows close to a young couple, Martine (Kristen Stewart) and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne), while journeying back home to his wife, May (Maria Bello). Set in Louisiana, this romantic road trip drama explores the loneliness everyone carries.

    My Thoughts: "This is a character driven story. The acting was really good in this film, and its important that it was because this story depended on it. Maria Bello was great as May who's had a tough life. Kristen Stewart also puts in a great performance as Martine, a girl who is just looking for someone to take care of her and for someone to notice her. Eddie Redmayne was brilliant as Gordy, the nerdy outspoken bright teenager. But it is William Hurt that stands out in this film. He was superb as Brett the quiet tortured soul who just got out of a six yr. stint in prison. The love story in this film is bittersweet. Brett thinks by giving May a way out of the marriage, is saving her from him. He thinks if he wasn't in the picture he couldn't cause her pain. But breaking away from her wasn't so easy for him. During the film you are shown flashbacks of their life together as he tells their story. He realizes he gave up on the only person he has ever, and will ever love. So even through all the years that have passed, he still finds himself longing for that intense love that they shared. Its a tortured kind of love. It's also a story about three lonely individuals looking to belong and for acceptance. Great film if you can handle the slowness of the film. I love road trip films, and a good love story. So this was just my kind of film."
  • gator681
    February 7, 2012
    gator681
    In "The Yellow Handkerchief," Brett(William Hurt) has just gotten out of jail after serving a six year sentence. After enjoying the benefits of freedom like slowly drinking a beer, he heads towards the river where he catches a ride with Gordy(Eddie Redmayne), an awkward young ma... read moren who is exploring the area in a vintage convertible, even though he already has a passenger in the person of Martine(Kristen Stewart). Brett does not feel comfortable being in the car on the ferry, even during a storm, and sleeps in the bathroom at a motel room they get for the night. But Gordy's untoward advances towards Martine force a rift in the trio until he tells them that because of the storm, there are no buses running that day.

    To its credit, "The Yellow Handkerchief" takes its time in telling its subtly crafted story of characters lost both literally and figuratively in a changed landscape due to Hurricane Katrina, allowing us to get to know them as the movie builds slowly to its neat emotional payoff. Along the way, there is local flavor interspersed with thoughts on forgiveness. That's not to mention the lived in performance from William Hurt, along with the usual exemplary work from Maria Bello.
  • fb1144932598
    January 10, 2012
    fb1144932598
    Three damaged souls come together in this tale of a man, recently released from prison, returning to New Orleans, in search of the wife he left behind. Gordy (Eddie Redmayne) is a young native American, a guy who has never fit in anywhere. Martine (Kristen Stewart) just wants to ... read morefind someone who cares about her. And Brett (William Hurt) is the ex-con trying to discover whether May(Maria Bello) still cares. Over the course of an improbable journey of several days to drive the length of Louisiana, these three vagabonds tell their life stories and the viewer becomes invested in the outcome. A well done film, with strong performances from all of the principles.
  • xas5
    January 6, 2011
    xas5
    Nice chill soulful piece. Had this film been marketed better, it could have been a bigger deal, especially with the presence of the "Twilight" queen herself, Kristen Stewart. William Hurt pulls off a heart wrenching performance involved in the unlikeliest of love stories.
  • mvieaddict
    December 4, 2010
    mvieaddict
    The Yellow Handkerchief appeared as just another road movie,it started real slow in the first half and showed three stories of three damaged souls. Brett Hanson, a role for William Hurt, an ex convict, hiding a dark secret, and Kristen Steward, as Martine, a 15 year old girl who... read more was just discovering life.Director Prasad did a job of showing the audience the emotions.as these three felt each other out, and got comfortable together. Ofcourse there was tension, Brett was older, hardened, with mysteries, and anger, fear and disgust, before the softening. The strengths and weaknesses of each character were slowly exposed as their journey led them in search of acceptance, hope and love. Cinematography was kinda sad, as the Louisiana country was exposed and showing it has not recovered from the ravages of Katrina.

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Critic Reviews

Tom Long
April 2, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

This is basically brooding people doing awkward things in a humid environment. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
March 12, 2010
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

The Yellow Handkerchief is a love story. Two, really. At its center is the sweetly fractured ticking of a broken heart on the mend. Full Review

Colin Covert
March 12, 2010
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

This modest but moving indie ensemble piece puts three estimable actors in a convertible, sets them on a long drive to post-Katrina Louisiana and lets the character dynamics do the rest. Full Review

Steven Rea
March 12, 2010
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

The Yellow Handkerchief is a surprisingly moving drama -- a throwback to the small, character-driven indies of yesteryear. Full Review

Ty Burr
March 12, 2010
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Even Stewart, an untutored colt of an actress who can toggle between natural grace and utter haplessness, finds her groove here. Full Review

Roger Ebert
March 11, 2010
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

You don't need an original story for a movie. You need original characters and living dialogue. Full Review

James Berardinelli
March 10, 2010
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Sluggish. Torpid. Boring. Full Review

Roger Moore
March 10, 2010
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

The sleepy scenery and charming performances -- Stewart escapes her vampires and reminds everyone what the fuss used to be about -- keep The Yellow Handkerchief from blowing it. Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum
March 3, 2010
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

Here the fascination is Hurt, so deft at steering his character away from booby-trap clichés that he guides his young costars safely out of sap's way and brightens an otherwise very yellowed tale. Full Review

Rex Reed
March 3, 2010
Rex Reed, New York Observer

With tired eyes, a hesitant stoop and thinning hair, William Hurt makes only occasional appearances in films these days, but he's forgotten nothing about the kind of niche acting that informed his ear... Full Review

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