Set in the south of the United States just after the Civil War, Laurel Sommersby is just managing to work the farm without her husband Jack, believed killed in the Civil War. By all accounts, Jack Sommersby was not a pleasant man, thus when he returns, Laurel has mixed emotions. It appears that Jack has changed a great deal, leading some people to believe that this is not actually Jack but an imposter. Laurel herself is unsure, but willing to take the man into her home, and perhaps later into her heart...
If you're looking for a picturesque romance -- with a little intrigue on the side -- you could do worse than Sommersby.
– Desson Thomson,
Washington Post,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
It's really an old-fashioned hankie-soaker with Gere and Foster ably jerking tears. An odd yet convincing couple, they won't replace Rhett and Scarlet, and frankly, my dears, who can? But belles wring and bosoms heave in a manner most pleasing.
– Rita Kempley,
Washington Post,
1 Jan 2000
rotten:
A square peg pounded into a round hole -- or, more exactly, a medieval European story that has been unsuccessfully updated to the period of the American Civil War.
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
From start to finish, it is a well-crafted film: part love story, part mystery, and all drama.
– James Berardinelli,
ReelViews,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
Though there is a near vaccuum at the center of the film, Sommersby is never boring, largely because of Ms. Foster's beautifully self-possessed presence.