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The Sheltering Sky Movie Poster
Plot, Details & Awards

The Sheltering Sky

R In Theaters 12/4/1990 , 139min.
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Plot & Details

From director Bernardo Bertolucci, The Sheltering Sky is a filmed adaptation of the novel of the same name by Paul Bowles. Debra Winger and John Malkovich star as Kit and Port Moresby, a married American couple who globetrot to North Africa in the late '40s with the hopes of re-sparking their love and adding some zest to their lackluster lives. Along for the ride is the pair's friend George Tunner (Campbell Scott), who soon begins having an affair with Kit. As they struggle through the numbing heat of Africa amidst the sudden love triangle, each of the trio sees his and her beliefs and lives challenged. The Sheltering Sky earned a Best Director nomination for Bertolucci at the 1991 Golden Globe Awards.
  • MPAA Rating: R
  • Genre(s): Action,Drama
  • Run Time: 139min.
  • Theatrical Release Date: 12/04/1990
  • DVD Release Date: 05/14/2002
  • Distributor(s): Warner Brothers
  • Director(s): Bernardo Bertolucci
  • Starring: John Malkovich , Debra Winger , Campbell Scott , Jill Bennett , Timothy Spall
  • Themes: Americans Abroad,Love Triangles,Crumbling Marriages
  • Tone: Atmospheric,Deliberate,Enigmatic,Meditative,Sexual,Sweeping,Understated
  • Keywords: Africa,desert,extramarital-affair,friendship,heat,husband-and-wife,love-triangle
  • Country of Origin: USA (10-12-1990)
  • Language: English

Awards

Golden Globes

Year Award CategoryCast & Crew Result
1990 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Original Score Richard Horowitz Won
1990 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Original Score Ryuichi Sakamoto Won
1990 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Director Bernardo Bertolucci Nominated
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