Synopsis

In 1850s New York, wealthy and painfully shy Catherine Sloper falls in love with Morris Townsend, a charming but penniless suitor. Her authoritarian father suspects Morris wants only Catherine's inheritance and threatens to disown her if she marries him. Trapped between romantic hope, family control, and social expectations, Catherine must decide whether to trust her feelings or protect her dignity.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on Henry James' novel, which had previously inspired the Broadway play and the 1949 film The Heiress.

• Unlike The Heiress, this adaptation returns to James' original title and follows the novel's more restrained, psychologically ambiguous approach.

• New York's Washington Square had changed too much to represent the 1850s, so location filming used Baltimore's historic Union Square instead.

• Jennifer Jason Leigh reportedly pursued the role of Catherine Sloper after learning that a new adaptation was being planned. She was selected after competing with several better-known actresses.

• Catherine is described as exceedingly plain, and Leigh wore little or no makeup during much of the production to support that characterization.

• Brooke Shields was initially cast as Catherine but left the project because of her commitment to the television series Suddenly Susan.

• The film received a limited U.S. release in October 1997 rather than opening nationwide.