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Holy Matrimony

  • 1994
  • PG-13
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
Patricia Arquette and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Holy Matrimony (1994)
Watch Trailer
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
19 Photos
ComedyCrime

A young Hutterite boy must marry his late brother's wife who comes from outside the community.A young Hutterite boy must marry his late brother's wife who comes from outside the community.A young Hutterite boy must marry his late brother's wife who comes from outside the community.

  • Director
    • Leonard Nimoy
  • Writers
    • David Weisberg
    • Douglas Cook
  • Stars
    • Patricia Arquette
    • Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    • Armin Mueller-Stahl
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.1/10
    1.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Leonard Nimoy
    • Writers
      • David Weisberg
      • Douglas Cook
    • Stars
      • Patricia Arquette
      • Joseph Gordon-Levitt
      • Armin Mueller-Stahl
    • 15User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 0:31
    Trailer

    Photos19

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    Top cast52

    Edit
    Patricia Arquette
    Patricia Arquette
    • Havana
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    • Ezekiel
    Armin Mueller-Stahl
    Armin Mueller-Stahl
    • Wilhelm
    Tate Donovan
    Tate Donovan
    • Peter
    John Schuck
    John Schuck
    • Markowski
    Lois Smith
    Lois Smith
    • Orna
    Courtney B. Vance
    Courtney B. Vance
    • Cooper
    Jeffrey Nordling
    Jeffrey Nordling
    • Link
    Richard Riehle
    Richard Riehle
    • Greeson
    Mary Pat Gleason
    Mary Pat Gleason
    • Female Officer
    Alaine Byrne
    • Bar Woman
    Dan Cossolini
    • Bartender
    Lori Alan
    Lori Alan
    • Cleopatra
    Jess Schwidde
    • Samuel
    Franz Novak
    • Teacher
    Art Weber
    • Elder
    Ted Hoff
    • Elder
    Wes Ries
    • Elder
    • Director
      • Leonard Nimoy
    • Writers
      • David Weisberg
      • Douglas Cook
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews15

    5.11.7K
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    Featured reviews

    Renaldo Matlin

    Barely average, but not without charm

    Donovan brings girlfriend Arquette to his native Hutterite community in an attempt to hide from the law after a robbery. They marry but shortly after he dies and -in keeping with the biblical tradition- his 12 year old brother must take his place in the marriage! Joseph Gordon-Levitt is terrific as little Zeke, but the plot involving a crazed FBI-agent should have been left out of this story.
    paprika_qt

    It was billed as a sexy comedy...I don't know where they got "sexy"...

    ...but all in all it wasn't so very painful.

    It's hard to find an accurate descriptor for this movie. It was an effort...you sort of find yourself feeling the same way about it that you would about a child's school report read aloud...gently ignoring glaring flaws and nodding encouragingly.

    Bonus points for including Hutterites in a movie. I bet a lot of people had no idea they even existed. Take away a few points for the gott-awful pseudogerman accents that everyone affected...they didn't work at all. Tate Donovan couldn't even keep the accent consistently...I thought at first he was acting "American" and then going back to German when he returned to the community...but then I heard American there too.

    The plot had charm, but it was overall weak. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was very cute as Zeke, save a couple of stilted moments (in the car at the border). Patricia Arquette is generally a charming actress, but I found myself wincing a couple of times....("Jack...Daniels! Wooooooo!") The only character who seemed halfway authentic was Uncle Wilhelm, everyone else seemed uncomfortable and out-of-place.

    The cover of the jacket bills it as a sexy comedy....I don't know where that came from....what sex?

    Anyhow, it was sweet...not the best-directed or the best-acted, but it felt like the intention was there.
    DIE HARD-4

    Really cute

    "Holy Matrimony" is a very cute, heartwarming movie. It one of those films that make you feel really good when you've watched it. At least it made me feel that way. It has a good script and an equally good cast. And Patricia Arquette is looking good !! Hey what more do you need ?!?! Go rent and watch it !!
    6ma-cortes

    Amusing comedy about a couple hidden in a religious community

    The movie concerns on a thieves pair named Havana and Peter(Patricia Arquette, Tate Donovan) rob a country fair proprietary(Richard Riehle)and fled to only place where no one look for them. Both determine which the best way to avoid detection is to blend with the Hutterite community, an Amish-alike society and where Peter was raised by his parents(Armin Mueller Stahl, Lois Smith). Peter hides his loot in a secret hiding location, but then he soon dies in a car crash. His little boy brother named Ezequiel(Joseph Gordon Lewitt) is called to replace him and marry to Havana. She has to adjust to the new life style and his feeling for the boy. And end up interwoven a sensitive undercurrent of caring and she learns how to love all over again. Meanwhile, they're pursued by two agents(John Schuck, Courtney Vance).

    This is an enjoyable comedy with good feeling, entertaining, agreeable humor and language is suitable for all. The main issue about this movie is from how she tries to adapt the new life whilst keeping up the presence of being a good woman . It's enough remarkable in portraying the Hutterite way of life sympathetically and the likable relationship of the juvenile marriage. It's understandable why it was not great success in the theatre, as it has not spectacular special effects , isn't a blockbuster , but for the television set , its's just what is required. The film takes parts here and there from ¨Witness¨(Peter Weir with Harrison Ford) and ¨For richer and poorer¨(Bryan Spicer with Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley). Colorful cinematography by Bukowski and emotive musical score by Bruce Broughton. The motion picture is professionally directed by the famous Leonard Nimoy, Spock . He's a good director of comedy-drama(Good mother, Funny about love, 3 men and a baby), Sci-Fi(Star Trek III and V) and occasionally for television(Deadly games,Night gallery, T.J. Hooker). Rating : Average but bemusing.
    9starseif

    great movie

    while attending the montana state fair in Great Falls we stopped for lunch at the cascade county search and rescue food booth and ordered. sitting next to me was a very nice girl. I would have been 14 at the time and she was very easy to talk to and just a fun person to be around. Little did we know she was a movie star let alone one being filmed that day. In short Patricia Arquette is a very kind and down to earth person I will always respect her. After she finished eating there was fight between her and some man with a brief case and we couldn't believe what was happening the girl we had lunch with was fighting with some guy. then it happened again and again then we figured out that it was part of a movie. later we followed along and were able to be part of the crowd at the fair and in many other scenes that were left on the cutting room floor. But a will say that the movie is worth watching and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a self absorbed bastard. what the heck it was directed by Leonard Nimoy it is worth watching

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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Leonard Nimoy's final film as a director.
    • Goofs
      At the hotel, Zeke is told to get a room key. As he tries various doors, we see that they are operated by key cards. When his wife meets him in the lobby, she hands him the room key which is metal and dangling from a keychain, although there would have been no way he could have used that to open the room door.
    • Quotes

      Havana: What are you going to say when we get to the border?

      Ezekiel: We're going to return stolen money.

      Havana: Oh, that's a great answer...

      Ezekiel: Thank you. I thought so, too.

      Havana: It's a great answer if you wanna go to jail.

      Ezekiel: What?

      Havana: If you say that, they're gonna think you were in on the robbery. They'll put you in jail. And the first thing they're gonna do is burn your little hat. Then the second thing they're gonna do is take away your bible. Then the third thing... is the worst thing.

      Ezekiel: What?

      Havana: Rats! Rats in your face! Rats all night long! Back and forth. They seem to like faces more than anything. They're bred that way. They're called face rats!

      Ezekiel: [scared] Face rats?

      Havana: So we're gonna have to lie a little.

      Ezekiel: Oh, I don't like to lie.

      Havana: You like your face to be eaten by rats?

      Ezekiel: Okay, what do I have to say?

      Havana: Repeat after me: we are going to visit family in Montana for the day.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Minty Comedic Arts: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Rock (2023)

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Holy Matrimony?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 8, 1994 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Esposa por herencia
    • Filming locations
      • Great Falls, Montana, USA
    • Production companies
      • Hollywood Pictures
      • Interscope Communications
      • Polygram Filmed Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $713,234
    • Gross worldwide
      • $713,234
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 33m(93 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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