An affair between a young woman and a pastor has disastrous consequences.
Looking for a slightly scary movie to watch this Halloween? Check out our picks for movies that (hopefully) won't keep you up at night.
Related News
-
Kevin Conway Dies, Funny Farm and Oz Star Was 77
07 February 2020 | MovieWeb -
Kevin Conway, ‘Gettysburg’ and ‘Thirteen Days’ Actor, Dies at 77
07 February 2020 | The Wrap -
Kevin Conway Dies: ‘Gettysburg’, ‘Thirteen Days’ & ‘Invincible’ Actor Was 77
07 February 2020 | Deadline
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: The Scarlet Letter (1995)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
1 win & 10 nominations.
See more awards »
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Demi Moore | ... | Hester Prynne | |
| Gary Oldman | ... | Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale | |
| Robert Duvall | ... | Roger Chillingworth | |
 |
Lisa Andoh | ... | Mituba (as Lisa Joliffe-Andoh) |
| Edward Hardwicke | ... | Gov. John Bellingham | |
| Robert Prosky | ... | Horace Stonehall | |
| Roy Dotrice | ... | Rev. Thomas Cheever | |
| Joan Plowright | ... | Harriet Hibbons | |
| Malcolm Storry | ... | Maj. Dunsmuir | |
|
|
James Bearden | ... | Goodman Mortimer (as Jim Bearden) |
| Larissa Laskin | ... | Goody Mortimer | |
| Amy Wright | ... | Goody Gotwick | |
| George Aguilar | ... | Johnny Sassamon | |
| Tim Woodward | ... | Brewster Stonehall | |
| Joan Gregson | ... | Elizabeth Cheever | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
In 1666 in the Massachusetts Bay colony, Puritans and the Algonquian have an uneasy truce. Hester Prynne (Demi Moore) arrives from England, seeking independence. Awaiting her husband, she establishes independence, fixing up a house, befriending Quakers and other outsiders. Passion draws her to the young pastor, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale (Gary Oldman). He feels the same; when they learn her husband has probably died at the hands of Indians, they consummate their love. A child is born, and on the day Hester is publicly humiliated and made to wear a scarlet letter, her husband appears after a year with Indians. Calling himself Chillingworth (Robert Duvall), he seeks revenge, searching out Hester's lover and stirring fears of witchcraft. Will his murderous plot succeed? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Taglines:
When intimacy is forbidden and passion is a sin, love is the most defiant crime of all.Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
(Based on Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings")
Performed by Robert Shaw and the Robert Shaw Festival Singers
(Adm. by G. Schirmen Inc. (ASCAP))
Courtesy of Telarc International Corporation
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Demi Moore reportedly said she was fine with changing the ending, because not many people have read the book. See more »Goofs
Nicholas Rice is credited as playing the clerk, but the role was actually played by someone else. See more »Quotes
Pearl: My father died before I reached my teens. Some say that was a punishment. My mother never remarried or loved another. Some say THAT was a punishment.See more »
Soundtracks
Agnus Dei(Based on Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings")
Performed by Robert Shaw and the Robert Shaw Festival Singers
(Adm. by G. Schirmen Inc. (ASCAP))
Courtesy of Telarc International Corporation
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Edit
Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
13 October 1995 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Scarlet Letter See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$46,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$4,119,086, 15 October 1995Gross USA:
$10,382,407Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$10,382,407Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1Contribute to This Page
Looking for some great streaming picks? Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist.
Indians?! Excuse me? Did the person who adapted the screenplay even check out Cliffnotes to see what Hawthorne meant the plot to be?
I wouldn't mind as much if the movie had been titled differently. It's just plain disrespectful to use the name of a classic if you mean to change the whole point of the story. Moore was many things Hester shouldn't have been. Hester is a beautiful woman, a romantic, who loves but also knows, deep down, that her sin hurts herself as much as anyone else. Moore lacks any of the depth that Hester Prynne ought to have. And the ending? Pfft. Don't watch this. Read Hawthorne's book, it'll do you some good.