Back to trending
The Pumpkin Eater

The Pumpkin Eater

Drama · 1964

Jo, the mother of seven children, divorces her second husband in order to marry Jake, a successful but promiscuous screenwriter. Though they are physically and emotionally compatible, they are slowly torn apart.

Movie details

The Pumpkin Eater

“A Much Married Woman Who Drifts From Husband to Husband!”

1964 Drama 1h 50m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

Jo, the mother of seven children, divorces her second husband in order to marry Jake, a successful but promiscuous screenwriter. Though they are physically and emotionally compatible, they are slowly torn apart.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Pumpkin Eater?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

I Never Sang for My Father

I Never Sang for My Father

Drama · 1970

A man living in the towering shadow of his aging father finds it difficult to start a new chapter in his life by marrying his girlfriend and moving to California.

Normal

Normal

Drama · 2003

A Midwestern husband and father announces his plan to have a sex change operation.

Journeyman

Journeyman

Drama · 2018

A boxer suffers a serious head injury during a fight, and must deal with the consequences.

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film

Drama · 2013

A psychotherapist helps a law student cope with schizophrenia in one of five interconnected tales dealing with mental illness.

Helen

Helen

Drama · 2009

On the outside, Helen has it all – a loving family and a successful career – but when her suppressed mental illness resurfaces, the world crumbles around her. Crippled by depression, Helen finds solace through her friendship with Mathilda, a kindred spirit struggling with bipolar disorder.

What Maisie Knew

What Maisie Knew

Drama · 2013

In New York City, a young girl is caught in the middle of her parents' bitter custody battle.

Resurrecting the Champ

Resurrecting the Champ

Drama · 2007

Up-and-coming sports reporter rescues a homeless man ("Champ") only to discover that he is, in fact, a boxing legend believed to have passed away. What begins as an opportunity to resurrect Champ's story and escape the shadow of his father's success becomes a personal journey as the ambitious reporter reexamines his own life and his relationship with his family.

Sky

Sky

Drama · 2016

A woman embarks on a journey alone across the United States after fleeing from her violent husband.

Gigi & Nate

Gigi & Nate

Drama · 2022

A young man with a bright future suffers a near-fatal accident and recreates his new life with the help of an unlikely animal friend.

My Dinner with Hervé

My Dinner with Hervé

Drama · 2018

An unlikely friendship evolves over one wild night in LA between a struggling journalist and actor Hervé Villechaize, the world's most famous gun-toting dwarf, resulting in life-changing consequences for both.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Jack Clayton

Written by

Harold Pinter

Anne Bancroft

Anne Bancroft

Jo Armitage

Peter Finch

Peter Finch

Jake Armitage

James Mason

James Mason

Bob Conway

Janine Gray

Janine Gray

Beth Conway

Cedric Hardwicke

Cedric Hardwicke

Mr. James - Jo's father

Rosalind Atkinson

Rosalind Atkinson

Mrs. James - Jo's mother

Alan Webb

Alan Webb

Mr. Armitage - Jake's father

Court is in session

Put The Pumpkin Eater on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.