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Cookie's Fortune

Cookie's Fortune

Comedy · Drama · 1999

Conflict arises in the small town of Holly Springs when an old woman's death causes a variety of reactions among family and friends.

Movie details

Cookie's Fortune

“Welcome to Holly Springs... home of murder, mayhem and catfish enchiladas.”

1999 Comedy · Drama 1h 58m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

Conflict arises in the small town of Holly Springs when an old woman's death causes a variety of reactions among family and friends.

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 Cookie's Fortune?

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.

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Young Adult

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Robert Altman

Written by

Anne Rapp

Glenn Close

Glenn Close

Camille Dixon

Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore

Cora Duvall

Liv Tyler

Liv Tyler

Emma Duvall

Chris O'Donnell

Chris O'Donnell

Jason Brown

Charles S. Dutton

Charles S. Dutton

Willis Richland

Patricia Neal

Patricia Neal

Jewel Mae "Cookie" Orcutt

Ned Beatty

Ned Beatty

Lester Boyle

Court is in session

Put Cookie's Fortune on trial.

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

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.