---
title: "A Room with a View"
year: 1986
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-room-with-a-view"
fi1m_id: "a-room-with-a-view"
imdb_id: "tt0091867"
tmdb_id: 11257
wikidata_id: "Q203574"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 74
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-10-06T12:12:45.347401+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# A Room with a View (1986)

Directed by James Ivory · 1h 57m · MPA NR · Drama, Romance

## Identity

A Room with a View

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/a-room-with-a-view
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** a-room-with-a-view
- **IMDb ID:** tt0091867
- **TMDB ID:** 11257
- **Wikidata ID:** Q203574
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091867/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11257, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q203574

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 74 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Falling in love would be quicker if everyone stopped being so well brought up

> James Ivory’s Edwardian romance is warm, funny and more alert to desire than its well-mannered surface suggests. Helena Bonham Carter and Maggie Smith make it worth the occasional slow stretch; we recommend it with pleasure.

## Synopsis

Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) is at the centre of an Edwardian romance about love, manners and the difficulty of admitting what one wants. George Emerson (Julian Sands) and Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis) bring different temperaments to her social world, while Charlotte Bartlett (Maggie Smith) has firm ideas about proper behaviour. Questions of feeling and convention also draw in Mr Emerson (Denholm Elliott) and the Reverend Mr Beebe (Simon Callow). James Ivory directs Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s adaptation of E.M. Forster’s’s novel, with Judi Dench as Eleanor Lavish and Rosemary Leach as Mrs Honeychurch.

## Review

James Ivory’s *A Room with a View* is funny, warm and occasionally too leisurely for its own good. Working from E.M. Forster’s’s novel, screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala finds comedy in the effort people make to seem proper when their feelings are anything but orderly. The Edwardian setting gives that effort its particular rules. The film understands how wearing it can be to live among people who think embarrassment is a serious moral failure.

Helena Bonham Carter’s Lucy Honeychurch is crucial because the film would become insufferable if she were simply more sensible than everybody around her. Bonham Carter allows hesitation to look awkward rather than fetching, and makes uncertainty interesting without asking us to applaud it. We were moved by the effort in her performance to keep Lucy’s feelings from showing. It is the visible strain of behaving properly that makes us want things to become easier for her.

Maggie Smith makes Charlotte Bartlett’s politeness exhausting in a way that remains funny: every courtesy seems to require a further adjustment from somebody else. We laughed at how much dissatisfaction she can put into a civil tone. Daniel Day-Lewis gives Cecil Vyse a stiffness that is funny before it becomes limiting, while Julian Sands’s George Emerson supplies a welcome contrast. The limitation belongs partly to Jhabvala’s writing: once we have recognised a person’s social habits, some exchanges merely give us another opportunity to recognise them.

Tony Pierce-Roberts’s photography makes the scenery inviting enough that its prettiness sometimes competes with the people. Yet that appeal matters: we can understand the attraction of the life whose restrictions the film is teasing. Brian Ackland-Snow and Gianni Quaranta’s production design makes the period surroundings feel comfortable and settled, giving us another reason to linger. It works, although there are moments when we would rather Ivory hurried past the scenery and returned to Lucy.

Humphrey Dixon’s editing allows the comic performances to settle, which is essential when a character’s manner can be funnier than the line. It is less helpful when an exchange has already made its point and the film continues at the same untroubled pace. Richard Robbins’s music encourages us to feel the romance, but occasionally supplies more warmth than the drama has generated on its own. Those are the stretches in which we notice how slowly the story is moving.

Period romance can get by on clothes and attractive locations, and Ivory sometimes comes close to letting it do so. What saves this one is the humour, especially its willingness to let affection coexist with irritation. The people are allowed to be tiresome without becoming worthless, and their ridiculous behaviour is rarely treated as a reason to dismiss them. Our reservation is that this kindness occasionally softens a social judgement that could stand to be more uncomfortable.

That softness does not empty the film of feeling, though it makes the comedy less sharp than it might have been. Bonham Carter keeps Lucy worth attending to whenever the handsome surroundings threaten to take over. At 117 minutes, this is an evening for a patient mood rather than an urgent one. Watch it for the actors, and allow them a little longer than they need.

*Fi1m score 84, published 15 September 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is A Room with a View worth watching?**

*A Room with a View* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a period romance that is funnier and more alert to desire than its good manners suggest, and we scored it 84. Helena Bonham Carter and Maggie Smith are the reason to stay through the occasional slow stretch. It suits a patient evening rather than an urgent one.

**How long is A Room with a View, and what is it rated?**

*A Room with a View* runs 1h 57m and is rated NR by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch A Room with a View in the US?**

*A Room with a View* is streaming on HBO Max, Tubi, Hulu, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $2.99. It leaves HBO Max on 30 September. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does A Room with a View compare to The Age of Innocence?**

*A Room with a View* is the warmer and funnier of the two, while [*The Age of Innocence*](https://film.one/film/the-age-of-innocence) is the more painful. Both are romances in which good manners make honest conversation nearly impossible, and Daniel Day-Lewis appears in each. Choose Ivory's film for comedy and affection, Scorsese's for suppressed desire treated with real weight.

**Is A Room with a View based on a true story or a book?**

*A Room with a View* is based on E.M. Forster's novel of the same name, adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and is not a true story. Jhabvala finds the comedy in people straining to seem proper when their feelings are anything but orderly. Knowing the book is not required; the film explains its Edwardian rules as it goes.

**What should I watch after A Room with a View?**

After *A Room with a View*, try [*The Age of Innocence*](https://film.one/film/the-age-of-innocence) (1993, Fi1m 86): For another romance in which good manners make honest conversation nearly impossible. Then [*Late Spring*](https://film.one/film/late-spring) (1949, Fi1m 92): A quieter, more painful account of affection constrained by family expectations; and [*The Lunchbox*](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox) (2013, Fi1m 75): For tentative affection expressed through small courtesies and the difficulty of speaking plainly.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **Film Comment**, Farran Smith Nehme (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Merchant-Ivory's adaptation as fresh, sophisticated, and passionate, celebrating its fidelity to Forster's text, witty dialogue, and the performances—especially Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy and Maggie Smith as Charlotte—while highlighting the film's blend of comedy, emotion, and visual beauty. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/on-a-room-with-a-view-1985/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Sheila Benson (90/100, inferred): The review calls the film an airy, delightful adaptation that is virtually irresistible, praising the direction, cast, and production values while noting some quibbles with the lead actress. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-21-ca-5370-story.html)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's faithful and ebullient adaptation of Forster's novel, highlighting its humor and the standout performance of Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/07/movies/the-screen-room-with-a-view.html)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (90/100, inferred): It describes it as a thoroughly entertaining adaptation distinguished by superb ensemble acting, intelligent writing and stunning design. [Read](https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/a-room-with-a-view-2-1200426991/)
- **The Guardian** (85/100, inferred): The critic hails the film as fresh and arresting, full of spring and spirit, with swooningly romantic and socially ferocious qualities that make it a standout Merchant Ivory adaptation. Particular praise goes to the vivid performances, especially Maggie Smith's comic turn as Charlotte and the memorable scenes involving Cecil and George. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/16/room-with-view-romance)
- **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (4/5): This is the first Merchant Ivory adaptation of E.M. Forster and a vibrant, influential heritage film. The witty script, breathtaking images of Florence and Surrey, and masterclass performances from Helena Bonham Carter, Julian Sands, Daniel Day-Lewis and Maggie Smith make the Edwardian charm irresistible despite some longueurs. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yezf8g/a-room-with-a-view/)
- **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film enjoyably trivial and a piece of charming foolishness, the best-paced of Ivory's films, with lively dialogue and a thoroughly inhabited cast that creates a comic atmosphere. She singles out the strong ensemble performances, especially Maggie Smith and Daniel Day-Lewis, while noting the central performance lacks presence and the film is more precious and light than the source novel. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1986/03/24/twits-turtles-creeps)
- **Slant Magazine**, Clayton Dillard (40/100, inferred): The critic sees the film as a conservative, middlebrow literary adaptation that prioritizes decorative visuals and marketable period-piece appeal over substantive or progressive filmmaking. He praises the Criterion 4K Blu-ray transfer for its technical excellence in rendering the film's images and sound. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/a-room-with-a-view/)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (30/100, inferred): The most adorable of all the Merchant-Ivory productions, this Forster adaptation is a high-class British classic that injects refined poise with genuine sexual undercurrents and wit. Stunning cast and scenery cannot fill the hole where the heart of this film should be; a satire with an unnaturally soft centre. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/room-view-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (65/100, inferred): The critic praises the excellent cast, splendid cinematography, and faithful yet witty adaptation of Forster's examination of manners, but notes that the elegant production makes the ending too conventionally romantic, diminishing Lucy's personal struggle for freedom and leaving the story feeling like fragments that do not fully gel. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/a-room-with-a-view-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## Details

- **Director:** James Ivory
- **Director:** James Ivory
- **Screenplay:** Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
- **Novel:** E.M. Forster
- **Cinematography:** Tony Pierce-Roberts
- **Editor:** Humphrey Dixon
- **Music:** Richard Robbins
- **Production design:** Gianni Quaranta, Brian Ackland-Snow
- **Costume design:** Jenny Beavan, John Bright
- **Producer:** Ismail Merchant
- **Cast:** Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy Honeychurch; Julian Sands as George Emerson; Maggie Smith as Charlotte Bartlett; Denholm Elliott as Mr. Emerson; Daniel Day-Lewis as Cecil Vyse; Simon Callow as The Reverend Mr. Beebe; Rosemary Leach as Mrs. Honeychurch; Rupert Graves as Freddy Honeychurch
- **Runtime:** 1h 57m
- **Certificate (MPA):** NR
- **Release (the US):** 7 March 1986
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 1986); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Winner, 1986); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 1986)
- **Budget:** $3 million
- **Box office:** $21 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW6W3EsfZaE

## Where to watch in the US

- HBO Max: streaming, leaving 2026-09-30
- Tubi: free, hd
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, sd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AT, AU, CA, DE, ES, FR, GB, IE, IT, NZ, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1987: Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Director (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated); Best Supporting Actress (nominated); Best Costume Design (won); Best Production Design (won); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (won)
- BAFTA Film Awards 1987: Best Actress in a Leading Role (won); Best Actress in a Supporting Role (won); Best Film (won)
- David di Donatello for Best Foreign Director 1987: David di Donatello for Best Foreign Director (won)
- Independent Spirit Awards 1987: Best Foreign Film (won)
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 1987: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (won)
- Golden Globes 1986: Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture (won)
- London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year 1986: London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year (won)
- National Board of Review Award for Best Film 1986: National Board of Review Award for Best Film (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Age of Innocence* (1993), Fi1m 86: For another romance in which good manners make honest conversation nearly impossible. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-age-of-innocence.md)
- *Late Spring* (1949), Fi1m 92: A quieter, more painful account of affection constrained by family expectations. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/late-spring.md)
- *The Go-Between* (1971): Class rules and forbidden desire, with rather less chance of an easy evening.
- *The Lunchbox* (2013), Fi1m 75: For tentative affection expressed through small courtesies and the difficulty of speaking plainly. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox.md)
- *The Philadelphia Story* (1940), Fi1m 84: Sharper elbows and quicker dialogue, with social polish doing little to conceal longing. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-philadelphia-story.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/a-room-with-a-view