---
title: "Scent of a Woman"
year: 1992
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/scent-of-a-woman"
fi1m_id: "scent-of-a-woman"
imdb_id: "tt0105323"
tmdb_id: 9475
wikidata_id: "Q321561"
fi1m_score: 75
critics_score: 73
critics_reviews: 7
published: "2026-09-13"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:16.778372+00:00"
region: "EE"
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."
---

# Scent of a Woman (1992)

Directed by Martin Brest · 2h 36m · Drama

## Identity

Scent of a Woman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/scent-of-a-woman
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** scent-of-a-woman
- **IMDb ID:** tt0105323
- **TMDB ID:** 9475
- **Wikidata ID:** Q321561
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105323/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9475, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q321561

**Fi1m score: 75** · Critics 73 from 7 reviews

*In a sentence:* We would take Al Pacino to dinner, provided Chris O’Donnell came along to keep him occupied

> Al Pacino’s abrasive Frank Slade and Chris O’Donnell’s patient Charlie make this a rewarding drama about difficult company. Martin Brest lets it run too long, but the relationship remains worth the time.

## Synopsis

Charlie Simms (Chris O’Donnell) takes a job looking after Frank Slade (Al Pacino), a blind former army officer with plans for a weekend in New York. Slade wants fast cars, dancing and the comforts of high living, and Charlie is expected to accompany him. Their time together brings the teenager into close contact with a man whose appetite for pleasure sits alongside bitterness and self-loathing. Martin Brest directs this drama, with a screenplay by Bo Goldman, as Charlie tries to manage a companion who has little interest in being managed.

## Review

Martin Brest’s *Scent of a Woman* is a good drama that could lose a substantial stretch without losing what matters. Its appeal lies in watching Al Pacino and Chris O’Donnell negotiate a relationship in which one man expects to do all the talking. The weekend promises pleasure, but Slade makes companionship hard work. Brest gives that difficulty time to become interesting, then rather more time than it needs.

Pacino plays Frank Slade with an aggression that can be funny until it becomes unpleasant. His relish for language makes the bullying seductive, and the performance is honest enough to let us hear the self-disgust beneath it. There are moments when the force feels excessive, as though another increase in volume might reveal something new. It rarely does. What keeps the character compelling is the sense that his appetite for pleasure has survived a profound dislike of himself.

O’Donnell’s Charlie is essential to making this bearable. His quietness gives Pacino someone to address rather than simply an audience to overpower, and his attention has the weight of a performance even when he is saying little. His restraint makes the effort of staying with Slade painfully clear. That matters to a story about an older man and a teenager obliged to spend time together. Charlie cannot just be a convenient listener.

The tango gives Pacino a welcome chance to stop pressing so hard. We were moved by Slade’s pleasure in the dance, because Pacino lets him enjoy himself without demanding that we approve of him. Donald E. Thorin’s treatment of the tango gives physical ease a welcome place in a film dominated by talk. Angelo P. Graham’s production design makes the high living inviting, so that Slade’s appetite for it feels understandable. For a while, the film lets us share that pleasure without labouring to explain him.

The trouble is how much explanation Bo Goldman’s screenplay thinks this relationship requires. The exchanges between the leads already make Slade’s mixture of charm and cruelty clear, yet the writing keeps underlining the need to look past his aggression. Thomas Newman’s score adds warmth, sometimes helpfully and sometimes with more insistence than the acting needs. As a coming-of-age drama, it also depends on our accepting that such an abrasive older man has something worth teaching, and the film occasionally assumes that a forceful speech has settled the question.

At 156 minutes, the repetition becomes a practical problem. Editors Harvey Rosenstock, Michael Tronick and William Steinkamp allow the actors space to establish a rhythm, but too many exchanges continue after the balance between them is clear. Brest’s patience is useful when Charlie is working out how to answer Slade; it is less useful when we are waiting for Slade to finish. The film remains watchable, but its narrow focus cannot quite support that length.

This is familiar territory for a drama about mismatched companions: the difficult older man, the younger listener, the hope that each might give the other something useful. Brest places enough trust in the actors to make the familiarity tolerable. There is no need for the relationship to be surprising when its smaller shifts are worth following. Give it an evening for the performances, provided you do not need everyone to get to the point quickly.

*Fi1m score 75, published 13 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Scent of a Woman, with praise concentrated on Al Pacino’s performance as the abrasive, unhappy blind colonel. The reviews repeatedly credit his shifts between bullying, charm and despair with making a familiar story involving an older man and a teenager compelling, even when its plotting strains belief. The interplay between the leads also earns approval, with Chris O’Donnell’s quieter contribution providing support for a performance that dominates the film.

The reservations centre on length, contrivance and sentimentality, though critics differ considerably over how much these matter. Some find Pacino sufficiently entertaining to carry the predictable material; Variety argues that the film stretches its modest premise too far. The New Yorker offers a more fundamental dissent: it finds Pacino’s characterisation so chilling and emotionally complex that the story’s reassuring moral framework cannot adequately contain it.

## Straight answers

**Is Scent of a Woman worth watching?**

*Scent of a Woman* is worth watching for the performances of Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell, and we scored it 75. It runs 156 minutes and repeats itself, so it suits viewers who enjoy two actors slowly working out a difficult relationship rather than anyone who needs a story to move quickly.

**How long is Scent of a Woman, and what is it rated?**

*Scent of a Woman* runs 2h 36m. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch Scent of a Woman in Estonia?**

*Scent of a Woman* is not on any streaming or rental service in Estonia at the moment. It is available in 11 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Scent of a Woman, and is it suitable for children?**

*Scent of a Woman* is a 15 in the UK and rated R in the US, and it is a talk-heavy drama rather than a violent or frightening one. The abrasive language and Frank Slade's bullying, drinking and bitterness are the adult content; it is not for young children, but older teenagers should manage it.

**How does Scent of a Woman compare to Central Station?**

*Scent of a Woman* and [*Central Station*](https://film.one/film/central-station) both follow a reluctant partnership between an older adult and a young companion, but the Brazilian film has sharper edges and reaches affection by a less comfortable route. *Central Station* is the tighter and more moving of the two; *Scent of a Woman* offers the bigger performance and demands more patience.

**Is Scent of a Woman based on a true story or a book?**

*Scent of a Woman* is based on a novel by Giovanni Arpino, not a true story. Bo Goldman's screenplay stands on its own, so you do not need to know the book, and the film's appeal rests on watching Pacino and O'Donnell rather than on any fidelity to the source.

**What should I watch after Scent of a Woman?**

After *Scent of a Woman*, try [*Central Station*](https://film.one/film/central-station) (1998, Fi1m 85): Another reluctant partnership, with sharper edges and a less comfortable journey towards affection. Then [*The Intouchables*](https://film.one/film/the-intouchables) (2011, Fi1m 72): A more buoyant pairing built around disability, dependence and a companion who answers back.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as an intelligent and skillful take on coming-of-age and prep-school genres, highlighting Al Pacino's risky and powerful performance as the abrasive yet romantic blind colonel. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/scent-of-a-woman-1992)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Peter Rainer (80/100, inferred): The review highlights Pacino's powerful, self-loathing performance as a desolate bully in a limited-scope drama that works due to its focus on language and character interplay between the leads. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-23-ca-2111-story.html)
- **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (4/5): This lengthy melodrama avoids sickly sentiment thanks to Al Pacino's towering, Oscar-winning performance as the blind ex-soldier enjoying a New York weekend. Chris O'Donnell's supporting role is quietly impressive, but the film belongs to Pacino's commanding presence. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-u1yijf/scent-of-a-woman/)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (75/100, inferred): The review calls the film a conventional buddy story elevated by Al Pacino's show-stopping intensity and the strong showcase it provides for his talents, turning contrived elements into an effective vehicle. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/23/movies/review-film-scent-of-a-woman-al-pacino-indulging-a-lust-for-life.html)
- **Empire**, Angie Errigo (65/100, inferred): Pacino dominates as the irascible blind colonel in a contrived, overlong buddy picture that echoes Rain Man and Dead Poets Society. The film is predictable and unoriginal but remains entertaining thanks to the star's showy, relish-filled performance. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/scent-woman-review/)
- **The New Yorker**, Terrence Rafferty (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the movie's heartwarming intentions undermined by Pacino's complex and chilling performance, which taps emotions too deep and frightening to resolve neatly in the story's moral ending. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1992/12/28/the-enemy-within)
- **Time Out**, SGr: The film combines two plots around a blind, bitter ex-soldier and a teenager hired to watch him, with a predictable but wholesome outcome. Pacino's energetic, show-stopping performance as the lead, including a tango and a suicide threat, is the main draw despite the corniness. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/scent-of-a-woman)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (**): The review notes Pacino's virtuoso star turn but criticizes the film for indulgently stretching a modest conceit past the breaking point in its reconceptualization of the source material. [Read](https://variety.com/1991/film/reviews/scent-of-a-woman-2-1200429261/)
- **Collider**, Lloyd Farley (A): The critic praises Al Pacino's nuanced and masterful performance as the blind Lt. Col. Frank Slade, highlighting its range from charm to despair, and notes the film's exploration of duality, growth, and makeshift family bonds between Slade and Charlie. They single out Pacino's Oscar-worthy portrayal and the strong lead performances as standout elements. [Read](https://collider.com/scent-of-a-woman-review-al-pacino/)

## Details

- **Director:** Martin Brest
- **Director:** Martin Brest
- **Screenplay:** Bo Goldman
- **Novel:** Giovanni Arpino
- **Cinematography:** Donald E. Thorin
- **Editor:** Harvey Rosenstock, Michael Tronick, William Steinkamp
- **Music:** Thomas Newman
- **Production design:** Angelo P. Graham
- **Costume design:** Aude Bronson-Howard
- **Producer:** Martin Brest
- **Cast:** Al Pacino as Lt. Col. Frank Slade; Chris O'Donnell as Charlie Simms; James Rebhorn as Mr. Trask; Gabrielle Anwar as Donna; Philip Seymour Hoffman as George Willis, Jr.; Richard Venture as W.R. Slade; Bradley Whitford as Randy; Ron Eldard as Officer Gore
- **Runtime:** 2h 36m
- **First release (the US):** 23 December 1992
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 1992); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Winner, 1992)
- **Budget:** $31 million
- **Box office:** $134 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xIYQgrd-Sg

## Where to watch in Estonia

Not streaming, renting or buying in Estonia at the last check.

Also available in: BE, BG, CA, CZ, HR, HU, NL, PL, RO, RS, SI. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1993: Best Picture (nominated); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated); Best Actor (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Browning Version* (1951): A harsher study of wounded authority, with compassion that arrives without fuss.
- *Central Station* (1998), Fi1m 85: Another reluctant partnership, with sharper edges and a less comfortable journey towards affection. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/central-station.md)
- *Harry and Tonto* (1974): An older traveller finds unexpected company, in a gentler, less insistent character study.
- *The Intouchables* (2011), Fi1m 72: A more buoyant pairing built around disability, dependence and a companion who answers back. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-intouchables.md)
- *A Man Called Ove* (2015): An irritable older man resists company, while the film patiently explains why he needs it.

---
© 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/scent-of-a-woman