Rating: 
Summary: As Meaningful As The Work of Lewis Himself
Review: For six years I procrastinated in regard to this film. I knew it was the story of C.S. Lewis and his Joy. Lewis has always been one of my heroes, a brilliant man of faith who was able to weave the seemingly disparate worlds of intellectualism and magic into one harmonious tapestry. I have always stood in awe of his ability to answer the still, small voice of his God and his own freedom of thought. This film is a vignette, really,--a glimpse into the life of a man who wrote much about love but never allowed himself to experience it. Part of what the film seems to be saying is that one really doesn't need to experience intense love to know what it is, to appreciate it, to long for it, or to even be an authority about it.However, a soul that is open to love and its attendant joys and sufferings has a marvelous chance of finding it, if only through offering it. Lewis meets his match in a brassy but intelligent Joy Gresham. Their spark of love is undeniable, but their time together all-too-brief. During this time of awakenings and realizations, Lewis experiences the greatest miracle of human life in his tender love for Joy. This is a story about the redemptive power of love in the face of human pain and suffering, the gift humans have to transform sadness through unbounding love. Anthony Hopkins' performance is spectacular. he is truly one of the greatest actors of our time. Debra Winger shines like an emerald in this film. She is every bit as moving and sublime as Hopkins, and it is our loss that she works so sporadically these days. Yes, the film is sad, but it is not sentimental in any fashion. Ultimately, it is affirming. Five Big Shooting Stars.
Rating:
Summary: A dramatic, touching story
Review: This movie touches the soul as well as saddens the heart at the same time. I as a viewer felt a whole array of emotions from intrigue, to happiness, to devistating distraught. If you have a box of tissues, and a working pause button on your VCR, you'll need them both...I rented this movie in the first place at the suggestion from a good friend of mine, and after seeing it, I couldn't help come away from the film thinking twice about the quality of my own life course, that is to say who and how I love, and whether or not I express that love to those people....Coming away from this movie, I also think I'll read more; it has a way of taking away the, uh, loneliness. :) Life is oh so fragile, and tragically short, and I would urge any and everyone to see this movie who loves or has ever loved anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Please See BBC Version!
Review: I admit that this movie was visually interesting & performaces were very good, but I repeat my review of the BBC Version here: I watched this movie in the BBC version on encore, when I had been ill a long time. It was very difficult to watch at places, but was also extremely helpful to me during a painful time. I would recommend it to everyone, but most especially to anyone who is ill or cares about someone who is ill. I do think that it needs to be watched at least twice because, I find that each time I watch it, I pick up even more nuances. In my view. it beats the Anthony Hopkins, Debra Winger version, hands down. I once bought the BBC 70 minutes version that was aired in the U. S., thinking that it was the same but, it was not. With 20 minutes edited out, it does not compare either. Too much of the man's faith is missing from both movies which leaves it with a watered down effect and less significance. I don't know what possessed them to take away the essence of this man in the other versions but, after anxiously anticipating them, I found myself greatly disappointed in both. If you want more of the real man's story and less hollywood story telling, then I recommend the 90-95 minute version by the BBC, with Joss Ackland & Claire Bloom. You may find that you still like both versions but, that is my definitive favorite! :)
Rating:
Summary: Very Good, But Sad
Review: I've thought Anthony Hopkins is sexy since I first saw him in"Dark Victory" with Elizabeth Montgomery back in the 1970s.Am I the only one who remembers that TV movie? Well anyway... Hopkins is excellent as C.S. Lewis. And Deborah Winger is also excellent as Joy. She was after him from the beginning, don't you think? Getting him to marry her for only technical reasons? Yeah, right. Very clever, Joy. I think the film makers should have touched more on the fact that Mr. Lewis had been an atheist who became a Christian and wrote wonderful books such as "Mere Christianity," the intellectuals guide to Christianity. The only bad thing about this movie is that now whenever I get a leg ache, it worries me.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad but sweet
Review: This is a good and important film. Hopkins is great in it, though I'm not as keen on Debra Winger, and the film may be a bit overlong. But it is very compelling. All through it I kept wondering "now how are they going to end this thing?" but when the end comes - particularly the sublime way Hopkins delivers the last line - it is graceful and moving without being sentimental. A great ending.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite film
Review: Although not the most artisticly or historically important, Shadowlands is magnificant both visually and emotionaly. Hopkins and Winger are amazing and draw the viewer in from the onset. I've seen this film dozens of time and I cry every time, and I'm not one to cry at movies.
Rating:
Summary: HOPKINS AT HIS BEST!!!
Review: Based on true life experiences, Hopkins plays C.S. Lewis who stumbles into a the real well of love. If I could bestow a wish on friends, I would deliver the themes in this movie: One heart reaching wildly as the clock winds down and another being the lasting anchor, the one who carries on. Excellent movie, in a class by itself, to be sure.
Rating:
Summary: Good movie, but I expect more
Review: I saw this movie in 1993 (in cinema) and was always thinking about getting a copy. The story was excellent. However, I really expect more in the visual quality of DVD. Many times I saw visual defects (blur or blocky screen). If it were recorded better, it would worth 5 stars. If you care less on visual quality (it is much better than VideoCD already) then you would enjoy it and give it 5 stars :)
Rating:
Summary: Easily One of the Best Films of the Decade
Review: This movie first knocked the wind out of five years ago, and it's wonderful that it has arrived on DVD. "Shadowlands" is a rare breed of movie, asking the audience to surrender instant gratification for a beautifully developed story of the realization of a deep love and its devastating loss. One of the finest and highly acclaimed movies of 1993, it's also easily one of the best films of the decade, especially as dramatic love stories go. Anthony Hopkins creates a quietly moving portrayal of C.S. Lewis; and Debra Winger's often under-used talents resonate with a radiance that lingers when she is not on screen. If you appreciate a movie that really deserves and earns its place in your heart, "Shadowlands" fulfills and delivers.
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't capture Lewis but great anyway
Review: C.S. Lewis was/is one of the greatest Christian intellectuals of our time. Although this film misses who Lewis was, it was by far the best performance by Hopkins in his illustrious career. If you have a soul, you cannot help but be touched by this film and I thank Attenborough for making it. I would hope it would lead an individual to go further to see who C.S. Lewis really was. There is not a bookstore in existance that does not have his books. Great Film; Great acting; Great directing. Winger was exceptional!
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