Director Lasse Hallström (1946)

Safe Haven (2013) is an American romantic fantasy drama thriller film starring Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel and Cobie Smulders. After fleeing to her older neighbor’s house for refuge, a panicked Erin takes drastic measures to change her appearance before arriving at a bus station. Despite being pursued by the police, she boards a bus and makes her way to Southport, North Carolina. There, she adopts the name Katie, secures employment as a waitress, and rents a modest home on the outskirts of town. Katie quickly forms a ...

Dear John (2010) is a romantic war drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same name. While serving in the United States Army Special Forces in 2003, Staff Sergeant John Tyree gets shot in Afghanistan. In a voice-over, he reflects on visiting the U.S. Mint as a child and compares himself to a coin in the military before remembering that his last thought before passing out was of someone special. Two years prior, during Spring of 2001, John takes leave in Charleston, South Carolina and meets Savannah Curtis. She is a college ...

The Shipping News (2001), directed by Lasse Hallström, is a romantic drama based on the novel of the same name by E. Annie Proulx. As a child, Quoyle’s father Guy expected him to naturally swim when he was thrown into a lake. But the memories of nearly drowning still haunt Quoyle whenever he’s stressed. Now living in Poughkeepsie, New York and working as an ink setter for a small newspaper, Quoyle leads a solitary life. He falls for Petal, a lively woman from town whom he eventually marries. However, Petal turns out to be unfaithful and neglectful to their ...

Chocolat (2000) tells the story of a young woman named Vianne and her daughter Anouk, as they travel through Europe, guided by the same north wind that led Vianne’s mother years before. In 1959, they settle in a tranquil French village where the strict mayor, Comte de Reynaud, is gearing up for Lent. Despite not being accepted by the villagers, Vianne opens a chocolate shop and slowly starts to win over some of the locals. However, Reynaud, who is still in denial about his wife leaving him, publicly denounces Vianne for tempting people during Lent. One of her early supporters is her elderly landlady Armande, whose daughter Caroline refuses to let her see her ...

The film adaptation of John Irving’s 1985 novel, The Cider House Rules (1999), was directed by Lasse Hallström and follows the life of Homer Wells at St. Cloud’s orphanage in Maine. Under the guidance of Dr. Wilbur Larch, a kindly father figure, Homer grows up surrounded by love and respect. Despite being returned to St. Cloud’s twice by foster parents, who either found him too quiet or mistreated him, Homer finds solace in his extended family at the orphanage. With older children like Buster looking after the younger ones, including Fuzzy Stone who was ...

Something to Talk About (1995), a comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, follows Grace King Bichon, who spends her days helping out at her parent’s horse farm. Her daughter Caroline shares her love for horses, while their stable manager Hank has his sights set on riding Ransom in an upcoming equestrian championship. However, Grace’s father Wyly plans to purchase a stud named Ford instead and ride it himself in the event, causing tension within the family. Adding to Grace’s stress, she discovers her husband Eddie is having an affair. In a dramatic confrontation with Eddie and his mistress, Grace ...

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), a American coming-of-age drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, follows the story of Gilbert Grape in the small town of Endora, Iowa. He is busy taking care of his autistic younger brother, Arnie, who is turning 18. As the town prepares for the annual Airstreamers’ Club gathering at a nearby recreational area, Gilbert’s days are filled with watching out for tourists’ trailers passing through. Since his father’s suicide seventeen years ago, Gilbert’s mother Bonnie has been consumed by her couch and TV and excessive eating. With her severe obesity ...