She was lost from the moment she saw him.
In this story-within-a-story, Anna is an actress starring opposite Mike in a period piece about the forbidden love between their respective characters, Sarah and Charles. Both actors are involved in serious relationships, but the passionate nature of the script leads to an off-camera love affair as well. While attempting to maintain their composure and professionalism, Anna and Mike struggle to come to terms with their infidelity.
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) is a drama, romance and history film directed by Karel Reisz, released on August 28, 1981 with a runtime of 2h 4m. It stars Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Hilton McRae and Lynsey Baxter. Viewers rate it 6.5 out of 10 across 248 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The French Lieutenant's Woman before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for The French Lieutenant's Woman.
Trailer
Featurette
Featurette
Meryl Streep
as Sarah / Anna
Jeremy Irons
as Charles Henry Smithson / Mike
Hilton McRae
as Sam
Lynsey Baxter
as Ernestina
Emily Morgan
as Mary
Penelope Wilton
as Sonia
Jean Faulds
as Cook
Charlotte Mitchell
as Mrs. Tranter
Peter Vaughan
as Mr. Freeman
Colin Jeavons
as Vicar
Liz Smith
as Mrs. Fairley
Patience Collier
as Mrs. Poulteney
Directed by Karel Reisz, written by John Fowles and Harold Pinter, produced by Leon Clore.
Average viewer score of 6.5/10 from 248 ratings.
Usually if there are two separate timelines featured in a story, the director tries to ensure that we cannot readily distinguish between one that might be true and one that might be artificial. It's the complete opposite that really works well here as we mingle the story of an 18th century woman living within the constraints of high Victorian society with a more profligate 1970s one. To fit out the earlier…
Reviewed on January 17, 2025
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The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) is available to stream on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel and MGM Plus, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) includes Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Hilton McRae, Lynsey Baxter and Emily Morgan. The film was directed by Karel Reisz. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The French Lieutenant's Woman was released on August 28, 1981 and runs for 2h 4m.
The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) holds an average rating of 6.5 out of 10 from 248 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama, romance and history films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The French Lieutenant's Woman trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
