A Dry White Season (1989): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
A Dry White Season is a 1989 drama thriller directed by Euzhan Palcy, starring Donald Sutherland, Janet Suzman and Zakes Mokae. It runs 1 hour 37 minutes and earned $3.8 million worldwide. It earned 2 award nominations, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the BAFTA 1990. Critics gave it 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and 68 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 37m (97 min)
- Director
- Euzhan Palcy
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is A Dry White Season About?
The premise of A Dry White Season without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
During apartheid in South Africa, a teacher named Ben du Toit is deeply affected by the death of a young boy. Driven to seek justice, he teams up with a lawyer to confront the oppressive regime and expose corruption. This journey of activism forces du Toit to examine his own values and beliefs, leading to a profound personal transformation and challenging his closest relationships.
A Dry White Season Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- anti apartheid activist
- state violence
- tortured prisoners
- gardener
- south africa
- judge
- human rights
- courtroom
- 1970s
- police brutality
- based on novel
- title same as book
+38 more Show fewer
- year 1976
- reference to apartheid in south africa
- character appears on front page of a newspaper
- police violence
- racial violence
- political violence
- violent cop
- shooting into a crowd
- tortured to death
- torturer
- torture of child
- africa
- man wears eyeglasses
- female director
- female filmmaker
- live action
- police
- murder
- justice
- death
- children
- arrest
- torture
- school
- demonstration
- title directed by female
- f rated
- color in title
- zululand
- zambia
- writer
- wound
- wooden horse
- wood carving
- whipping scars
- water torture
- watching tv
- violence
A Dry White Season Cast
Donald Sutherland leads the cast, with Janet Suzman and Zakes Mokae. Directed by Euzhan Palcy.
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Director Euzhan Palcy
A Dry White Season Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave A Dry White Season 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and 68 on Metacritic.
-
Rotten Tomatoes 82% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 75%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 68 Metascore
User score 6.7
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 67% User score
See on TMDB
A Dry White Season Plot Summary
What happens in A Dry White Season from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In 1976, amid the tumult of apartheid in South Africa, Ben Du Toit (Donald Sutherland), a school teacher at a whites-only institution, finds himself entangled in a harrowing incident. The son of his gardener, Gordon Ngubene (portrayed by Winston Ntshona), faces brutal police violence while participating in a peaceful protest advocating for improved educational rights for black South Africans. When Gordon seeks Ben’s assistance, he is met with hesitation; Ben places his trust in the authorities. Tragically, this decision backfires, leading to Gordon’s arrest and subsequent torture at the hands of Captain Stolz (Jürgen Prochnow).
Full summary
The whole story of A Dry White Season, scene by scene
A Dry White Season Box Office
A Dry White Season grossed $3.8 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$3.8M
- US & Canada
- $3.8M
A Dry White Season Awards & Nominations
A Dry White Season earned 2 award nominations, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the BAFTA 1990. The 2 nominations come from 2 ceremonies.
2 nominations2 ceremonies
-
BAFTA 1990 1 nomination- Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Marlon Brando
-
Golden Globes 1990 1 nomination- Nominated Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Comedy or Musical (Supporting Actor) – Marlon Brando
A Dry White Season Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 clip.
- Clip Clip
How Well Do You Know A Dry White Season?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the main profession of Ben Du Toit?
Cars in A Dry White Season
26 cars on screen, including the 1958 Studebaker Commander and the 1973 Chrysler Valiant.
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1958 Studebaker Commander Main role -
1973 Chrysler Valiant Important role -
1980 Peugeot 504 Break Important role -
1973 Chrysler Valiant Minor role
A Dry White Season Also Known As
18 alternative titles, including “Una árida estación blanca” and “Assassinato sob Custódia”.
- Also known as
-
- Una árida estación blanca
- Assassinato sob Custódia
- Un'arida stagione bianca
- Une saison blanche et sèche
- Weiße Zeit der Dürre
- 血染的季节
- עונת יובש לבנה
- Bílé období sucha
- Forrongó évszak
- Сухой белый сезон
- Sucha biała pora
- En torr vit årstid
+6 more Show fewer
- 白く渇いた季節
- 백색의 계절
- Сухий білий сезон
- Una àrida estació blanca
- Valkoinen kuiva kausi
- Kuru Beyaz Bir Mevsim
Seen A Dry White Season?
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A Dry White Season FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of A Dry White Season, each answered in a sentence.
How long is A Dry White Season?
A Dry White Season runs 1 hour 37 minutes (97 minutes).
When was A Dry White Season released?
A Dry White Season was released on September 20, 1989.
Who directed A Dry White Season?
A Dry White Season was directed by Euzhan Palcy.
More films by Euzhan Palcy Who is in the cast of A Dry White Season?
A Dry White Season stars Donald Sutherland, Janet Suzman and Zakes Mokae.
How much did A Dry White Season make at the box office?
A Dry White Season grossed $3.8 million worldwide.
How is A Dry White Season rated?
A Dry White Season has 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, 68 on Metacritic and 67% on TMDB.
Was A Dry White Season nominated for any awards?
A Dry White Season received 2 nominations across 2 ceremonies.
Does A Dry White Season have a post-credit scene?
No. A Dry White Season has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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