The Reader (2008): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
The Reader is a 2008 romantic drama directed by Stephen Daldry, starring Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet and Bruno Ganz. It is based on The Reader by Bernhard Schlink and Carol Brown Janeway. It runs 2 hours 4 minutes and earned $108.9 million worldwide on a $32 million budget. It won 1 Oscar, including Actress in a Leading Role, and 6 awards in all. Critics gave it 58 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.6/10. Stream it on Britbox and Fawesome, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 4m (124 min)
- Director
- Stephen Daldry
- Original language
-
Spanish - Studio
- Weinstein Company, The
- Budget
- $32M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Reader About?
The premise of The Reader without spoilers, adapted from The Reader by Bernhard Schlink and Carol Brown Janeway. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A young scholar's life takes an unexpected turn when they are drawn into a complex situation involving a mysterious document. Tasked with deciphering its contents, they become entangled in a quest linked to a cryptic briefcase. As they delve deeper, their academic work intertwines with personal desires, leading them through challenging circumstances and revealing hidden truths along the way.
The Reader Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- war crime
- nazi
- forbidden love
- holocaust
- trial
- intimacy
- sex scene
- younger version of character
- teenage boy vomits
- germany
- 1990s
- female frontal nudity
+38 more Show fewer
- secret
- concentration camp
- vomiting
- lust
- women's prison
- reading to someone
- first love
- female prisoner
- 1970s
- learning to write
- coming of age
- obsessive love
- literacy
- male nudity
- female full frontal nudity
- female nudity
- woman in prison
- illiterate woman
- reading a book
- reading a novel out loud
- law school
- courtroom trial
- courtroom scene
- female murderer
- sick boy
- ss
- reference to goethe
- hamburg germany
- jew
- war atrocity
- reference to war and peace the novel
- writing a poem
- west berlin west germany
- world war two
- writing
- tape recording
- tape recorder
- lawyer
Where to Watch The Reader
Stream it on Britbox and Fawesome, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Stream 7
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The Reader Cast
Ralph Fiennes leads the cast, with Kate Winslet and Bruno Ganz. Directed by Stephen Daldry.
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Director Stephen Daldry
The Reader Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Reader 58 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.6/10.
-
IMDb 7.6 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 58 Metascore
User score 7.3
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 75% User score
See on TMDB
The Reader Plot Summary
What happens in The Reader from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The film opens in 1995 Berlin, where a dapper man named Michael Berg is in the midst of preparing breakfast for a young woman named Brigitte, played by Jeanette Hain, who stayed over. Their parting is awkward, and as Michael observes the passing Berlin S-Bahn, the story shifts back to early 1958 in Neustadt, West Germany. On a dreary, rainy winter day, a troubled teenage Michael, portrayed by David Kross, disembarks from a tram but soon finds himself wandering the streets until he halts in the doorway of an apartment building, where he becomes sick.
Full summary
The whole story of The Reader, scene by scene
The Reader Box Office & Budget
The Reader grossed $108.9 million worldwide on a $32 million budget, 3.4 times what it cost. $34.2 million came from the US and Canada and $74.7 million (69%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$108.9M
3.4× its budget
- US & Canada
- $34.2M
- International
- $74.7M
- Budget
- $32M
The Reader Awards & Nominations
The Reader won 1 Oscar, including Actress in a Leading Role, and 6 awards in all.
6 wins19 nominations6 ceremonies
-
BAFTA 2009 1 win · 5 nominations- Won Best Actress in a Leading Role – Kate Winslet
- Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay
- Nominated Best Cinematography
- Nominated Best Direction – Stephen Daldry
- Nominated Best Film
-
Oscars 2009 1 win · 5 nominations- Won Actress in a Leading Role – Kate Winslet
- Nominated Best Picture
- Nominated Cinematography
- Nominated Directing – Stephen Daldry
- Nominated Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
-
Golden Globes 2009 1 win · 4 nominations- Won Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Kate Winslet
- Nominated Best Director – Motion Picture – Stephen Daldry
- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Drama
- Nominated Best Screenplay – Motion Picture – David Hare
-
Critics' Choice 2009 1 win · 3 nominations- Won Best Supporting Actress – Kate Winslet
- Nominated Best Picture
- Nominated Best Young Performer – David Kross
Show all 6 ceremonies Show fewer ceremonies
-
Actor Awards (SAG) 2009 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Kate Winslet
- Golden Globes 2008 1 win · 1 nomination
- Won Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Kate Winslet
The Reader Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Reader.
How Well Do You Know The Reader?
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
In which year does the film begin with the character Michael Berg preparing breakfast?
Cars in The Reader
42 cars on screen, including the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 300 E W124 and the 1987 Chevrolet Caprice.
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1990 Mercedes-Benz 300 E W124 Important role -
1987 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role -
1973 Audi 80 B1 Background role -
BMW R 50 Background role
The Reader Also Known As
37 alternative titles, including “A felolvasó” and “The Reader (El lector)”.
- Also known as
-
- A felolvasó
- The Reader (El lector)
- 生死朗读
- Σφραγισμένα Χείλη
- Bralec
- Predcítac
- Skaitovas
- Žena kojoj sam ćitao
- Čitač
- Una pasión secreta
- Lektor
- Okuyucu
+25 more Show fewer
- 더 리더: 책 읽어주는 남자
- Читач
- Der Vorleser
- O Leitor
- El lector
- Người Đọc Sách
- Předčítač
- Чтец
- The Reader - A voce alta
- 朗读者
- ในอ้อมกอดรักไม่ลืมเลือน
- Lukija
- נער קריאה
- Cititorul
- Четецът
- 為愛朗讀
- 愛を読むひと
- 讀愛
- El Lector: Una pasión secreta
- Predčítač
- Читець
- Độc Giả
- The reader - El lector
- Lasītājs
- Žena kojoj sam čitao
Seen The Reader?
Movies Like The Reader
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Death in Love, Apt Pupil and The Scoundrel's Wife.
The Reader FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and the book behind it of The Reader, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Reader?
The Reader runs 2 hours 4 minutes (124 minutes).
When was The Reader released?
The Reader was released on December 10, 2008.
Who directed The Reader?
The Reader was directed by Stephen Daldry.
More films by Stephen Daldry Who is in the cast of The Reader?
The Reader stars Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet and Bruno Ganz.
Where can I watch The Reader?
In the US, The Reader is streaming on Britbox, Fawesome and Hoopla and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did The Reader make at the box office?
The Reader grossed $108.9 million worldwide ($34.2 million domestic, $74.7 million international) on a budget of $32 million.
How is The Reader rated?
The Reader has 7.6/10 on IMDb, 58 on Metacritic and 75% on TMDB.
Is The Reader based on a book?
Yes. The Reader is adapted from The Reader by Bernhard Schlink and Carol Brown Janeway.
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