Joshua Then and Now 1985

Drama

Box Office

$542K

Runtime

119 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Ted Kotcheff

Made by

Test your knowledge of Joshua Then and Now with our quiz!

Joshua Then and Now Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Joshua Then and Now (1985). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Joshua Shapiro, a successful writer and pundit, lies in a hospital room, seemingly separated from his wife and entangled in a sex scandal. He searches for meaning by tracing his life from youth to the present, hoping to piece together what went wrong and what his future might still hold.

He grew up as a Jew in the working‑class quarter of Montreal known as St. Urbain Street, where his childhood was anything but conventional. His father was a boxer who had turned to a gentle, even sly, form of crime, while his mother worked as a strip‑tease dancer. In a scene that mirrors the strange twists of his life, she even performs for his Bar Mitzvah party. This father figure is presented as someone who views life, sex, and religion through an idiosyncratic lens, leaving a lasting impression on Joshua’s outlook.

A journey to Spain during his youth becomes the spark that launches his path as a journalist and writer. Later, while in England, he engages in a momentary lapse of judgment, forging letters about a (fake) homosexual affair with a British writer to sell to an American university archive. The ruse reveals his willingness to bend truth for a strategic gain, a trait that shadows his later choices.

His path takes him into the circles of high society when he meets an upper‑class Canadian woman who is married to a poseur of a communist. He persuades her to become his wife, a move that propels him into a social world he once looked down on. She is described as the daughter of a Canadian senator, helping Joshua gain access to a level of society and influence that further complicates his sense of identity.

Meanwhile, Joshua’s childhood friends have carved out successful lives of their own, and some become targets of his pranks as he settles various scores. The dynamics of friendship, rivalry, and guilt weave through the narrative, adding layers of tension and consequence to his retrospective reckoning.

A pivotal strand involves his conceited brother‑in‑law, whose insecurity and vulnerability come into sharper focus as the story unfolds. The close-knit, wealthy cottage community around Lake Memphremagog becomes a pressure cooker, guiding Joshua toward decisions that pull him into treacherous territory. As past indiscretions come back to haunt him, he must confront a life that has spiraled into shambles, forcing a reckoning with who he has become and what he is willing to admit or change.

In the end, the film threads together themes of memory, ambition, deception, and the fragile line between achievement and moral cost, leaving Joshua to face the consequences of choices that shaped his ascent and haunted his retreat from a life he once imagined. The narrative maintains a steady, reflective tempo, inviting viewers to weigh the allure of power against the burden of truth, all while keeping a compassionate, human focus on a man who tries to understand the motives behind his own very public fall from grace.

Joshua Then and Now Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Joshua Then and Now (1985) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Childhood on St. Urbain Street

Joshua grows up in a working-class Montreal neighborhood where his father is a boxer-turned-gentle crook and his mother works as a strip-tease dancer. He endures a Bar Mitzvah party at which his mother strips for his friends, an event that unsettles him and shapes his views on family, religion, and sexuality. The volatile mix of reverence and scandal in his early home informs his later attitudes toward society.

childhood St. Urbain Street, Montreal

Family influences and worldview

His father's unusual perspective on life, sex, and religion leaves a lasting impression on Joshua. He absorbs a blend of pragmatism and questioning that colors his ambitions as a writer. The household's contradictions become a recurring lens through which he views society.

childhood Montreal

Spain trip sparks a career in journalism

A trip to Spain as a young man acts as the catalyst for Joshua's pursuit of journalism and writing. The experiences abroad open doors and connections that propel him into the world of letters and public discourse. He begins to see storytelling as both a career and a means to navigate social strata.

young adulthood Spain

England forgery and the fake affair

In England, during a momentary lapse of reason, Joshua forges letters about a fake homosexual affair with a British writer to sell to an American university archive. The act reveals his willingness to manipulate reputations for personal gain. This deception foreshadows the ethical compromises that follow.

early adulthood England

Marriage into Canadian society

Joshua meets an upper-class Canadian married to a poseur of a communist and persuades her to become his wife. She is the daughter of a Canadian senator, which becomes Joshua's entry into a level of society he initially despises. The marriage serves as a social lever and a bridge to influence.

after England forging Canada

Entering high society

With his wife, Joshua gains access to wealth and prestige, exposing him to pretensions he both mocks and craves. The new social circle provides opportunities for his career while testing his loyalties. He remains wary of the moral costs that accompany ascent.

after marriage Canada

Old friends, new successes, and his pranks

Joshua's childhood friends rise in their fields, while he retaliates with bizarre pranks as he settles scores from the past. The pranks reveal a man who is resentful and cunning, using humor as a weapon. His actions ripple through former circles, echoing into his present.

mid-life Montreal and surroundings

The brother-in-law's pivotal role

A conceited brother-in-law becomes a central player, revealing insecurity and vulnerability that affect the dynamics of Joshua's family and social circle. His presence exposes fragility beneath the surface of Joshua's new world. The tension foreshadows the unraveling to come.

mid-life Canada

Cottage community around Lake Memphremagog

Neighbors in the wealthy cottage enclave around Lake Memphremagog pull Joshua astray, leading to consequences that destabilize his life. The setting showcases a social world where appearances mask moral peril. These events escalate toward a breaking point.

mid-life Lake Memphremagog area

Past indiscretions resurface

Old misdeeds resurface, forcing Joshua to piece together the shambles of his life. He confronts the consequences of his earlier choices and the fragility of his personal relationships. The process of reconstruction begins as he reassembles scattered memories.

present Canada

Hospital room and the current crisis

In a hospital room, Joshua seems to have lost his wife and faces a public sex scandal. The hospital setting becomes the frame for his reflections on what went wrong and what remains possible for redemption. He is forced to face public judgment and his inner contradictions.

present Hospital

Revisiting his life to find meaning

Seeking meaning, Joshua reviews his life from youth to the present day. The introspective journey grapples with identity, memory, and responsibility as the world continues to judge him. The narrative turns inward as he attempts to make sense of a life in ruins.

present

Joshua Then and Now Characters

Explore all characters from Joshua Then and Now (1985). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Joshua Shapiro (James Woods)

A successful writer and pundit who faces a personal crisis and a sex scandal while in a hospital room. The film frames his life as a long retrospective, from a working-class Montreal upbringing to cosmopolitan exploits. He is sharp and ambitious, yet his charisma masks a willingness to manipulate for social advancement.

🎭 Drama 🧭 Identity 📰 Journalism

Esther Shapiro (Linda Sorensen)

The daughter of a Canadian senator who becomes Joshua's wife and key into high society. She embodies the tension between secure status and personal autonomy, and her alliance with Joshua fuels both opportunity and moral risk. Her presence anchors Joshua’s ascent within elite circles.

👑 Society 👪 Family 💼 Influence

Susy Shapiro (Talya Rubin)

A member of Joshua's circle whose life intersects with the fallout of his choices. Susy represents the younger generation observing the costs of adult deceit, and her perspective often highlights the personal stakes of Joshua’s actions. She embodies familial ties that complicate his pursuit of meaning.

👧 Family 🎭 Drama

Ralph Murdoch (Andrew Powell)

A longtime friend and neighbor from Joshua's past who remains part of the cottage-community network. His presence and reactions to Joshua’s schemes illuminate loyalty, rivalry, and the social currents that influence the plot. He embodies the moral ambiguity of Joshua's world.

🧭 Friendship 🏘️ Community

Alex Shapiro (Robert Howard)

A member of the Shapiro family whose actions and attitudes reveal internal family tensions. Alex helps frame the personal cost of Joshua’s ambitions within a close-knit clan. His role underscores how private choices ripple through loved ones.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family 🎭 Drama

Sidney Murdoch (Ken Campbell)

A neighbor in the cottage community who stands as a figure of social influence. Sidney’s presence highlights the interplay between local prestige and personal integrity within a close-knit resort area. His interactions reflect the pressure to conform to outward appearances.

🏛️ Society 🏘️ Community

Joshua Then and Now Settings

Learn where and when Joshua Then and Now (1985) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

1980s

Set in the late 20th century, the film centers on Joshua in a present-day hospital room while flashbacks recount his youth and rise as a writer. The narrative moves across Montreal, Spain, England, and Canadian high society to trace how past choices influence the present. The time frame emphasizes pre-digital media and social mores, where reputation and perception matter greatly.

Location

Montreal (St. Urbain Street), Spain, England, Lake Memphremagog

The story begins in the working-class Montreal neighborhood of St. Urbain Street, grounding Joshua in a distinct urban milieu. It then follows his formative experiences in Spain and England, where he navigates adventures and deceptions that shape his career and social ambitions. The cottage community around Lake Memphremagog later anchors the social world that drives much of the plot, highlighting the contrasts between humble origins and elite circles.

❄️ Montreal ✈️ Spain 🏰 England 🏞️ Lake Memphremagog

Joshua Then and Now Themes

Discover the main themes in Joshua Then and Now (1985). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🪪

Identity

A central thread is how Joshua crafts and inhabits different selves to fit various circles. His forged letters and fake relationships reveal the costs of deception and the fragility of self-reinvention. The story questions whether one can truly escape the consequences of who they pretend to be.

🏛️

Society

The film probes social climbing and belonging, as Joshua leverages a politician’s daughter to access upper-class circles. The Canadian senator’s daughter and the Lake Memphremagog social set serve as lenses to critique pretension, class barriers, and the day-to-day compromises of elite life. It shows how access to status can come at the cost of personal integrity.

🧠

Memory & Guilt

Memory drives the narrative as Joshua revisits his youth to interpret his present. Past indiscretions and the fallout from his actions resurface through relationships and the social pranks that marked his youth. The hospital frame intensifies the moral weight of a life spent seeking meaning at others’ expense.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Explore the mobile app

Joshua Then and Now Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Joshua Then and Now (1985). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the bustling, multilingual heart of Montreal’s St. Urbain Street, a young boy learns that the boundaries between love, work, and faith are as fluid as the city’s ever‑changing rhythm. Joshua grows up in a modest, working‑class household where his father’s bruised‑gloved past as a boxer and his mother’s daring side‑stage as a strip‑tease dancer shape an upbringing that feels both ordinary and oddly theatrical. The street itself, with its storefronts, synagogues, and the occasional clamor of a Bar Mitzvah party, becomes a vivid backdrop for a childhood that is as far from conventional as it is deeply rooted in community.

As adolescence nudges him outward, Joshua discovers a restless curiosity that propels him toward Europe, where a sojourn in Spain awakens a journalistic spark and hints at the possibilities of a life beyond the familiar alleys of his neighbourhood. His subsequent years in England add layers of cultural clash and personal experimentation, furnishing him with a palette of experiences that will later inform his literary voice. The tone of his recollection is at once nostalgic and inquisitive, inviting the audience to ponder how distant horizons can reshape a home‑grown identity.

Returning to Canada, Joshua finds himself entangled with an upper‑class circle through marriage to the daughter of a Canadian senator, a union that introduces him to a world of privilege and expectation that both elevates and unsettles him. Around the tranquil waters of Lake Memphremagog, friendships from his past intersect with new acquaintances, and a self‑absorbed brother‑in‑law adds a further strain of familial complexity. The film’s atmosphere remains introspective, balancing humor and melancholy as it follows Joshua’s ongoing effort to piece together the threads of memory, ambition, and the ever‑present question of what it truly means to belong.

Can’t find your movie? Request a summary here.

Movies with Similar Twists and Themes

Uncover films that echo the narrative beats, emotional arcs, or dramatic twists of the one you're exploring. These recommendations are handpicked based on story depth, thematic resonance, and spoiler-worthy moments — perfect for fans who crave more of the same intrigue.