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The Clearing

Play trailer Poster for The Clearing R 2004 1h 35m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
42% Tomatometer 125 Reviews 32% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) and his wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), seem to have it all. Over the years, they've built a prosperous business together while raising their two children, Tim and Jill. But the family's dream life becomes nightmarish when disgruntled employee Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe) kidnaps Wayne and holds him for ransom. The FBI invades their home and scrutinizes every detail of their life -- and ultimately, it is left to Eileen to deliver the ransom and rescue her husband.
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The Clearing

The Clearing

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Critics Consensus

Though it has an excellent cast, this emotionally detached movie is the kind that one admires more than enjoys.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media Dec 28, 2010
2/5
Good performances almost make it worthwhile. Go to Full Review Anthony Lane The New Yorker Aug 1, 2004
A thriller stripped of thrills -- or, even worse, a thriller that thinks of itself as somehow rising above the vulgar pleasures of excitement. Go to Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Jul 11, 2004
2/5
The easy give-and-take between Redford and Mirren early in the film is flawlessly realistic, but even that couldn't stem the tide of this reviewer's yawns. Go to Full Review Felicia Feaster Creative Loafing Jan 30, 2020
An evolutionary thriller, The Clearing not only reinforces the status quo, it grinds the face of the economy's losers in the dirt and does a victory dance on their head. Go to Full Review Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed Apr 29, 2009
I just expected a lot more in the end, and really just didn't get it with a routine script, bland plot, and an ending that was too sudden to be accepted. Go to Full Review Jeremy C. Fox Pajiba Sep 16, 2005
Mirren passes through entire scenes without a word, not needing to speak, as every feeling is writ large across her beautifully expressive face. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Farah R @Farah Oct 18, 2026 What I expected to be a thriller turned out to be a meandering drama about a wealthy man’s failing marriage. The film feels all over the place, struggling to find a coherent narrative or at least balance its various storylines. It’s a shame to see Helen Mirren and Robert Redford caught up in such a muddled, underwhelming film. With talent like theirs, The Clearing should have been far more compelling than it ultimately is. See more Robert P @Superbad Sep 25, 2026 This movie is not any good! See more Anthony H @RT34449855 Sep 28, 2025 This script didn't deserve the talent and always alluring presence of the beautiful Helen Mirran. See more Leslie W @RT76364333 Sep 23, 2025 I have never liked Willem Defoe. As an actor he's always played low down, creepy, moralles azzhats. He's ALWAYS played a psychotic creeper. Ick. Viewing "The Clearing" was a boring, ridiculous movie. I will NEVER want to see any movie with this creeper in it from here on out He's revolting. I was actually rooting for Redford's character to strangle him dead, run off, expose the kidnapping plot with the dark scenes, ambiguous nonsense, taking the blood presumably from Redford's character? Cant tell WTF?. What a senseless movie. See more Bonnie L @BonnieL Sep 22, 2025 I thought this would be a good movie due to the cast, but the pace of the story and lines made it boring. The ending was disappointing too. Boom. It concluded. See more Daniel N @Daniel9923 Sep 17, 2025 A soft spoken abduction drama, beautifully performed. It will haunt you if you give it space. Do not even try this film if you need the greater array of contrivances and reckless pace of most films in this subgenre. See more Read all reviews
The Clearing

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Pieter Jan Brugge

Director

Robert Redford

Wayne Hayes

Helen Mirren

Eileen Hayes

Willem Dafoe

Arnold Mack

Alessandro Nivola

Tim Hayes

Matt Craven

Agent Fuller

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The Clearing

The Clearing (2004) The Clearing (2004) The Clearing (2004) Left to Right: Director Pieter Jan Brugge and Helen Mirren in The CLEARING. Helen Mirren in THE CLEARING. Left to Right: Willem Dafoe and Robert Reford in The CLEARING. Left to Right: Director Pieter Jan Brugge and Robert Reford in The CLEARING. Director Pieter Jan Brugge on the set of THE CLEARING. Willem Dafoe in THE CLEARING. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) and his wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), seem to have it all. Over the years, they've built a prosperous business together while raising their two children, Tim and Jill. But the family's dream life becomes nightmarish when disgruntled employee Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe) kidnaps Wayne and holds him for ransom. The FBI invades their home and scrutinizes every detail of their life -- and ultimately, it is left to Eileen to deliver the ransom and rescue her husband.
Director
Pieter Jan Brugge
Producer
Jonah Smith, Pieter Jan Brugge, Palmer West
Screenwriter
Justin Haythe
Distributor
Fox
Production Co
Thousand Words
Rating
R (Brief Strong Language)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 2, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.8M
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, Dolby SR, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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