This content is from Wikipedia. GradeSaver is providing this content as a courtesy until we can offer a professionally written study guide by one of our staff editors. We do not consider this content professional or citable. Please use your discretion when relying on it.

Reaction and criticism

Roger Ebert gave the film a four-star rating and described it as one that "involves us deeply in the story, and then it reveals that the story is really about something else altogether."^[2]

Gene Siskel, during Siskel and Ebert's annual "Memo to the Academy" program, gave away the ending of the film while giving his review.

Richard Corliss, in Time Magazine, stated "And the secret? Only the meanest critic would give that away, at least initially." The secret is revealed by forming a sentence from the first letter of each paragraph.^[3]

Awards

The film received 6 Academy Award nominations, winning only for Best Original Screenplay.

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Actor - Stephen Rea
• Best Supporting Actor - Jaye Davidson
• Best Original Screenplay (win)
• Best Film Editing