Cousin Bette (1998)
Cousin Bette Photos
Movie Info
Watch it now
Cast
as Bette Fisher
as Jenny Cadine
as Crevel
as Hector Hulot
as Mariette
as Victorin
as Hortense Hulot

as Celestine
as Wenceslas
as Adeline
as Seidmann
as Dr. Bianchon
as Priest

as Portress
as Musical Director

as Baritone

as Elderly Aristocrat

as De Forzheim

as Nucingen
as De Wissembourg
as Gentleman in Cafe des Artistes

as Gentleman in Cafe des Artistes
as Vauvinet

as Duelmaster

as Chief Gendarme
Critic Reviews for Cousin Bette
All Critics (22) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (9) | Rotten (13) | DVD (2)
It is fascinating to watch Cousin Bette as she lies to everyone, pulls the strings of her puppets, and distributes justice and revenge like an angry god.
Plays more like a crinolined episode of 'Dynasty.'
Disappointing black comedy, based on Balzac's novel
A revenge drama, with Lange's Bette pulling the strings.
Audience Reviews for Cousin Bette
Jessica Lange plays a family's dowdy ugly duckling, given the short shrift habitually, who's as mad as hell and not going to take it anymore in this flighty costumer that promises more than it delivers. Revenge, served at room temperature.
Super Reviewer
[font=Century Gothic]"Cousin Bette" starts in 1846 in Paris where Bette(Jessica Lange) declines an offer following the death of her sister(Geraldine Chaplin) to serve in the widow's(Hugh Laurie) household. Instead, she makes ends meet barely in a variety of tasks including making costumes for the theatre. Despite that, she still visits with them frequently, especially young Hortense(Kelly Macdonald) who is set to be married off. At the advanced age of 40, Bette is also unmarried, hoping one day that her prince will come. He does sort of when a broke Polish sculptor, Wenceslas(Aden Young), attempts to kill himself and she nurses him back to health.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Cousin Bette" is proof that a very good cast is no guarantee for a movie's quality, especially with miscasting as egregious as it is here. To start, it is hard to buy Jessica Lange as plain and unassuming. And Hugh Laurie is simply much too young for his part. These are the least of the flaws on display which include insufficient character development, broad caricatures and lackadaisical direction. The fragmented narrative which never truly comes together feels like there is quite a bit missing. All of which is a shame because there are some very witty moments and an intriguing setting on the cusp of the 1848 revolutions which rocked the French monarchy once and for all.[/font]

Super Reviewer
Brilliant!

Super Reviewer
Cousin Bette Quotes
There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.