It was 1993, and Hollywood was basically obsessed with the idea of a "prestige" blockbuster. You had two of the biggest names on the planet—Richard Gere, fresh off the stratosphere-shattering success of Pretty Woman, and Jodie Foster, who had just finished sweeping the Oscars for The Silence of the Lambs. Putting them together seemed like a guaranteed license to print money.
The result was Sommersby.
Honestly, it’s kinda weird that they only ever made one movie together. You’d think a pairing that successful would have led to a decade of romantic thrillers or high-stakes dramas. Instead, Sommersby stands as this solitary, strangely haunting monument to a very specific moment in 90s cinema. Even now, fans and critics can’t quite agree: was their chemistry electric, or was it just two professionals doing their best with a really bizarre script?
What Really Happened in Sommersby?
The movie is a remake of a French film called The Return of Martin Guerre. It’s set right after the American Civil War. Richard Gere plays Jack Sommersby, a man who returns to his struggling farm in Tennessee after six years of war and prison.
The twist? He’s actually nice now.
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Before the war, Jack was a total nightmare—an abusive, cruel, and generally loathed husband. The "new" Jack is sensitive, progressive, and knows exactly how to make the farm profitable by planting tobacco. Jodie Foster plays his wife, Laurel, who is understandably suspicious. Her husband’s feet are suddenly two sizes smaller. He doesn't remember certain things. But, well, he’s much better in bed and treats her with respect, so she’s willing to go along with the "miracle."
It’s a great premise. It’s basically the ultimate "gaslighting yourself for love" story.
The Chemistry Question
Some people swear by this movie. They see the way Gere looks at Foster and see pure, unadulterated passion. Others? Not so much.
- The Pro-Chemistry Side: Supporters argue that the restraint in their performances is what makes it work. They aren't teenagers; they're two adults damaged by war and isolation finding a second chance.
- The Skeptics: Critics at the time, like some writers for The Austin Chronicle, felt there was "no spark" to their passion. Some modern viewers on places like Reddit have even joked that Jodie Foster—who later came out—simply didn't have that "fangirl" energy for Gere that other 90s leading ladies did.
Whether you buy the romance or not, the acting is objectively top-tier. Foster, in particular, carries the emotional weight of a woman choosing to believe a lie because the truth is too bleak to return to.
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Behind the Scenes: More Than Just a Pretty Face
The production wasn't just about two stars looking good in period clothing. Director Jon Amiel took this thing seriously. They filmed on location in Bath County, Virginia, specifically at an antebellum estate called Warwickton. They even had an archaeologist on set just in case the crew dug up actual Civil War relics while building the sets.
Gere wasn't just acting; he was an executive producer. He was heavily involved in the "Americanization" of the story. They moved it from 16th-century France to the Reconstruction-era South to touch on themes of racial tension and economic rebirth.
The movie actually did well. It made over $140 million on a $30 million budget. In 1993 dollars, that’s a massive win. It’s the kind of success that usually leads to a sequel or at least another collaboration, but it never happened.
The Weird Details Nobody Remembers
- The Foot Mystery: A major plot point involves a shoemaker discovering that Jack’s feet have "shrunk." It’s a detail pulled from the original historical account of Martin Guerre.
- The Soundtrack: Danny Elfman wrote the score. Yeah, the guy who did Batman and The Simpsons. It’s actually one of his most underrated, lush romantic works.
- The Namesake Cow: In a weirdly meta moment, the Sommersby family cow is named Clarice—a direct nod to Foster’s character in The Silence of the Lambs.
Why We Don’t See Pairings Like This Anymore
Today, movie stars are often secondary to the "IP" (intellectual property). People go to see Spider-Man, not necessarily the actor playing him. In the early 90s, the "Star Vehicle" was king. You went to see Sommersby specifically because it was Richard Gere and Jodie Foster.
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The ending of the movie—which we won't spoil here, but it involves a heavy courtroom drama with James Earl Jones—is notoriously divisive. It’s heartbreaking and, to some, totally unnecessary. But it’s also the reason the movie sticks in your brain. It refuses to give you the easy Hollywood exit.
The Lasting Legacy of the Duo
If you want to revisit this era, Sommersby is actually a great place to start. It’s better than the "soapy" label some people give it. It tackles identity, the ethics of lying for the greater good, and how much a person can truly change.
If you're looking for more from these two:
- Watch The Return of Martin Guerre (1982) to see how the original French version handled the mystery.
- Check out Richard Gere in Mr. Jones, which was released around the same time and shows a completely different side of his 90s acting range.
- Revisit Jodie Foster’s directorial work, like Little Man Tate, to see the kind of intellectual depth she was bringing to her projects during this peak era.
The Gere-Foster partnership might have been a "one and done," but it remains one of the most interesting "what ifs" in modern cinema history. It’s a reminder of a time when a movie didn't need a cape or a multi-film universe to be a massive event—it just needed two people who knew exactly how to hold a camera's gaze.
Next Steps for Film Buffs
To truly appreciate the nuance of this era, compare the "quiet" intensity of Sommersby to the more explosive thrillers of 1993 like The Fugitive. Notice how the focus on performance over pyrotechnics changed the way audiences perceived "adult" dramas. If you are watching Sommersby for the first time today, pay close attention to the tobacco-planting scenes; they serve as a metaphor for the fragile "growth" of Jack and Laurel's relationship.