Ironweed
1987 · 143 min · Director: Hector Babenco, Héctor Babenco
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Albany, New York, Halloween, 1938. Francis Phelan and Helen Archer are bums, back in their birth city. She was a singer on the radio, he a major league pitcher. Death surrounds them: she's sick, a pal has cancer, he digs graves at the cemetery and visits the grave of his infant son whom he dropped; visions of his past haunt him, including ghosts of two men he killed. That night, out drinking, Helen tries to sing at a bar. Next day, Fran visits his wife and children and meets a grandson. He could stay, but decides it's not for him. Helen gets their things out of storage and finds a hotel. Amidst their mistakes and dereliction, the film explores their code of fairness and loyalty.
Emotional fingerprint
Ironweed (1987) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Melancholy 35%, Sadness 25%, Empathy 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Melancholy35%
- Sadness25%
- Empathy20%
- Nostalgia10%
- Guilt10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Melancholy, Sadness, Empathy. Genres: Drama. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Melancholy, Sadness and Empathy. Its IMDb rating of 6.7/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 70/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Empathy
- Sadness
- Melancholy
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Nostalgia
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Melancholy
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Empathy | Sadness | Melancholy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 4′ | Empathy | 46 % | 43 % | 35 % | 33 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 11′ | Sadness | 67 % | 56 % | 59 % | 46 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 18′ | Sadness | 73 % | 57 % | 60 % | 45 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 25′ | Empathy | 62 % | 55 % | 44 % | 40 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Empathy | 60 % | 57 % | 40 % | 46 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 39′ | Nostalgia | 64 % | 56 % | 43 % | 51 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 46′ | Sadness | 65 % | 54 % | 49 % | 53 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 54′ | Tension | 65 % | 54 % | 51 % | 51 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 61′ | Sadness | 70 % | 64 % | 56 % | 55 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 68′ | Empathy | 70 % | 69 % | 57 % | 56 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 75′ | Empathy | 59 % | 59 % | 45 % | 49 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 82′ | Melancholy | 53 % | 53 % | 34 % | 43 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 89′ | Empathy | 60 % | 60 % | 40 % | 44 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 97′ | Empathy | 74 % | 73 % | 51 % | 51 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 104′ | Nostalgia | 78 % | 74 % | 50 % | 54 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 111′ | Sadness | 75 % | 70 % | 55 % | 56 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 118′ | Nostalgia | 74 % | 68 % | 60 % | 57 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 125′ | Tension | 77 % | 70 % | 66 % | 60 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 132′ | Sadness | 81 % | 76 % | 69 % | 65 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 139′ | Empathy | 75 % | 73 % | 52 % | 60 % |
Rags to riches
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Ironweed. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Pee Wee
Nora
Rowdy Dick
Rosskam
Librarian
Clara
Flower Girl
Elderly Woman
Details
- Directed by
- Hector Babenco, Héctor Babenco
- Written by
- William Kennedy
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1987
- Runtime
- 143 min
- Country
- United States
- Genres
- Drama
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Melancholy
- Data updated
Where to watch
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Rent
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