The Whales of August
1987 · 90 min · Director: Lindsay Anderson
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
It's August. Like they have most summers, elderly widowed sisters Libby Strong and Sarah Webber, who live in Philadelphia, are staying together in the family's summer cottage on an island off the coast of Maine. The cottage, which now belongs to Sarah, has been in their family most of their lives, was the family's summer getaway from Philadelphia when they were younger. There are a few people who have been friends or acquaintances on the island, including the outspoken Tisha Dought, and Joshua Brackett. Someone new at least to Sarah's social circle is Mr. Maranov, a former Russian aristocrat. His stay on the island is threatened when his landlady, Hilda Partridge, passes away. Sarah and Libby have come to the realization they are in the respective twilight of their lives, Sarah, who still keeps busy and wants to savor life's pleasures, acts as now sightless, cantankerous and bitter Libby's caregiver. Sarah knows she can no longer take care of Libby. As such, Sarah has to make alternate living arrangements instead of the Philadelphia house.Those arrangements will not involve Libby's estranged daughter Anna, who has the means to take care of her mother, although not the want. It is their interactions with Tisha and Mr. Maranov which may decide their sisterly fate for the immediate future.
Emotional fingerprint
The Whales of August (1987) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Melancholy 30%, Nostalgia 25%, Empathy 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Melancholy30%
- Nostalgia25%
- Empathy20%
- Sadness15%
- Awe10%
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, Nostalgia, Empathy. Genres: Drama. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Melancholy, Nostalgia and Empathy. Its IMDb rating of 7.1/10 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
- Nostalgia
- Sadness
- Hope
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Hope
Dominant emotion: Nostalgia
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Nostalgia | Sadness | Hope |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Hope | 43 % | 16 % | 0 % | 30 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Hope | 40 % | 23 % | 9 % | 21 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 11′ | Nostalgia | 46 % | 41 % | 30 % | 12 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 16′ | Sadness | 50 % | 38 % | 40 % | 10 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 20′ | Humor | 48 % | 29 % | 36 % | 15 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 25′ | Nostalgia | 51 % | 33 % | 38 % | 18 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 29′ | Humor | 49 % | 30 % | 32 % | 19 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 34′ | Nostalgia | 45 % | 31 % | 22 % | 20 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 38′ | Humor | 44 % | 30 % | 17 % | 21 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 43′ | Humor | 46 % | 33 % | 19 % | 25 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 47′ | Nostalgia | 53 % | 36 % | 31 % | 20 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 52′ | Tension | 58 % | 23 % | 41 % | 18 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 56′ | Hope | 57 % | 24 % | 43 % | 25 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 61′ | Nostalgia | 57 % | 45 % | 46 % | 21 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 65′ | Sadness | 66 % | 57 % | 59 % | 14 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 70′ | Sadness | 74 % | 64 % | 70 % | 17 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 74′ | Nostalgia | 75 % | 61 % | 71 % | 21 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 79′ | Sadness | 72 % | 48 % | 59 % | 31 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 83′ | Hope | 70 % | 39 % | 33 % | 56 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 88′ | Hope | 72 % | 38 % | 19 % | 75 % |
Man in a hole
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 The Whales of August. 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.
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Cast
Young Libby
Young Tisha
Mr. Beckwith
Old Randall
Young Randall
Details
- Directed by
- Lindsay Anderson
- Written by
- David Berry
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1987
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Country
- United States
- Genres
- Drama
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Melancholy
- Data updated
Where to watch
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