The Substance of Fire_
"Doing What Is Right... Could Cost Him Everything."
Isaac Geldhart is a Holocaust survivor who, overcome by grief at the recent death of his wife, seems determined to run his publishing firm into the ground by printing books that have no hope of financial success. His son Aaron, who also works at the company, grows frustrated with Isaac's emotional decline and attempts to take over the firm. The resulting crisis involves Isaac's other two children, his daughter Sarah and his dying son Martin.
Starring
Tony Goldwyn, Timothy Hutton, Ron Rifkin
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Prime Video
15 countries
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
The Substance of Fire was released 30 years ago in 1996.
Overview
Isaac Geldhart is a Holocaust survivor who, overcome by grief at the recent death of his wife, seems determined to run his publishing firm into the ground by...
The Substance of Fire is a Drama film with a runtime of 1h 42m.
CAST (20)
Tony Goldwyn
Aaron Geldhart
Timothy Hutton
Martin Geldhart
Ron Rifkin
Isaac Geldhart
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Geldhart
Lee Grant
Cora Cahn
Elizabeth Franz
Miss Barzakian
BU
Benjamin Ungar
Young Issac
Roger Rees
Max
Viola Davis
Nurse
Adolph Green
Mr. Musselblatt
Debra Monk
Martha Hackett
Tom McDermott
Old Printer
George Morfogen
Otto the Printer
Andrew Pang
Mr. Otani Jr
Edmund Ikeda
Mr. Otani Sr
Gil Bellows
Val Chenard
Eric Bogosian
Gene Byck
Ronny Graham
Louis Foukold
JS
John Sullivan
Stewart
SS
Sophia Salguero
Rachel
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Substance of Fire about?
Isaac Geldhart is a Holocaust survivor who, overcome by grief at the recent death of his wife, seems determined to run his publishing firm into the ground by printing books that have no hope of financial success. His son Aaron, who also works at the company, grows frustrated with Isaac's emotional decline and attempts to take over the firm. The resulting crisis involves Isaac's other two children, his daughter Sarah and his dying son Martin.
How long is The Substance of Fire?
The Substance of Fire has a runtime of 102 minutes (1h 42m).
Who stars in The Substance of Fire?
The cast of The Substance of Fire includes Tony Goldwyn, Timothy Hutton, Ron Rifkin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lee Grant.
What is the rating of The Substance of Fire?
The Substance of Fire has a rating of 7.1 out of 10 based on 5 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (1)
Drama