The Winter Guest backdrop
DRAMA . 1997 . 1h 48m . English . 6.4/10

The Winter Guest_

"Come In From The Cold"

It's winter in a small Scottish village near the sea, and multiple lives intersect in a day. Frances has just lost her husband to an early death, so her mother, Elspeth, travels to Frances' house to reconnect with her daughter and grandson, Alex. Meanwhile, old women Chloe and Lily go to a funeral, youngsters Sam and Tom cut class, and Alex gets a crush on tomboy Nita.

Starring Emma Thompson, Phyllida Law, Sheila Reid
6.4/10
Rating
1h 48m
Runtime
1997
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
The Winter Guest poster
Come In From The Cold

It's winter in a small Scottish village near the sea, and multiple lives intersect in a day. Frances has just lost her husband to an early death, so her mother, Elspeth, travels to Frances' house to reconnect with her daughter and grandson, Alex. Meanwhile, old women Chloe and Lily go to a funeral, youngsters Sam and Tom cut class, and Alex gets a crush on tomboy Nita.

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Cast
Emma Thompson stars as Frances in The Winter Guest.
Emma Thompson →
Year context
The Winter Guest was released 29 years ago in 1997.
Overview
It's winter in a small Scottish village near the sea, and multiple lives intersect in a day. Frances has just lost her husband to an early death, so her moth...
The Winter Guest is a Drama film with a runtime of 1h 48m.

CAST (13)

Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson
Frances
Phyllida Law
Phyllida Law
Elspeth
Sheila Reid
Sheila Reid
Lily
Sandra Voe
Sandra Voe
Chloe
AC
Arlene Cockburn
Nita
Gary Hollywood
Gary Hollywood
Alex
Sean Biggerstaff
Sean Biggerstaff
Tom
Tom Watson
Tom Watson
Minister
Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Man in street
DM
Douglas Murphy
Sam
JS
Jan Shand
Café Proprietor
SN
Sandy Neilson
Passer-by
BM
Billy McElhaney
Bus Driver

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
108 min (1h 48m)
Language
English
Rating
6.4/10 (52 votes)
Popularity
4

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is The Winter Guest about?
It's winter in a small Scottish village near the sea, and multiple lives intersect in a day. Frances has just lost her husband to an early death, so her mother, Elspeth, travels to Frances' house to reconnect with her daughter and grandson, Alex. Meanwhile, old women Chloe and Lily go to a funeral, youngsters Sam and Tom cut class, and Alex gets a crush on tomboy Nita.
How long is The Winter Guest?
The Winter Guest has a runtime of 108 minutes (1h 48m).
Who stars in The Winter Guest?
The cast of The Winter Guest includes Emma Thompson, Phyllida Law, Sheila Reid, Sandra Voe, Arlene Cockburn.
What is the rating of The Winter Guest?
The Winter Guest has a rating of 6.4 out of 10 based on 52 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (1)

Drama
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