The Old Man and the Sea | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

75% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings

An old Cuban fisherman (Spencer Tracy) has not caught anything in 84 days. Despite the devotion of the young boy (Felipe Pazos) who brings him coffee and food, the fisherman fears he has become perpetually unlucky. On his 85th day of fishing, the old man catches a small fish and decides to keep fishing. When one of his multiple fishing lines hooks a large marlin, he decides to not return to shore until he reels in the fish. For two days and nights, the man sits alone, waiting to redeem himself.

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The Old Man and the Sea

Critics Reviews

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The Old Man and the Sea | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Moira Walsh The Catholic World The emotional impact is second hand and the narrative seems unnecessarily padded. Aug 24, 2023 Full Review The Old Man and the Sea | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Matt Brunson Film Frenzy A real curio, a thoughtful movie that entertains without ever really convincing. Rated: 3/4 Jul 11, 2023 Full Review The Old Man and the Sea | Rotten Tomatoes (3) George Bourke Miami Herald There is as much raw excitement as you'd find at a bullfight or in a Hitchcock suspense movie. Aug 19, 2021 Full Review The Old Man and the Sea | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine Leland Hayward's massive production of Hemingway's short novel has been acclaimed in some critical quarters as a timeless masterwork, but 1 found it a disappointment and a bit of a bore... Dec 2, 2019 Full Review The Old Man and the Sea | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The film can't do proper justice to the literary masterpiece. Rated: B- Sep 26, 2010 Full Review The Old Man and the Sea | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Christopher Lloyd Sarasota Herald-Tribune The 1958 film, made six years after publication of the book, is a faithful adaptation - virtually a word-for-word copy of Hemingway's dialogue and prose - that is not without its faults. Rated: 4/5 Sep 6, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Gisle B I've reacently read the book and I think the movie mirrored the book very well. Those who played the main roles acted very good. The movie was also nice to watch with idyllic surroundings, although limited by the opportunities they had in 1958. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/27/24 Full Review babarizam D I was a little boy when I first saw this movie in early 90s. I couldn't remember much apart from sea, old man sitting in boat, holding a robe and talking to himself. After that I watched it so many times over the years but that first time sensation remains intact. It was an unforgettable experience, an 8 years old sitting , trying to understand. "Luck comes in many forms, who can recognise her" Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/15/24 Full Review dave s Sadly, the film adaptation of Hemingway's classic novel The Old Man and the Sea sinks under the weight of its excesses. True to the novel, the simple story follows the battle between a beleaguered fisherman (Spencer Tracy) and the massive marlin that takes his bait. However, the movie fails on a number of fronts, including a music score (while fashionable at the time) that never seems to quit, narration that never seems to quit (it's a movie – let the visuals and dialogue tell the story), and continuity issues and errors that never seem to quit, like the large harpoon hole in the fish that can be seen before the harpoon strikes or the inconsistencies in the water surface between the stock footage of the fish jumping and the calm water surrounding the boat in the studio water tank. It's a noble effort, but ultimately, just like the old man, falls short. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review renaldo d Despite having a bad visual effect, this film has one of the best narratives brought from the book to the cinema. especially when this quote occurs: He could feel he was inside the current now and he could see the lights of beach colonies along the shore. He knew where he was now, and it was nothing to get home. "The wind is our friend anyway", he thought. Then he added, "Sometimes". "And the great sea with our friends and our enemies and bed. Bed is my friend, just bed. Bed will be a great thing." It is easy when you are beaten. What beat you?...Nothing. I just went out too far. Man is not made for defeat. Man can be destroyed, but not defeated. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review steve d The story isn't much but the acting is great. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Horrible webpage, I can't see any movies, but book is 2 1/2 stars /5 Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Old Man and the Sea

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Cast & Crew

John Sturges Director Spencer Tracy The Old Man Felipe Pazos The Boy Harry Bellaver Martin Donald Diamond Cafe Proprietor Don Blackman Hand Wrestler
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The Old Man and the Sea

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Synopsis An old Cuban fisherman (Spencer Tracy) has not caught anything in 84 days. Despite the devotion of the young boy (Felipe Pazos) who brings him coffee and food, the fisherman fears he has become perpetually unlucky. On his 85th day of fishing, the old man catches a small fish and decides to keep fishing. When one of his multiple fishing lines hooks a large marlin, he decides to not return to shore until he reels in the fish. For two days and nights, the man sits alone, waiting to redeem himself.

Director
John Sturges

Producer
Leland Hayward

Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Co
Leland Hayward Productions

Genre
Adventure

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 11, 1958, Original

Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 10, 2008

Runtime
1h 26m

Sound Mix
Stereo
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