Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- acerbic
- intimate
- adult movie night
- nora ephron marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film well crafted and entertainingly performed but undermined by an aimless plot and limited emotional perspective.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rachel's witty perspective turns pregnancy, marriage, and Mark's affair into sharp observations about emotional disappointment.
The plot is explicitly based on Nora Ephron's marriage to Carl Bernstein and her best-selling autobiographical novel.
Rachel processes Mark's infidelity and the collapse of her family through caustic, self-aware comic narration.
Rachel's identity as a food writer and the film's attention to food connect domestic pleasure with the marriage's instability.
Films like Heartburn, and why
Kramer vs. Kramer
shared romantic comedy, marital infidelity, and bittersweet relationship drama
The Goodbye Girl
shared witty adult relationship writing, emotional separation, and new family pressures
When Harry Met Sally...
shared romantic comedy, self-aware female perspective, and urban relationship conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Mike Nichols
- Release Date
- 1986-07-25
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (223)
Cast
- Meryl Streep
- Jack Nicholson
- Jeff Daniels
- Maureen Stapleton
- Stockard Channing
- Richard Masur
- Catherine O'Hara
- Steven Hill
- Miloš Forman
- Mamie Gummer
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Heartburn about?
- A food writer's vision of domestic happiness curdles when her charismatic husband betrays her during a second pregnancy.
- What is Heartburn like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Heartburn as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Heartburn violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Heartburn.
- What did critics think of Heartburn?
- Critics broadly found the film well crafted and entertainingly performed but undermined by an aimless plot and limited emotional perspective.
- Which films are like Heartburn?
- Films with a similar feel include Kramer vs. Kramer, The Goodbye Girl, and When Harry Met Sally....
- How long is Heartburn?
- Heartburn runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Heartburn?
- In United States, Heartburn is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
