The Hotel New Hampshire is a 1984 comedy-drama film written and directed by Tony Richardson, based on John Irving's 1981 novel The Hotel New Hampshire. A co-production between the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, it stars Jodie Foster, Beau Bridges, Rob Lowe, and Nastassja Kinski, with supporting roles by Wilford Brimley, Amanda Plummer, Matthew Modine, and Seth Green in his film debut.
Production and release Richardson adapted the screenplay himself, having obtained the rights through producer Norman Twain. Tim Hutton was originally cast in a leading male role but withdrew; Rob Lowe was cast in his place. Principal photography took place in Montreal and Tadoussac, Quebec, with the Hotel Tadoussac among the filming locations. The film was distributed by Orion Pictures in North America and Anglo-EMI in the United Kingdom, and released theatrically on March 9, 1984. Its running time is approximately 110 minutes.
Plot Set largely in the 1950s and after, the film follows the Berry family—father Win, mother Mary, and children John, Franny, Frank, Lilly, and Egg—as they run a hotel in New England and later a gasthaus in Vienna that they rename the Hotel New Hampshire. The narrative moves between New England, New York City, and Vienna, treating themes such as family loyalty, sexual awakening, grief, and perseverance. The family's recurring catchphrase, "Keep passing the open windows," serves as its admonition to endure hardship.
Reception The film was a commercial disappointment, grossing roughly $5.1 million in the United States against an estimated $5.5 million budget. Critical response was mixed. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes records a 71% approval rating based on 14 reviews, while Metacritic reports a generally unfavorable score of 36 based on 8 critic reviews. Some critics praised Richardson's stylistic balancing of comedy and tragedy, while others found the tone inconsistent and the adaptation unwieldy. Richardson later wrote that he had never loved any of his own films more, and Irving expressed general satisfaction with the adaptation while noting that Richardson's fidelity to the novel compressed many characters into caricature.
Home media The film was released on Region 1 DVD on July 10, 2001, and on Blu-ray on January 5, 2016.
