Holy Smoke

Ruth Barron, a young Australian woman, travels to India and falls under the sway of a charismatic guru, turning her back on her former life. Her family, unable to pull her away by other means, hires PJ Waters, an American specialist in deprogramming people drawn into cults, to bring her back to a Western way of life. He confronts her at a remote desert hideaway, confident he can resolve the case in a short time, but finds in Ruth an intelligent and strong-willed opponent. Over the days that follow, the balance of power between the two shifts in ways neither anticipated.

Jane Campion directed and co-wrote the screenplay with her sister Anna Campion. It followed The Piano and The Portrait of a Lady in her filmography, and was produced by Jan Chapman with Film4 Productions, Miramax and other partners on a budget of 15 million dollars. Kate Winslet plays Ruth and Harvey Keitel plays PJ Waters, with Julie Hamilton, Sophie Lee, Dan Wyllie and Paul Goddard in supporting roles.

Released in 1999, the film fared poorly at the box office, taking in about 2 million dollars worldwide against its budget. On IMDb it holds 5.9 out of 10 from around 16,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.7 out of 10 from 231 votes. A critics' rating of 6 out of 10 from 81 reviews places professional appraisal close to the audience response.