Housekeeping

Set in the Pacific Northwest during the 1950s, Housekeeping follows two young sisters, Ruth and Lucille, who are left in the care of relatives after their mother's death. They eventually come to live with their aunt Sylvie in a lone house by a lake, and her unorthodox way of seeing the world sets her at odds with what most people expect of a guardian. The sisters respond to her differently, and the arrangement tests the ties between them.

Bill Forsyth wrote and directed the film, his second feature after Local Hero. Christine Lahti plays Sylvie Fisher; Sara Walker and Andrea Burchill play Ruth and Lucille, with Anne Pitoniak, Barbara Reese and Margot Pinvidic among the credited cast. Robert F. Colesberry produced for Columbia Pictures, and the film runs 116 minutes.

Reception was modest on both counts. Housekeeping took in about 1 million dollars worldwide, a small return for a studio release. On IMDb it holds 7.1 out of 10 from roughly 3,300 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.6 from 56 votes. A critics' rating of 7.2 from 13 reviews places it close to the IMDb figure, suggesting those who sought it out responded similarly to reviewers.