Secrets & Lies poster

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Secrets & Lies

1996 · Movie · 136 min
A

MEANRANK

85/100

Averaged across 10 ratings · 137.6K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 30 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

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74–95 out of 100

Mostly agreed

Lowest is Kinopoisk on 74, highest is Rotten Tomatoes critics on 95.

See the most agreed on films →
Compare Trailer

A successful black optometrist decides to find her birth mother after her adoptive parents die. Her search leads her to a white, working-class woman, revealing that she was given up for adoption at birth. This revelation sends shockwaves through the birth mother's already dysfunctional family, forcing everyone to confront the long-buried secrets and lies that have defined their relationships for decades.

Details

Director
Mike Leigh
Writer
Mike Leigh
Released
24 May 1996
Country
United Kingdom, France
Language
English
Runtime
136 min
Rated
R
Budget
$4.5M
Box office
$13.4M
Awards
22 wins, 26 nominations

This title elsewhere

Brenda Blethyn

Brenda Blethyn

Cynthia Rose Purley

Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Hortense Cumberbatch

Timothy Spall

Timothy Spall

Maurice Purley

Phyllis Logan

Phyllis Logan

Monica Purley

Claire Rushbrook

Claire Rushbrook

Roxanne Purley

Lee Ross

Lee Ross

Paul

Lesley Manville

Lesley Manville

The Social Worker

Awards & nominations

See all 48 →

6 major awards won · 22 wins from 48 nominations across 22 ceremonies

Golden Globe Awards 1997 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Brenda Blethyn Winner
Goya Awards 1997 Best European Film Mike Leigh Winner
Independent Spirit Awards 1997 Best Foreign Film Mike Leigh Winner
Cannes Film Festival 1996 Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Mike Leigh Winner
Cannes Film Festival 1996 Best Actress Brenda Blethyn Winner
Cannes Film Festival 1996 Palme d'Or Mike Leigh Winner
Academy Awards 1997 Best Actress in a Supporting Role Marianne Jean-Baptiste Nominee
Academy Awards 1997 Best Actress in a Leading Role Brenda Blethyn Nominee
Show all 48 awards across 22 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.