Plot: At the center of the story is Miles Roby (Ed Harris), for whom the promising opportunities of youth have given way to the demands of family obligations, especially those concerning his cantankerous father Max (Paul Newman) and impressionable daughter Tick (Danielle Panabaker).
Unable to escape the town or the dominating shadow of Francine Whiting (Joanne Woodward), who owns the restaurant he runs, Miles copes with a recent divorce from wife Janine (Helen Hunt) while piecing together the shared events that shaped the lives of his mother Grace (Robin Wright) and Francine’s late husband C.B. (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
Director: Fred Schepisi
Writing Credits: Richard Russo (novel & screenplay)
Cast: Ed Harris, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt, Paul Newman, Robin Wright Penn, Aidan Quinn, Joanne Woodward, Dennis Farina, William Fichtner, Estelle Parsons, Theresa Russell, Kate Burton, Trevor Morgan, Danielle Panabaker, Lou Taylor Pucci, Miles Chandler, Carey Lowell & Josh Lucas.
Music by: Paul Grabowsky
Genre: Drama
Filming Dates: September 10, 2003 to November 11, 2003
USA Release Date: May 28, 2005 (PART 1) & May 29, 2005 (PART 2) in HBO
Filming Locations: Maine, USA
MPAA rating: US-TV-14
Runtime: 197 minutes
‘Empire Falls’ is a two-part American television miniseries that aired on HBO in 2005.
The production was highly acclaimed, earning numerous accolades, including 10 Primetime Emmy nominations, with one win, and 4 Golden Globe nominations, taking home two awards.
Robin Wright was also recognized for her powerful performance with a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries.
‘Empire Falls’ is the final on-screen acting project for Paul Newman.
Robin Wright as Grace Roby
Robin Wright portrays Grace Roby, the late mother of Miles (Ed Harris) and David (Aidan Quinn).
Though Grace has died before the events of the story, her presence is deeply felt through a series of evocative flashbacks.
Married to Max Roby (played by Paul Newman and Josh Lucas in different time periods), her secret affair with Charlie Mayne (Philip Seymour Hoffman) casts a long shadow over her family, especially Miles.
Grace appears only in memories, but those glimpses of the past reveal a woman both beautiful and broken, shaped by regret, hidden pain, and love that couldn’t mend what was already unraveling.
Her absence in the present is felt as heavily as her presence in the past. Each memory of her carries the weight of unfinished conversations and wounds that never fully healed.
As the past unravels, we come to understand the burdens Grace has carried, the traumas she endured, and the profound impact she left on her son’s heart. We see a mother who loved imperfectly, who abandoned and yet never fully let go.
Robin Wright brings a quiet intensity to the role, capturing the contradictions of Grace’s spirit, tender yet distant, loving yet troubled. It’s a performance full of grace, ironically true to her name, as she captures a woman torn between guilt and tenderness, loss and hope.
Though gone, Grace is a central figure in the emotional landscape of Empire Falls, a reminder of how the past never truly leaves us, and how the people we’ve lost continue to define who we are.
An all-star cast! Tremendous acting! The cinematography was superb. It’s a great quality hbo miniseries.
Very good miniseries masterminded by Paul Newman. The series strikes a compelling balance between intense drama and understated dark humor. There are some A-list actors here. All the cast is amazing! Paul Newman is incredible in his final live-action role. This was a great send off to Newman. Also, Robin Wright, in particular, delivers a stunning performance as Grace Roby. Though her character appears only in flashbacks, Wright imbues Grace with such emotional depth and quiet sorrow that her presence lingers throughout the entire series.