Henry & June

While traveling in Paris, the American writer Henry Miller and his wife June encounter Anais Nin, a bold diarist whose writing draws them in. Nin and June grow close, and their attraction blossoms into a tense alliance that complicates the couple's relationship. The two women explore their chemistry with an openness that unsettles traditional marriage norms, while Miller watches and writes, his own appetites stirred and challenged by what unfolds around him. The film reframes a famous literary circle through a frank, intimate lens, tracking how desire and artistic curiosity collide with loyalty, affection, and the boundaries of partnership. It stays focused on character, mood, and the evolving dynamics rather than sensational melodrama.

Directed by Philip Kaufman, the film adapts Anais Nin's diaries with a screenplay by Rose Kaufman. It stars Uma Thurman as June, Fred Ward as Henry Miller, and Maria de Medeiros as Anais Nin, bringing a circle to life.

The film contributed to discussions about sexuality and literary biography on screen, highlighting Anais Nin's role as a writer and as a catalyst for intimate exploration. Uma Thurman's performance helped launch her in dramas, and the movie remains a notable early 1990s example of candid, character driven sexuality in cinema.

Reception to Henry & June was mixed, with critics praising performances and mood but criticizing pacing and tonal shifts. The film centers on sexual autonomy, power dynamics, and the tension between art and life, while asking how biographical material should be translated to screen. It remains a challenging character study.