Where to Watch The Quiet American (2002) in the US

What it's about

British Thomas Fowler enjoys his life in Saigon working as a reporter for the London Times, covering the war in Vietnam between the colonial French powers and the Communists, who seem to be winning the war. In the later stages of his career, he takes his job lightly now, filing stories only on occasion, and no longer doing field work. But most importantly, this posting allows him to escape from what he considers a dreary life in London, including an unsatisfying marriage to a Catholic woman, who will never grant him a divorce, which in turn allows him to have an affair with a young Vietnamese ex-taxi dancer named Phuong, whom he loves and would marry if he were able. Phuong's sister doesn't much like Fowler, if only because he cannot provide a stable future for her. His idyllic life is threatened when the head office suggests he go back to London. In this way, he decides to write a major story to prove to his superiors that he should stay in Saigon. In 1952, Fowler is called into the local Police Inspector's office to provide any information on his friend, thirty-ish American Alden Pyle, who has been found murdered. Fowler had met Pyle the previous year when he arrived in Vietnam to work as part of the American contingent in the Economic Aid Mission. Fowler and Pyle's relationship was not always harmonious, initially as Pyle admitted he too was in love with Phuong and wanted to marry her. That antagonistic relationship would extend to their professional lives, around Fowler believing that the story that would allow him to stay in Vietnam was the rise of a man named General Thé, and Pyle's belief that a third power should come in to take over Vietnam from both the French and the Communists. The question becomes whether Fowler knows more about Pyle's demise than he lets on to the Inspector.

Cast and crew

Director

Phillip Noyce

Writer

Graham Greene, Christopher Hampton, Robert Schenkkan

Starring

Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Hai Yen

Details

Release date

Mar 7, 2003

Language

English, French, Vietnamese

Country

United Kingdom, Germany, United States, Vietnam, France

Box office

$12,988,801

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 13 wins & 14 nominations total

Where to Watch The Quiet American (2002) in the US — common questions

Where to watch The Quiet American in the United States?

The Quiet American is available with a subscription, free with a participating library card, or to rent in the United States. Watch the movie with a subscription on fuboTV (HD). Watch the movie free with a participating library card on hoopla and Kanopy (HD). Rent the movie on Apple TV Store, Fandango at Home, and Prime Video.

Can I stream The Quiet American or do I have to rent it in the United States?

Watch the movie with a subscription on fuboTV (HD). Rent the movie on Apple TV Store, Fandango at Home, and Prime Video.

Can I watch The Quiet American for free in the United States?

Watch the movie free with a participating library card on hoopla and Kanopy (HD).