Howards End is a 1992 historical romantic drama film directed by James Ivory, from a screenplay written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala based on the 1910 novel by E. M. Forster.

Marking Merchant Ivory Productions' third adaptation of a Forster novel (following 1985's A Room with a View, and 1987's Maurice), it was the first film to be released by Sony Pictures Classics.

At the 65th Academy Awards, the film received a leading nine nominations including for Best Picture, and won three: Best Actress (for Thompson), Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, and Best Art Direction.

The two women grow close as Mrs. Wilcox's health declines and, unbeknownst to Margaret, a dying Ruth bequeaths Howards End to her.

Helen, upset with Margaret's decision to marry a man she loathes, leaves for Germany, but not before giving in to her attraction for Leonard and having sex while out boating.

Insisting on returning to Germany to raise her baby alone, Helen asks to stay the night at Howards End but Henry refuses, leading to an argument with Margaret.

Realizing that he wants to see her again, he travels to Howards End, arriving to find a very pregnant Helen, Margaret, and Henry's brutish eldest son, Charles.

This was considerably larger than those of Maurice and A Room with a View, which led to trouble in raising capital in the UK and the United States.

[5] A solution presented itself when Merchant Ivory sought funding through an intermediary in Japan, where the previous Forster adaptations, particularly Maurice, had been very successful.

[7] Anthony Hopkins accepted the part of Henry Wilcox after reading the script, passed to him by a young woman who was helping edit Slaves of New York and The Silence of the Lambs simultaneously in the same building.

James Ivory was unfamiliar with Thompson before she was recommended to him by Simon Callow, who had a small cameo appearance as the music lecturer in the concert scene.

According to James Ivory, although Vanessa Redgrave was his preferred choice for the role of Ruth Wilcox, her participation was uncertain until the last moment, because she was committed to other projects and it took some time to negotiate an acceptable salary.

[12] Filming locations in London included a house in Victoria Square (which stood in for the Schlegel home), Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, Simpson's-in-the-Strand restaurant, and St Pancras railway station.

The Rosewood London on High Holborn, which was then the Pearl Assurance Building, represented the Porphyrion Fire Insurance Company.

[13] The quadrangle of the Founder's Building at Royal Holloway, University of London stood in for the hospital where Margaret visits Mrs. Wilcox.

"[19] Dave Kehr of The Chicago Tribune gave a mixed review while reporting that the film "provides more than enough in the way of production values to keep its primary audience entertained.

An audible gasp went up at a recent sneak preview over the film's re-creation of a Christmas-bedecked Harrod's of the turn of the century; the movie, like the store, knows how to put its merchandise on display.

The site's critical consensus reads, "A superbly-mounted adaptation of E.M. Forster's tale of British class tension, with exceptional performances all round, Howards End ranks among the best of Merchant-Ivory's work.