'' The Bridges of Madison County '' is a 1995 American romantic drama film based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Robert James Waller . It was produced by Amblin Entertainment and Malpaso Productions , and distributed by Warner Bros . Entertainment . The film was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood with Kathleen Kennedy as co-producer and the screenplay was adapted by Richard LaGravenese . The film is about an Italian war bride , Francesca ( Meryl Streep ) , who lives with her husband and two children on a farm in Iowa . In 1965 , she meets a '' National Geographic '' photographer named Robert ( Eastwood ) and has a four-day extramarital affair with him that changes both of their lives forever . The film earned $ 182 million worldwide and was well received by critics . Streep received an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination in 1996 for her performance in the film
nomination in 1996
68th Academy Awards
The Bridges of Madison County (film)