The Bridges of Madison County (film) opened theatrically on June 2, 1995 in 1,805 venues. It earned $10,519,257 in its opening weekend, ranking number two in the North American box office, behind "Casper" (which was in its second weekend). At the end of its run, the film grossed $71,516,617 domestically and $110,500,000 overseas for a worldwide total of $182,016,617. Rotten Tomatoes reports a score of 90% based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's consensus states: "Sentimental, slow, schmaltzy, and very satisfying, "The Bridges of Madison County" finds Clint Eastwood adapting a bestseller with heft, wit, and grace." On Metacritic, the film
The Bridges of Madison County "The New York Times", Brigitte Weeks said that "Bridges" had appealed to "middle-aged, world-weary people" in a manner similar to the writings of James A. Michener, though it features more sexuality than Michener's books. "The Bridges of Madison County" received multiple comparisons to Erich Segal's "Love Story" (1970) for its plot and prose. For "Rolling Stone", Peter Travers said that Waller's prose was modeled on Walt Whitman's work, but instead resembled a greeting card. Travers also said that "Bridges" exists within a tradition of "great romantic crocks" like Pat Conroy's "The Prince of Tides" (1986). "The New York Times Magazine"