Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life (1997)

Ayn Rand was born in 1905 in St. Petersberg, Russia. She escaped to America in 1926 amidst the rise of Soviet Communism. She remained in the United States for the rest of her life, where ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Paxton

Writer:

Michael Paxton

Stars:

Sharon Gless, Michael S. Berliner, Harry Binswanger

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sharon Gless	...	Narrator (voice)
Michael S. Berliner	...	Himself - Editor of Rand's Letters (as Dr. Michael S. Berliner)
Harry Binswanger	...	Himself - Professor and Friend (as Dr. Harry Binswanger)
Sylvia Bokor	...	Herself - Artist
Daniel E. Greene	...	Himself - Artist
Cynthia Peikoff	...	Herself - Friend and Secretary
Leonard Peikoff	...	Himself - Intellectual Heir and Friend (as Dr. Leonard Peikoff)
Al Ramrus	...	Himself - Writer and Producer
John Ridpath	...	Himself - Professor: York University (as Dr. John Ridpath)
Mike Wallace	...	Himself - CBS News Correspondent
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Janne Peters	...	Kay Gonda
Peter Sands	...	Dietrich von Esterhazy

Storyline

Ayn Rand was born in 1905 in St. Petersberg, Russia. She escaped to America in 1926 amidst the rise of Soviet Communism. She remained in the United States for the rest of her life, where she became a much respected author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. The themes of freedom and individualism were to be her life's passion, and would win her a devoted following among readers. Her books continue to sell over 300,000 copies each year. Upon her arrival in America, Ayn Rand applied for a screenwriting position at the DeMille Studios in Hollywood. On that same day, a chance meeting with DeMille brought her to the set of The King of Kings where she was hired as an extra for the film. But, it wasn't until her 1936 Broadway success, Night of January 16th, that she first achieved fame as a writer. The play, a courtroom drama that was tried before a jury drawn from the audience each night, had two endings for each verdict. Although a success, it was Ayn's first struggle to keep the ...

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Plot Keywords:

ayn rand | book | author | individualism | freedom | 

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Taglines:

A Life More Compelling Than Fiction

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ayn Rand: Un sentido de la vida

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$189,083 (USA) (2 October 1998)

Gross:

$209,244 (USA) (24 September 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

AG Media Corporation Ltd., Copasetic Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

145 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References Leave It to Beaver (1957)

User Reviews

Academy Award Nominated Film

This film was nominated for Best Documentary - Academy Award and has received numerous awards. It is not 'shallow' at all, but is instead a true story of one of the most heroic women of our age. It tells the events of a young girl born in the squalor of Communist Russia who came to America embracing its ideals and becoming one of he most widely read authors and philosophers in American history.

He book 'Atlas Shrugged', according to the US Library of Congress, is rated by Americans as the second most influential book, with only the Bible rated higher. Her books increase in sales each year and sell hundreds of thousands of copies annually. Her early book 'the Fountainhead' was, and still is selling widely and was made into the famous movie staring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal.

This film is a powerful inspirational one that any one will find informative and motivating as a true story of a great American heroine. It contains commentary by those closest to her, and is considered by most the best presentation of the actual events of her life.