The Passion of Ayn Rand (TV 1999)

The rather eccentric (especially in her thinking) author of "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" becomes involved with a much younger, and married man... to the dismay of those close to her.

Director:

Christopher Menaul

Writers:

Barbara Branden (book), Howard Korder (screenplay),

Stars:

Helen Mirren, Eric Stoltz, Julie Delpy

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Helen Mirren	...	Ayn Rand
Eric Stoltz	...	Nathaniel Branden
Julie Delpy	...	Barbara Branden
Peter Fonda	...	Frank O'Connor
Sybil Temtchine	...	Caroline (as Sybil Temchen)
Tom McCamus	...	Richard
Don McKellar	...	Alfred
David Ferry	...	Interviewer
Donald Carrier	...	David
Hamish McEwan	...	Henry
Elyssa Livergant	...	Naomi
Christopher Marren	...	Aaron (as Chris Marren)
Jennifer Gould	...	Janet
Robert Thomas	...	Security Guard
John Lefebvre	...	Funeral Director

Storyline

The novelist Ayn Rand engaged in an affair with a psychologist 25 years her junior by the name of Nathaniel Branden. Branden built up an institute to spread Rand's ideas, but the two eventually had a falling out. This is the story of the affair, based on the book by Branden's wife, Barbara.

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Plot Keywords:

book | psychologist | idea | novelist | nathaniel branden | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

La pasión de Ayn Rand

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Producers Entertainment Group, Showtime Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based upon Barbara Branden's book with the same title.

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Goofs

In a scene from the 1950s it shows an old phone with a phone number and the words "area code". There were no area codes in the '50s.

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Quotes

Ayn Rand: You respect his intellect?
Barbara: Very much.
Ayn Rand: You share the same principles?
Barbara: Absolutely.
Ayn Rand: You accept that emotion ultimately derives from the thinking one has done, or has failed to do?
Barbara: I do.
Ayn Rand: Then there is only one possible conclusion. Nate is your ideal man.

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Connections

References The King of Kings (1927)

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Soundtracks

"Blue Danube Waltz"
Johann Strauß
Provided by Associated Production Music

User Reviews

Entertaining, thought-provoking movie

This was an entertaining, thought-provoking movie. This film will be a valuable resource for the ingenue researching Ayn Rand's life and work for the first time. The film succeeds because it portrays Ayn Rand's character in all of its complexity without emphasizing any one single as- pect.

Some of Miss Rand's devotees may find this production oversexu- alized, but as someone familiar with her life and work, I find the account of her behavior and her thinking to be consistent with much of what I've read about her and heard in interviews. Considering Ayn Rand's passion for the consistency of principle and action, this film is in no way disparaging to her in character, even while it may not be as compli- mentary as some would like.

In fact, this movie may become an important historical resource for those who are unfamiliar with Miss Rand's life and work and want to research her. Like many outstanding biographies, this production provides a well-rounded view of her character and philosophy. It leaves the viewer, as the historian, to draw her or his own conclusions about the strength or weakness of Miss Rand's character, without in- doctrinating her point of view. This movie is an accurate and fair por- trayal of a woman who often incited controversy with her powerful commitment to the consistency of her actions with her ideals.