Wit (TV 2001) 7.9
A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Director:Mike Nichols |
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Wit (TV 2001) 7.9
A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Director:Mike Nichols |
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| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Emma Thompson | ... | ||
| Christopher Lloyd | ... |
Dr. Harvey Kelekian
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| Eileen Atkins | ... |
Evelyn 'E.M.' Ashford
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| Audra McDonald | ... |
Susie Monahan
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| Jonathan M. Woodward | ... |
Dr. Jason Posner
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Harold Pinter | ... |
Mr. Bearing (Vivian's Father)
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Rebecca Laurie | ... |
Vivian aged 5
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Su Lin Looi | ... |
Nurse
(as Su-Lin Looi)
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| Raffaello Degruttola | ... |
Technician 1
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Miquel Brown | ... |
Technician 2
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Hari Dhillon | ... |
Fellow 1
(as Harry Dillon)
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| Benedict Wong | ... |
Fellow 2
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Alex Gregor | ... |
Fellow 3
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Lachele Carl | ... |
Fellow 4
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| David Menkin | ... |
Student 1
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Based on the Margaret Edson play, Vivian Bearing is a literal, hardnosed English professor who has been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. During the story, she reflects on her reactions to the cycle the cancer takes, the treatments, and significant events in her life. The people that watch over her are Jason Posner, who only finds faith in being a doctor; Susie Monahan, a nurse with a human side that is the only one in the hospital that cares for Vivian's condition; and Dr. Kelekian, the head doctor who just wants results no matter what they are. Written by Pat McCurry <laraspal00@aol.com>
A female professor--wry, canny, tough, fragile--goes through a wrenching medical experience fighting ovarian cancer. One of those cable movies that looks great on TV, but would it also play successfully on the big screen? In this case, yes, but television--being a far more intimate medium--certainly allows the viewer a bird's-eye glimpse into this story about sickness. Just because "Wit" isn't on the movie screen doesn't mean its not an all-encompassing, breathtaking drama. Director Mike Nichols hasn't been this focused in a long time (he flashes around in this woman's life with uncanny accuracy, and always returns to the present at just the right moment). The pacing of the movie is gentle but not doddering--this isn't a melodrama about pity, nor is it a medical expose or a squeamish thing with lots of needles. It is a quietly absorbing, exceptionally well-rounded chapter of a woman's life, and that woman--Emma Thompson, doing precise and brilliant work--is an embraceable subject. We let her into our hearts, making the finale that much more emotional. ***1/2 from ****