Hysteria (2011)

The truth of how Mortimer Granville devised the invention of the first vibrator in the name of medical science.

Director:

Tanya Wexler

Writers:

Stephen Dyer (story), Jonah Lisa Dyer (story),

Stars:

Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jonathan Pryce

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hugh Dancy	...	Mortimer Granville
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Charlotte Dalrymple
Jonathan Pryce	...	Dr. Robert Dalrymple
Felicity Jones	...	Emily Dalrymple
Rupert Everett	...	Edmund St. John-Smythe
Ashley Jensen	...	Fannie
Sheridan Smith	...	Molly
Gemma Jones	...	Lady St. John-Smythe
Malcolm Rennie	...	Lord St. John-Smythe
Kim Criswell	...	Mrs. Castellari
Georgie Glen	...	Mrs. Parsons
Elisabet Johannesdottir	...	Mrs. Pearce
Linda Woodhall	...	Nurse Smalley
Kim Selby	...	Lady Wheaton
John Overstall	...	Mr. Huddleston

Storyline

In 1880 pioneering doctor Mortimer Granville,sacked from various hospitals for challenging his superiors' out-moded methods,gets a job with Dr Dalrymple,who relieves female patients' frustrations - or hysteria - with pelvic massages which allow orgasm. The handsome young doctor attracts a large female clientele and gets engaged to Dalrymple's studious younger daughter Emily but after the constant massaging brings on a carpal injury he is sacked. Fortunately an enterprising inventor friend has come up with a power operated feather duster which will soon be transformed into a vibrator and make Mortimer a fortune. Along the way he also realises that his heart really lies with Emily's older sister Charlotte,an outspoken suffragette who runs a home for disadvantaged women in London's East End.

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Plot Keywords:

doctor | invention | hysteria | vibrator | treatment | 

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Taglines:

A comedy about the birth of the vibrator in Victorian England.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK France Germany Luxembourg

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 December 2011 (France)

Also Known As:

Histeria

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$35,656 (USA) (18 May 2012)

Gross:

$1,799,187 (USA) (21 September 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Informant Media, Forthcoming Productions, Beachfront Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director 'Tanya Wexler' stated that the hardest shot to get for the movie was of two ducks mating. After filming hundreds of hours of ducks with nothing to show for it, they finally got the shot they needed when someone found a video on YouTube.

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Goofs

The character Charlotte Dalrymple is shown riding a safety bicycle. The film is set in 1880, but safety bicycles weren't invented until 1885.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mrs. Bellamy: I truly don't even know why I'm here, doctor.
[pen scraping]
Mrs. Bellamy: Well, of course it's difficult running a large household by oneself. And raising four children is exacting, but they're wonderful, wonderful children. And my husband, he's a good man. A very hard worker. Um... Ahem. Well, there is just one thing. Sometimes at night, when he comes to me, I imagine myself splitting his fat bald head with a great large ax.
[pen scraping]

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits images of several different vibrators throughout history are shown.

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Connections

Referenced in Special Collector's Edition: Christine (2013)

User Reviews

Absolutely delightful film.

My absolute favourite film from this year's Tiff. I was laughing like a crazy person but I was completely drowned out by the howling and squealing of all the women in the audience. Special attention was given to historical details and they all were masterfully done. The quality of the cast is something I haven't seen in quite a while, the roles were so much fun that many of the actors would have wanted to do this for nothing or at least for scale. It was true genius that such material was discussed and portrayed in such a manner as to be purely enjoyable without risking even the slightest offence. Be sure to stay for the very end and watch the antique devices as they appear on the left side and then the right side of the credits. The entire audience was still fixated on the screen as if in a champion tennis match until the lights came up and we applauded some more.

Absolutely delightful film.

Keep it up.