The Passion of Ayn Rand (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 & 8 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 Darrow	...	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

Upon the death of Ayn Rand (Dame Helen Mirren), Barbara Branden (Julie Delpy) recounts the story of her dealings with the enigmatic twentieth century philosopher and author. Barbara and her husband, Nathaniel Branden (Eric Stoltz), meet Rand and her husband, Frank O'Connor (Peter Fonda) and immediately establish a rapport. Rand takes the youthful Nathaniel under her wing and begins to show a non-platonic interest in her protégé. Barbara must sit by as the two begin what becomes a long, tumultuous affair.

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Plot Keywords:

sexually aggressive woman | infidelity | extramarital affair | adultery | breasts | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie takes place in 1951, 1957, 1964, 1981, and 1982.

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Goofs

In a scene set in the early 1950s, Frank says that he met Ayn Rand during the filming of The King of Kings. He refers to that movie as "the silent version...the great one". The only version of King of Kings that existed in the early 1950s was the silent version; the remake of King of Kings did not appear until 1961.

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Quotes

Wise-ass Man: Excuse me, Miss Rand. I was wondering if you could give us the essence of your philosophy - standing on one leg.
1st Supporter: Go on!
2nd Supporter: Sit down!
Ayn Rand: [Stands on one leg] Metaphysics: objective reality. Epistemology: reason. Ethics: self-interest. Politics: capitalism.

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Connections

References Kings Row (1942)

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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.

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

La pasión de Ayn Rand

Filming Locations:

Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Producers Entertainment Group, Showtime Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color