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Wit

  • TV Movie
  • 2001
  • PG-13
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
12K
YOUR RATING
Wit (2001)
Trailer
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
10 Photos
Medical DramaDrama

A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer.A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer.A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer.

  • Director
    • Mike Nichols
  • Writers
    • Margaret Edson
    • Emma Thompson
    • Mike Nichols
  • Stars
    • Emma Thompson
    • Christopher Lloyd
    • Eileen Atkins
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.0/10
    12K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Mike Nichols
    • Writers
      • Margaret Edson
      • Emma Thompson
      • Mike Nichols
    • Stars
      • Emma Thompson
      • Christopher Lloyd
      • Eileen Atkins
    • 129User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 3 Primetime Emmys
      • 13 wins & 21 nominations total

    Videos1

    Wit
    Trailer 0:31
    Wit

    Photos9

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    Top cast26

    Edit
    Emma Thompson
    Emma Thompson
    • Vivian Bearing
    Christopher Lloyd
    Christopher Lloyd
    • Dr. Harvey Kelekian
    Eileen Atkins
    Eileen Atkins
    • Evelyn 'E.M.' Ashford
    Audra McDonald
    Audra McDonald
    • Susie Monahan
    Jonathan M. Woodward
    • Dr. Jason Posner
    Harold Pinter
    Harold Pinter
    • Mr. Bearing (Vivian's Father)
    Rebecca Laurie
    • Vivian aged 5
    Su Lin Looi
    • Nurse
    • (as Su-Lin Looi)
    Raffaello Degruttola
    Raffaello Degruttola
    • Technician 1
    Miquel Brown
    • Technician 2
    Hari Dhillon
    Hari Dhillon
    • Fellow 1
    • (as Harry Dillon)
    Benedict Wong
    Benedict Wong
    • Fellow 2
    Alex Gregor
    • Fellow 3
    Lachele Carl
    Lachele Carl
    • Fellow 4
    David Menkin
    David Menkin
    • Student 1
    Rachel Siegel
    • Student 2
    Shauna Shim
    Shauna Shim
    • Student 3
    Matt Blair
    • Student 4
    • Director
      • Mike Nichols
    • Writers
      • Margaret Edson
      • Emma Thompson
      • Mike Nichols
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews129

    8.011.7K
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    Featured reviews

    8moonspinner55

    Margaret Edson's play becomes tour-de-force for Emma Thompson...

    A female professor--wry, canny, tough, fragile--goes through a wrenching medical experience fighting ovarian cancer. Made-for-cable movie 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 it's 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.
    10iztokgartner-1

    movie critique

    Magnificent film. Very funny no matter of the serious subject. Emma deserved the Emmy and Golden Globe. What a pity that this movie was made only for TV. Her acting is superb. And she also write the screenplay with the excellent Mike Nichols who also gave HBO Angels in America this year. The story of a college professor who has cancer and find's out that people need some personal attention in life. When Demi Moore shaved her head, we've got G.I. Jane, when Emma Thompson did the same, we've got one of the best TV movies in recent history. The story with familiar theme with no clichés and no overly emotions. Very powerful and nicely done. A real masterpiece in the simplicity.
    9sddavis63

    Powerful And Touching Account Of Living And Dying With Cancer

    This is a wonderful, must-see film.

    Emma Thompson puts on a superb performance as Vivian Bearing (a Professor of English Literature specializing in the poetry of John Donne,) who leads us through the last months of her life in narrative style.

    Diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer, Bearing agrees to experimental treatments involving powerful doses of chemotherapy. As we see her gradually losing her fight, Thompson convincingly portrays her emotional and physical torment and pain. Audra McDonald is well cast as the compassionate nurse (Susan) assigned as Bearing's primary care giver, who tries to ensure that, in the face of the doctors' temptation to continue to use Bearing as a guinea pig for their research, she will be treated with dignity and respect in her last days. John Woodward is quite believable as a young cancer researcher (Dr. Jason Posner) who really seems to see dealing with patients as an inconvenience that takes time away from what's really important to him, and his rather emotionless and awkward interplay with Bearing suits the character perfectly; a testimony to Woodward's talent.

    This movie offers a powerful commentary on the cold and rather antiseptic environment of hospitals, in which patients are seen more as learning opportunities than people. The poetry of John Donne, interspersed throughout the movie as a source of strength for Bearing, is well used.

    There's very little to criticize about this movie. Christopher Lloyd (cast in a rare serious role as Dr. Kelekian, the doctor in charge of Bearing's case) comes across as a bit flat, but the role is a relatively small one, and this doesn't detract much from the story. I also found the flashback scenes to be a bit distracting, but these have to be seen in context: this movie is based on an original stageplay written by Margaret Edson, and these scenes would look quite natural in that environment. I also thought the movie went on about five minutes too long. The last scene to me was unnecessary. I personally would have liked to have seen the movie end with the touching visit by Bearing's former Professor. We'd been put through the ringer enough, and didn't need the troubling last few minutes. These are just minor quibbles, though, about a truly great movie.

    It's powerful, well acted, well put together. It could be disturbing to some people uncomfortable with illness and death, but it is an educational experience just to watch. I give it 9/10.
    rdconger

    Without a Flaw

    So often one leaves the theater or presses re-wind with a thought taking the form of, "That was a really good film, but..." At the end of "Wit," I could not find a qualifier to complete that thought, and I still cannot. This film is a piece of perfection, tightly fitted but not contrived; dramatic without overstatement; and deeply moving without sentimentality.

    It also comprises a tour-de-force performance by Emma Thompson, an actor whose performances are almost always extraordinary -- so the fact that this one stands out says a lot.

    The dialogue (and monologue) is amusing, minimalistic but never too little, and is always sufficient to the scene. There is plenty of irony, wry humor, and understated insight; and yet the film, stark as it is, is abundantly human and, in places, even sweet.

    At the height of the grinding sorrow that Thompson so skillfully brings us into, a startling scene between her old academic mentor is a loving act of redemption, shared by them both.

    As an additional note, the surprising appearance of Christopher Lloyd in this film, as the research oncologist, provides a perfect foil for Vivian's role as a patient and as an academician. Lloyd's performance is convincing, and yet it contains just enough of eccentricity and kindness to make his character's disinterested role entirely sympathetic.

    A wonderful film. Not -- be warned -- an easy film to watch, but decidedly worth it.
    9Movie-12

    Personal, powerful, harrowing, unforgettable, Emma Thompson in one of the best performances we will see this year. **** (out of four)

    WIT / (2001) **** (out of four)

    By Blake French:

    "Wit" is one of the most personal stories of terminal illness that I can remember. Most of the movie takes place behind hospital doors where the film's main character is tested and treated for advanced stages of ovarian cancer-that may be the reason that it was released straight to cable TV instead of getting a much deserved theatrical release. Do not let the depressing themes stop you from viewing "Wit," it is thought-provoking, riveting, unforgettable-one of the best movies of the year.

    The film is directed by Mike Nichols (whose most memorable work is the original classic, "The Graduate"). He is at the top of his game here, vividly focused and, working for a script by himself and Emma Thompson, uses a narrative of the first person. The main character, a strict professor of poety in her upper forties named Vivian Bearing, often talks directly to the camera, incorporating a straightforward point of view as she shares her personal feelings directly. This gives the movie a personal dimension, and the soundtrack, consisting of memorable classical music, contributes to the penetrating power of this superb motion picture.

    Since the production never had a theatrical release, it will not be eligible for Academy Awards next March. That is a shame, because the work by Emma Thompson is more invigorating, emotional, and involving as anything we are likely to see this year. She delivers a performance of awe-inducing empathy, doing something many actresses would have trouble dealing with. She plays a tough individual, both physically and emotionally, but, as the movie's clear irony proves, even the strongest people have a breaking point, and when she reaches hers, she loses confidence in her past and current strengths. Thompson is heartbreaking and vivid, creating one of the most convincing and noteworthy characters in a long time.

    Christopher Lloyd plays Dr. Harvey Kelekian, the person in charge of Ms. Bearing's treatments. It is clear this man is more concerned about the results of the tests then the actual person being tested. Bearing becomes a mere guinea pig, and as she states in one of the movie's most powerful scenes, she is unbearably ill not because he has advanced stages of ovarian cancer, but because she is being treated for advanced stages of ovarian cancer. It is the actual treatments that are a threat to her health. Eileen Atkins plays a sympathetic nurse who sees Bearing as more than just a patient, but a person. Jonathan M. Woodward delivers a powerful performance as another hospital worker more interesting in numbers than people.

    "Wit" is a powerful, harrowing movie not to be missed. It aired on HBO about a week ago and will continue running for a while, until finally reaching home video. Check you local TV listing for show times, or wait for the video release. This movie has a place on my list of the top ten movies of the year, and for you to miss such an influential picture would be a crime.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This movie is often shown at medical colleges as an example of how doctors and researchers should not behave.
    • Goofs
      During her exam with the young internist, her arms alternate repeatedly from being completely under the sheet, to being folded together on top of the sheet.
    • Quotes

      E.M. Ashford: Do you think that the punctuation of the last line of this sonnet is merely an insignificant detail? The sonnet begins with a valiant struggle with Death calling on all the forces of intellect and drama to vanquish the enemy. But it is ultimately about overcoming the seemingly insuperable barriers separating life death and eternal life. In the edition you choose, this profoundly simple meaning is sacrificed to hysterical punctuation.

      E.M. Ashford: And Death, Capital D, shall be no more, semi-colon. Death, Capital D comma, thou shalt die, exclamation mark!

      E.M. Ashford: If you go in for this sort of thing I suggest you take up Shakespeare.

      E.M. Ashford: Gardner's edition of the Holy Sonnets returns to the Westmoreland manuscript of 1610, not for sentimental reasons I assure you, but because Helen Gardner is a scholar.

      E.M. Ashford: It reads, "And death shall be no more" comma "death, thou shalt die." Nothing but a breath, a comma separates life from life everlasting.

      E.M. Ashford: Very simple, really. With the original punctuation restored Death is no longer something to act out on a stage with exclamation marks. It is a comma. A pause.

      E.M. Ashford: In this way, the uncompromising way one learns something from the poem, wouldn't you say? Life, death, soul, God, past present. Not insuperable barriers. Not semi-colons. Just a comma.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Say It Isn't So/Wit/The Brothers/The Tailor of Panama/The Gleaners and I (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      Serenade Adagio
      String Quartet #15 (2nd Movement)

      Written by Dmitri Shostakovich (as Dimitri Shostakovitch)

      Performed by The Manhattan String Quartet

      Courtesy of Ess.a.y Recordings

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 24, 2001 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • e-Pipoca - synopsis, gallery, trailer (Brazil)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • W;t
    • Filming locations
      • London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • HBO Films
      • Avenue Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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