True story of the lifelong romance between novelist Iris Murdoch and her husband John Bayley, from their student days through her battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Director:
Richard Eyre
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Title: Iris (2001)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Kate Winslet | ... | Young Iris Murdoch | |
| Hugh Bonneville | ... | Young John Bayley | |
| Judi Dench | ... | Iris Murdoch | |
| Jim Broadbent | ... | John Bayley | |
| Eleanor Bron | ... | Principal | |
| Angela Morant | ... | Hostess | |
| Penelope Wilton | ... | Janet Stone | |
| Siobhan Hayes | ... | Check-Out Girl | |
| Juliet Aubrey | ... | Young Janet Stone | |
 |
Joan Bakewell | ... | BBC Presenter |
| Nancy Carroll | ... | BBC PA | |
| Kris Marshall | ... | Dr. Gudgeon | |
|
|
Tom Mannion | ... | Neurologist |
| Derek Hutchinson | ... | Postman | |
| Samuel West | ... | Young Maurice (as Sam West) | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Iris, based on the life of revered British writer and philosopher Iris Murdoch, is a story of unlikely yet enduring love. As a young academic, teaching philosophy at Oxford, Murdoch meets and eventually falls in love with fellow professor John Bayley, a man whose awkwardness seems in stark opposition to the spirited self-confidence of his future wife. The story unfolds as snippets of time, seen through Bayley's eyes. He recalls their first encounter over 40 years ago, activities they enjoyed doing together, and Iris' charismatic and individualistic personality. These images portray Murdoch as a vibrant young woman with great intellect and are contrasted with the novelist's later life, after the effects of Alzheimer's disease have ravaged her. Murdoch's great mind deteriorates until she is reduced to a mere vestige of her former self, unable to perform simple tasks and completely reliant on her at times frustrated yet devoted husband. Written by kem
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Her greatest talent was for lifeParents Guide:
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Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
29 March 2002 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$5,500,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$23,144, 16 December 2001Gross USA:
$1,292,119Company Credits
Production Co:
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Fox Iris Productions, Intermedia Films See more »
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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See more »
Composed by Bob Merrill
(c) Golden Bell Songs / Intersong (USA) Inc
By kind permission of Warner / Chappell Music Ltd
Co-publisher John Maset Music & Media
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Kate Winslet's Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominated performance was the only one in the category not in a Best Picture nominee that year. See more »Goofs
When Iris and John go to visit Maurice Charlton, a reflection of the camera lighting is seen on the inside of the front door. See more »Quotes
Iris Murdoch: Education doesn't make you happy. And what is freedom? We don't become happy just because we are free, if we are. Or because we have been educated, if we have. But because education may be the means by which we realize we are happy. It opens our eyes, our ears. Tells use where delights are lurking. Convinces us that there is only one freedom of any importance whatsoever: that of the mind. And give us the assurance, the confidence, to walk the path our mind, our educated mind, offers.See more »
Soundtracks
How Much is that Doggie in the WindowComposed by Bob Merrill
(c) Golden Bell Songs / Intersong (USA) Inc
By kind permission of Warner / Chappell Music Ltd
Co-publisher John Maset Music & Media
See more »
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"Iris" is too short.
I wanted more about Iris Murdoch before she descends into Alzheimer's disease (stunningly portrayed by Judi Dench), other than a few lectures, and more explanation on why the young Iris fixed on her husband.
I haven't read the memoirs by the husband; it's possible that because the books and thence the movie are from his view point that we can't get inside Iris's head young, old, or befuddled.
The Young Iris segments mostly point up again that Kate Winslet has a beautiful naked body (was this before or after her baby?) and I didn't see how she did enough otherwise to justify the award nominations.
The Young Husband looks amazingly like the old Broadbent, so that the flashbacks are completely seamless, and both are terrific.
It's nice to see on screen a house as much of a mess as mine, filled with reading material, but I think we were supposed to react negatively at the sight and scream doesn't the British health services provide home health aides?
Altogether a very moving movie, helped by James Horner's music, especially sympathetic to what a caregiver goes through.
(originally written 3/3/2002)