Kinsey (2004)

A look at the life of Alfred Kinsey, a pioneer in the area of human sexuality research, whose 1948 publication "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male" was one of the first recorded works that saw science address sexual behavior.

Director:

Bill Condon

Writer:

Bill Condon

Stars:

Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Chris O'Donnell

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 17 wins & 50 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Liam Neeson	...	Alfred Kinsey
Laura Linney	...	Clara McMillen
Chris O'Donnell	...	Wardell Pomeroy
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Clyde Martin
Timothy Hutton	...	Paul Gebhard
John Lithgow	...	Alfred Seguine Kinsey
Tim Curry	...	Thurman Rice
Oliver Platt	...	Herman Wells
Dylan Baker	...	Alan Gregg
Julianne Nicholson	...	Alice Martin
William Sadler	...	Kenneth Braun
John McMartin	...	Huntington Hartford
Veronica Cartwright	...	Sara Kinsey
Kathleen Chalfant	...	Barbara Merkle
Heather Goldenhersh	...	Martha Pomeroy

Storyline

Called Prok as an adult (short for Professor Kinsey), Alfred Kinsey has been interested in biology since he was a child growing up in the early twentieth century, despite the criticisms of such being evil nonsense from his overbearing and devoutly Christian father, professor Alfred Seguine Kinsey. Prok goes on to become a biology professor at Indiana University, initially focusing on the study of gall wasps. But those studies in combination with questions from his students, coming to terms with the needs of sex with his own wife, a former student of his named Clara McMillen (who he calls Mac), and what he sees as the gross misinformation on the subject currently within popular belief makes him change his focus to human sexuality. Many of those gross untruths - as he sees them - are that oral sex and masturbation cause a slew of maladies, which are perpetuated by what is presented in the university's hygiene class taught by Professor Thurman Rice. With the approval of faculty head ...

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Plot Keywords:

sexuality | sex | student | research | professor | 

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Taglines:

Let's talk about sex.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive sexual content, including some graphic images and descriptions

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 January 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dr. Kinsey

Filming Locations:

Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$169,038, 14 November 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$10,214,647, 27 March 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Qwerty Films, N1 European Film Produktions GmbH & Co. KG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cole Porter wrote the song "Too Darn Hot" for the Broadway musical "Kiss Me Kate," which premiered in 1948, the same year as the publication of Alfred Kinsey's book "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male". The song contains the lyrics "According to the Kinsey report / Ev'ry average man you know / Much prefers to play his favorite sport / When the temperature is low." The Ella Fitzgerald recording of this song is played on the soundtrack. When MGM produced its movie version, Kiss Me Kate (1953), the same year as the publication of Kinsey's "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female", the film's censors changed the lyrics to "According to the weather report...."

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Goofs

The position of Kinsey's fingers changes when he tells the interviewer a list of childhood ailments.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Alfred Kinsey: Don't sit so far away. Anything that creates a distance should be avoided.

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the film (following the main cast credits), a montage featuring Kinsey Institute footage of the mating habits of various animals is accompanied by "Fever" by Little Willie John.

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Connections

Featured in The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2005)

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Soundtracks

Dixie Swing
Written by Stephen Lang, Jamie Dunlap and Scott Nickoley
Performed by Molly Pasutti
Published by Revision West (BMI) and Red Engine Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Marc Ferrari/Mastersource

User Reviews

Excellent Job --- thoughtful, engrossing, special

Having recently read, and thoroughly enjoyed, T.C. Boyle's fictionalized take on Kinsey, "The Inner Circle" (2004), I was eager to see how this version materialized. Well Bravo! Bill Condon has created another winning script, and found another lead actor to mesmerize the audience (as in Gods & Monsters). Liam Neeson brings to life this crusader, a man who surely revolutionized America ... and had his own special personal battles as well.

Evocative, enjoyable, credible. Laura Linney is excellent, as well, plus rising star Peter Sargaard is super. Hats off the the splendid cast. One criticism --- did not get to know most of the secondary characters well enough, this is a film where another half hour would have been welcome. But, hey, two memorable hours worth!