Disgrace (2008)

After having an affair with a student, a Cape Town professor moves to the Eastern Cape, where he gets caught up in a mess of post-apartheid politics.

Director:

Steve Jacobs

Writers:

J.M. Coetzee (novel), Anna Maria Monticelli (screenplay)

Stars:

John Malkovich, Natalie Becker, Jessica Haines

5 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Malkovich	...	Professor David Lurie
Jessica Haines	...	Lucy Lurie
Eriq Ebouaney	...	Petrus
Fiona Press	...	Bev Shaw
Antoinette Engel	...	Melanie Isaacs
Natalie Becker	...	Soraya
Antonio Fisher	...	Sidney - Student
Isabella De Villiers	...	Mrs. Cundell - Student
Cindy Mkaza	...	Mrs. Mbeti - Student
Liezel De Kock	...	Student Director
Charles Tertiens	...	Ryan
David Dennis	...	Mr. Isaacs (as David Denis)
Paula Arundell	...	Dr Farodia Rassool
Anne Looby	...	Rosalind
David Ritchie	...	Manas Mathbane

Storyline

Cape Town professor David Lurie blatantly refuses to defend himself for an affair with a colored student whom he gave a passing grade for an exam she didn't even attend. Dismissed, he moves to his daughter Lucy's farm, which she runs under most disadvantaged terms, favoring the black locals. Yet rowdies, unprovoked, violently rob and abuse them both. Lucy refuses to fight back, unlike David, who is surprised by his own altruistic potential.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | professor | student | abuse | farm | 

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Taglines:

What is a mad heart?

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity, some violence and brief language

Did You Know?

Trivia

'Disgrace' won the Best Narrative Film (The Black Pearl) Award at the Middle East Film Festival 2008.

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Goofs

When David confronts Lucy at the impound yard, he pulls her left arm away from the steering wheel. In the next shot, it has returned.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Professor David Lurie: I haven't heard from my daughter.
Soraya: Still living with a woman.
Professor David Lurie: Yes, still a lesbian. Still on the farm. She thinks it's safe there.
Soraya: No where's safe. Too many people with nothing to do but cause trouble. How's work?
Professor David Lurie: They look through me when I speak. Forget my name.
Soraya: There's no respect anymore. Have you missed me?
Professor David Lurie: I miss you all the time.

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Connections

References Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

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Soundtracks

Di Questra Cetra in Seno (Il Parnaso Confuso)
Written by Christoph Willibald Gluck (as Christoph Willibald von Gluck')

User Reviews

Ugly, depressing movie with no redeeming qualities except good acting.

The motivations of this cast of characters is practically unfathomable. Playing against all reasonable expectations about human nature seems to be the point, here. This is an ugly, depressing movie about extremely neurotic people, none of whom elicit an ounce of sympathy. These people live in a society where "getting along" trumps pride and self respect. They are so world-weary, presumably from the black-white violence of their recent past that that will degrade and humiliate themselves just to maintain peace. It's not noble, it's not sensible, and it's very depressing. Why did the young black girl student, in the beginning of the story allow herself to be, essentially, raped by this odious troglodyte of a poetry teacher? She obviously didn't like him at all. Are we supposed to believe these blacks in South Africa have a slave mentality that prevents them from resisting a white man? I don't believe that for a moment. And how could the Malkovich character, so contrite about what he's done to the girl that he prostrates himself on the floor and apologizes to her mother—how does that attitude square with his seduction of the veterinarian woman without any regard for the feelings of her husband? And it goes on and on, all against a painful, callous background of dog euthanasia. Disgusting.

Details

Country:

Australia South Africa

Language:

English Xhosa Afrikaans Zulu

Release Date:

18 June 2009 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Disgrace

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,615, 20 September 2009

Gross USA:

$69,705

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,291,680

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fortissimo Films, Sherman Films, Whitest Pouring Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1