Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Nova
S36.E10
All episodes
All
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Darwin's Darkest Hour

  • Episode aired Oct 6, 2009
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
199
YOUR RATING
Darwin's Darkest Hour (2009)
Documentary
Charles Darwin is taken aback when he receives a manuscript from a colleague, Alfred Wallace, which contains many of the same conclusions as he on evolution and the development of various sp... Read allCharles Darwin is taken aback when he receives a manuscript from a colleague, Alfred Wallace, which contains many of the same conclusions as he on evolution and the development of various species. Darwin's theory was developed over a great many years and in flashbacks, the manner... Read allCharles Darwin is taken aback when he receives a manuscript from a colleague, Alfred Wallace, which contains many of the same conclusions as he on evolution and the development of various species. Darwin's theory was developed over a great many years and in flashbacks, the manner in which it developed is shown. He had many supporters and likely more critics. He knew t... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
199
YOUR RATING
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • John Bradshaw
    • Writer
      • John Goldsmith(teleplay)
    • Stars
      • Henry Ian Cusick
      • Frances O'Connor
      • Nigel Bennett
    Top credits
    • Director
      • John Bradshaw
    • Writer
      • John Goldsmith(teleplay)
    • Stars
      • Henry Ian Cusick
      • Frances O'Connor
      • Nigel Bennett
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 7User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos8

    Darwin's Darkest Hour (2009)
    Darwin's Darkest Hour (2009)
    Henry Ian Cusick and Frances O'Connor in Nova (1974)
    Henry Ian Cusick in Nova (1974)
    Henry Ian Cusick and Frances O'Connor in Nova (1974)
    Henry Ian Cusick and Frances O'Connor in Nova (1974)
    Nova (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Henry Ian Cusick
    Henry Ian Cusick
    • Charles Darwin
    Frances O'Connor
    Frances O'Connor
    • Emma Darwin
    Nigel Bennett
    Nigel Bennett
    • Sir Charles Lyell
    Richard Donat
    Richard Donat
    • Dr. Robert Darwin
    Vanessa Walton-Bone
    • Elizabeth Wedgwood
    Jeremy Akerman
    Jeremy Akerman
    • Parslow
    Daniel Lillford
    Daniel Lillford
    • Dr. Engleheart
    John O'Keefe
    • Postman
    Rhys Bevan-John
    • Alfred Wallace
    Mike MacPhee
    • William Fitzroy
    • (as Mike McPhee)
    Jacob Robertson
    • Frank Darwin
    Simon Pattison
    • Horace Darwin
    Owen Pattison
    • Lenny Darwin
    Rosin Boyle
    • Etty Darwin
    • (as Roisin Boyle)
    Jeff Schwager
    • John Gould
    Andrea Lee Norwood
    • Jane
    Lee J. Campbell
    • John Bennett
    David Hughes
    • Reverend Innes
    • Director
      • John Bradshaw
    • Writer
      • John Goldsmith(teleplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    User reviews7

    Review
    Top review
    4/10
    Plays Loosely With the Facts
    This is a pretty movie. Darwin's six charming children are perfectly clean, starched and combed, who might have Mary Poppins or Maria von Trapp as nanny. His wife is a vision of loveliness in gigantic hoop skirts. There is no dust or anything broken in his house. His huge gardens are perfectly tended by invisible gardeners. His papers are perfectly arranged so that even something from a decade past is right on top. We never find out how this magnificent gleaming estate is financed.

    I have problems with the movie because it so conflicts with everything I heard about Darwin. His wife was an ardent Christian, who strenuously opposed him publishing. Yet in the movie she is his champion and cheerleader urging him to publish.

    Darwin was terrified of how Christians would react to his work. He made himself ill with fear. Yet in the movie, he is always in perfect health.

    When his daughter died, that ended Darwin's belief in a benign god. This was a key event in his life. It was handled very indirectly in a single sentence in the movie. I felt the director was Christian and was dishonestly doing all he could to make Darwin look like a solid Christian. Darwin was well aware what he was doing would rock the church to its foundations. Darwin's father and grandfather were atheist, so his lack of faith should be expected.

    The movie used a clumsy device. After years of marriage, Darwin finally decided to tell his wife what he had been doing in his lab all those years. Why the silence? Why the breaking of the silence? Not explained. This allowed the camera to do flashbacks. The exposition went on and on. Darwin used quite archaic, guarded language which was not very helpful to the modern viewer. I think some poetic licence could have done this exposition work with specific examples and visuals of animals and plants, rather than people walking about a garden talking in abstractions.

    The movie ends with the publication of Origin Of Species. The truly interesting part comes later.

    Unfortunately, you don't learn much about evolution. The main subject is who gets credit for ideas.
    helpful•4
    0
    • roedyg
    • Jan 13, 2015

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 6, 2009 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Canada
      • Japan
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • National Gepgraphic Television
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Canada
    • Production companies
      • 2K-12 Studios
      • ARTE
      • ARTE
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Double Take: Celebrity Twins
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.