The Professor and the Madman (2019)
The biographical drama film The Professor and the Madman (2019), directed by Farhad Safinia and written by Safinia and Todd Komarnicki, is based on Simon Winchester’s 1998 book The Surgeon of Crowthorne. Set in 1872 London, the movie follows retired United States Army surgeon William Chester Minor, who suffers from hallucinations where he is persecuted by a soldier he had branded for desertion. In one of these episodes, he accidentally kills an innocent man named George Merritt and is declared insane, leading to his imprisonment at Broadmoor. At the same time, Professor James Murray is recruited by Oxford University Press to lead the team responsible for creating the Oxford English Dictionary. This dictionary aims to include every English term with its origin and various meanings, supported by literary citations. Despite starting two decades earlier, completing this monumental task proves challenging due to the ever-changing nature of the English language and the amount of work involved.
Murray’s concept of launching an appeal to the English people leads him to request postcard submissions with word references for the commission. This impresses the commission and earns Murray the position of director. Meanwhile, at Broadmoor, Minor experiences a fluctuation between insanity and clarity. In a moment of lucidity, he becomes a hero by skillfully amputating a guard’s leg to save his life. Asylum director Richard Brayne is inspired by this event and decides to implement new methods of psychological support for Minor, including allowing him access to a small library and painting materials. Minor also desires to donate his army pension to the widow of the man he killed, Eliza, but she initially resists due to her deep-seated hatred for him. However, Minor becomes aware of Murray’s plan and starts contributing hundreds of entries with quotes and examples.
Date of download: 2015-11-11T17:22:34+00:00
Cast:  Mel GibsonJames Murray  Sean PennDr. William Chester Minor  Natalie DormerEliza Merrett  Eddie MarsanMr. Muncie  Jennifer EhleAda Murray  Jeremy IrvineCharles Hall  David O'HaraChurch  Steve CooganFrederick James Furnivall  Stephen DillaneDr. Richard Brayn  Ioan GruffuddHenry Bradley  Laurence FoxPhilip Lyttelton Gell |
The biographical drama film The Professor and the Madman (2019), directed by Farhad Safinia and written by Safinia and Todd Komarnicki, is based on Simon Winchester’s 1998 book The Surgeon of Crowthorne. Set in 1872 London, the movie follows retired United States Army surgeon William Chester Minor, who suffers from hallucinations where he is persecuted by a soldier he had branded for desertion. In one of these episodes, he accidentally kills an innocent man named George Merritt and is declared insane, leading to his imprisonment at Broadmoor. At the same time, Professor James Murray is recruited by Oxford University Press to lead the team responsible for creating the Oxford English Dictionary. This dictionary aims to include every English term with its origin and various meanings, supported by literary citations. Despite starting two decades earlier, completing this monumental task proves challenging due to the ever-changing nature of the English language and the amount of work involved.
Murray’s concept of launching an appeal to the English people leads him to request postcard submissions with word references for the commission. This impresses the commission and earns Murray the position of director. Meanwhile, at Broadmoor, Minor experiences a fluctuation between insanity and clarity. In a moment of lucidity, he becomes a hero by skillfully amputating a guard’s leg to save his life. Asylum director Richard Brayne is inspired by this event and decides to implement new methods of psychological support for Minor, including allowing him access to a small library and painting materials. Minor also desires to donate his army pension to the widow of the man he killed, Eliza, but she initially resists due to her deep-seated hatred for him. However, Minor becomes aware of Murray’s plan and starts contributing hundreds of entries with quotes and examples.
