Wit

2001 "It appears to be a matter of life and death."
8| 1h39m| PG-13| en| More Info
Released: 20 March 2001 Released
Producted By: HBO Films
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer.

Genre

Drama, TV Movie

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Wit (2001) is now streaming with subscription on Max

Director

Mike Nichols

Production Companies

HBO Films

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Wit Audience Reviews

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
copperncherrio This is a HBO film starring Emma Thompson. Sad, sad movie about a philosophy professor dying of cancer, AND THE WHOLE TIME SHE'S ALONE. ALONE and dying. And she goes through the most painful clinical trail EVER. Also her doctor is a former student, who's a complete Douche.Oh cancer, this is just sad. It's just so cold and hateful and this film reflects just that. It is very isolated and thought provoking. Emma Thompson is a philosophy professor, one of the best in her field. She does have great monologues however, that are artful and thought provoking...I hate doctors and research after this movie.
Superunknovvn There's not much I can write about it. It speaks for itself so eloquently. The script is just brilliant. It settles the score on science, emotionless doctors and people who set the wrong goals for themselves in life. It's a movie that makes you think. With lots of wit and even more heart. Like the main character does in the end, "Wit" finds the right balance between intellect and pure, brutal human emotion. Emma Thompson is astounding. The rest of the cast is, too. Well, as I've said, there's really not much to add to "Wit". Just go and see it. It may change your perception of life for a few days. At least that's what it did to me.
bob the moo Vivian Bearing is a professor of English literature with her career and life dedicated to the study of the poetry of John Dunn. When she is diagnosed with ovarian cancer she enters a full cycle of treatment that leaves her hairless, sick and weak. As she lies in her room or is shuffled from one set of tests to the next set of treatments she reflects on where she finds herself and how she has approached her life thus far.My plot summary does this a great injustice because it makes it sound like a daytime tvm where we gets lots of emotional flashbacks and lots of lessons learnt and weepy scenes. Nothing could be further from the truth with this film although it does do an element of these. Instead of being manipulative and corny though the film is endlessly poignant, convincing and touching. The style is quite similar to Alan Bennett's Talking Heads, with Vivian being quite matter-of-fact in her to-camera scenes but ultimately betraying emotion and hurt underneath. This approach is well mixed with more traditional scenes and it worked really well for me. I liked the way that Nichols drew the flashback scenes into the monologue scenes and then into the wider scenes with other characters, it worked very well for me and made the film flow in a rather beautiful fashion.Of course the strength of the film is in how utterly moving it is and how it achieves this without ever resorting to cheese or easy sentiment. This is represented in human form by Emma Thompson who gives a performance that is beyond criticism as it is without a flaw. She is utterly convincing and her performance had me smiling as often as crying – it is powerful stuff and I'll say no more because I think to say more would risk somehow lessening it. In support it is hard to say how the others do because of how dominant Thompson is but in fairness the fact that they do hold their own is a credit to them. Lloyd has a cameo more or less but is effective and works well in his character. Woodward is an interesting turn while McDonald does a great job with a character that could easily have been basic and corny.A great film then and ironically so, since it sat on my recorder for over a month before I tried it. It is not a difficult watch but it is very moving and is delivered in a great style that mixes Talking Heads with human drama. The script is brilliant and the delivery from Nichols makes it flow seamlessly while Thompson sits at the heart – convincing, touching and excellent throughout.
lindafrisina You will want to smash your TV set after you watch this unbearably sad film.I watched it when my sister was dying of Ovarian Cancer...and maybe that's why it seemed so brutal. I thought I might find some inner strength from this movie..I didn't. Ovarian Cancer seems to be of little interest to anyone..and breast cancer has leaped to center stage.Every scene tore at my heart..as I waited for...what? We knew she would die...we just didn't know how horrible the end of her life would be.Maybe someday I can watch it again, and find something better to say.10 hankie movie