HistoryDramaMysteryThriller

The Professor and the Madman

- The incredible true story that defined our world.

Professor James Murray begins work compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid 19th century, and receives over 10,000 entries from a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, Dr. William Minor.

Release Date : 2019-03-07

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Fastnet Films22h22Caviar Antwerp NVDefinition FilmsZik Zak FilmworksVoltage PicturesFábrica de Cine

Production Country : FranceIrelandMexicoUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : James Murray

Original Name : Mel Gibson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. William Chester Minor

Original Name : Sean Penn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eliza Merrett

Original Name : Natalie Dormer

Gender : Female

Character Name : Muncie

Original Name : Eddie Marsan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ada Murray

Original Name : Jennifer Ehle

Gender : Female

Character Name : Charles Hall

Original Name : Jeremy Irvine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Church

Original Name : David O'Hara

Gender : Male

Character Name : Benjamin Jowett

Original Name : Anthony Andrews

Gender : Male

Character Name : Henry Bradley

Original Name : Ioan Gruffudd

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Richard Brayne

Original Name : Stephen Dillane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Frederick James Furnivall

Original Name : Steve Coogan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Philip Lyttelton Gell

Original Name : Laurence Fox

Gender : Male

Character Name : Max Mueller

Original Name : Lars Brygmann

Gender : Male

Character Name : Winston Churchill

Original Name : Brendan Patricks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Alfred Minor

Original Name : Adam Fergus

Gender : Male

Character Name : Head Board Member

Original Name : Brian Fortune

Gender : Male

Character Name : Defence Attorney Clarke

Original Name : Aidan McArdle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Parfit

Original Name : David Crowley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Minor's Father

Original Name : Kieran O'Reilly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Henry Liddell

Original Name : Bryan Murray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bailiff #1

Original Name : Oengus MacNamara

Gender : Male

Character Name : Joseph

Original Name : Christopher Maleki

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tom Coleman

Original Name : Sean Duggan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Richard

Original Name : Bryan Quinn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lambeth Man

Original Name : Steve Gunn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Colonel

Original Name : Malcolm Freeman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Attendant No.1

Original Name : Joe McKinney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clare Merrett

Original Name : Olivia McKevitt

Gender : Female

Character Name : George Merrett

Original Name : Shane Noone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harold Murray

Original Name : Robert McCormack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gate Guard

Original Name : Ronan O'Connor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Scriptorium Assistant

Original Name : John Morton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elsie Murray

Original Name : Abigail Coburn

Gender : Female

Character Name : Guard

Original Name : Paul Gough

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eastman Minor

Original Name : Lucas Browne

Gender : Male

Reviews

SWITCH.

@maketheSWITCH

2021-06-23

In all likelihood, you will leave this film with a little more of an understanding of how the dictionary came to be, and a little more resentment for Gibson (one of the producers) for pushing this project to happen, regardless of its lacklustre subject. It's pleasant enough, but it's clear England must produce a certain number of period dramas a year and 2019 was just about to fall under the quota - thank god for the dictionary movie. Usually with book-to-film adaptations, there is a spike in sales of said book - I can't imagine anyone rushing out to buy a dictionary after this though. - Brent Davidson Read Brent's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-professor-and-the-madman-mel-gibsons-dictionary-origin-story-a-dry-read

mitohobe

@mitohobe

2021-06-23

I really like it. It had a story within a true Story. Which in my opinion made it a little complex and exciting. Good for young adults and up. Teenagers might not find it so compelling but that's just a short time in their life when they're looking for total entertainment and action. This is not that film but there is a great story to be told with a interesting backdrop of facts. Mel Gibson is excellent!! Be ready to be surprised with a few turns and twists. I really like this movie. I think it was very entertaining and interesting and at times exciting. Get your popcorn ready kick back and enjoy a movie that every other word is not the f word or the GD word. I really enjoyed it and as usual, Mel Gibson always deliver.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-03-28

This is the best effort I've seen from Sean Penn since "Milk" almost twelve years ago. His portrayal of the schizophrenic William Chester Minor who, having spent almost 40 years of his life in Broadmoor psychiatric hospital, became one of the single most significant contributors to the orginal Oxford Dictionary of English is superb. He captures the flaws of this paranoid etymologist warts and all, and gels very well with Mel Gibson who, as the compiler of the tome - Dr. James Murray - also turns in a good, strong and, latterly, sympathetic and understanding performance too. This is essentially a double-hander with Natalie Dormer, Eddie Marsan and Steve Coogan helping to explain the story and releasing some of the emotional steam from time to time. It's a little slow in places, two hours could have done justice to this interesting story which seems overly padded at time. As you'd expect; it looks great with plenty of serious attention to detail and it also shines a little light on Victorian/Edwardian attitudes to mental illness.