The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Christopher Menaul

Writers (WGA):

Barbara Branden (book)
Howard Korder (screenplay) ...

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The philosopher and rather eccentric (especially in her thinking) author of "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" becomes involved with a much younger, and married man... to the dismay of those close to her.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Writer | 1950s | Female Nudity | 1940s

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Helen Mirren	...	Ayn Rand
Eric Stoltz	...	Nathaniel
Julie Delpy	...	Barbara
Peter Fonda	...	Frank
Sybil Temtchine	...	Caroline (as Sybil Temchen)
Tom McCamus	...	Richard
Don McKellar	...	Alfred
David Ferry	...	Interviewer
Donald Carrier	...	David
Hamish McEwan	...	Henry
Elyssa Livergant	...	Naomi
Christopher Marren	...	Aaron (as Chris Marren)
Jennifer Gould	...	Janet
Robert Thomas	...	Security Guard
John Lefebvre	...	Funeral Director

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Producers Entertainment Group

Trivia:

Based upon Barbara Branden's book with the same title.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In a scene set in the early 1950s, Frank says that he met Ayn Rand during the filming of The King of Kings (1927). He refers to that movie as "the silent version...the great one". The only version of King of Kings that existed in the early 1950s was the silent version; the remake of King of Kings did not appear until 1961.

Quotes:

Barbara: I didn't know you were an actor.
Frank: Neither did anyone else in Hollywood.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 57th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

A Perfect Day / I Love You Truly

Deep cast wasted on shallow characters

I thought Helen Mirren, Eric Stoltz, and Julie Delpy did a great job, especially Helen Mirren, who can convey such shades of emotion so seemingly effortlessly. The movie held my attention because I kept wondering what she would do next, especially when she was seducing a much younger man.

Unfortunately, she failed to make us understand why Ayn Rand had such a hold on (some) people. I blame the script for this, I guess, but the writers may not have understood her success, such as it was, themselves. The places where we come closest to getting it are the scenes with Rand in front of large audiences, where she displays wit and aplomb. In the scenes where she is dominating a small group of regular disciples, it's hard for the viewer to understand what hold she had on them.

Other remarks: Julie Delpy's American accent wobbles occasionally, but Mirren's Russian accent is great. Peter Fonda is in this movie, which normally keeps me away, but his natural woodenness fits his character in this movie.