The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Christopher Menaul

Writers (WGA):

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

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The 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:

Author | Writer | Adultery | 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

Certification:

Argentina:16

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 from the 1950s it shows an old phone with a phone number and the words "area code". There were no area codes in the '50s.

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:

Love Is, Love Is Not

Ayn Rand revealed !

It's too bad this movie didn't show in theaters, because even though the story is true, it plays with all the drama and excitement of well-plotted fiction. For those who are not aware of the Ayn Rand mystique, she was a philosopher who presented her ideas in the form of novels, most notably, "Atlas Shrugged", "The Fountainhead" (also a movie with Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal), and "We The Living". Her personal life held all the excitement of her novels. Her fight against the established Judeo/Christian ethics of mid-century America was highlighted by the ideological clashes among the intellectuals of her time. Her romance with a man 25 years her junior was an example of her fearless and innovative thinking. The movie begins with her introduction to the man who would become her lover, and it is the former wife of that man who has authored the book on which this film is based. So it is very up close and personal, leaving Ayn Rand's personality flaws glaring while her genius is underplayed. Helen Mirren does an outstanding job of portraying Miss Rand; she has copied the look and mannerisms and attitude of a unique individual, revealing the strength of character that drove this woman whose ideas radically changed our culture and still do.