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Mrs. Harris (2005) (TV)
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Overview
Release Date:
6 January 2007 (Hungary) morePlot:
Based on the sensational 1980s media event, famed cardiologist Herman Tarnower meets a particularly brutal end at the hands of his jilted lover, Jean Harris. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 21 nominations moreUser Comments:
Great performances and accuracy. moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Annette Bening | ... | Jean Harris | |
| Ben Kingsley | ... | Herman Tarnower | |
| Cloris Leachman | ... | Pearl 'Billie' Schwartz - Tarnower's Sister | |
| Lawrence O'Donnell | ... | Judge Leggett (as Lawrence O'Donnell Jr.) | |
| Frank Whaley | ... | George Bolen | |
| Bill Smitrovich | ... | Joel Arnou | |
| Frances Fisher | ... | Marge Richey Jacobson | |
| Michael Gross | ... | Leslie Jacobson | |
| Ronald Guttman | ... | Henri | |
| John Patrick Amedori | ... | Young David Harris | |
| Brad McCoy | ... | Young Jimmy Harris | |
| John Rubinstein | ... | Tarnower's Best Friend | |
| Brett Butler | ... | Tarnower Ex #1 | |
| Lee Garlington | ... | Tarnower's Ex #2 | |
| Ellen Burstyn | ... | Former Tarnower Steady |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
Argentina:95 min | Canada:94 min (Toronto International Film Festival)Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Dolby DigitalFilming Locations:
Los Angeles, California, USAMOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Ellen Burstyn received an Emmy nomination for her performance, even though her character only appears on screen for 11 seconds and has only two lines. moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for Mrs. Harris (2005) (TV)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Madeira | danafd20 |
| the 15 second performance | deftones_mark |
| Will it finally get annette the oscar? | crazywizard13 |
| Soundtrack | lanabeall |
| Song? | Prinjss6 |
| Outstanding Cast! | Joshf84 |
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Having read Jean Harris' autobiography, as well as other materials on this case, I thought Annette Bening's portrayal of Jean Harris was excellent. She was Jean Harris. Ben Kingsley's performance was also excellent--he was given little to work with beyond witty/smug remarks/situations yet to his credit he was able to exude the charm that Tarnower reportedly had, and the chemistry between the Tarnower and Harris was obvious, which made their connection believable. I was drawn to this movie as a fan of both Bening and Kinglsey, and the chemistry between these two very charismatic actors did not disappoint.
What was bothersome was that the film seemed to fluctuate between serious drama and intentional camp. This made it difficult to get too involved in the story or feel empathy for the characters, which is often what people look for in a film of this genre. Even the soundtrack (which was excellent on its own) was used to this endjust when I was getting drawn into Harris' "withdrawal-induced perspective, a pop song from the 70's (was it Bread?) pulled me right out of it. But the more I thought about it (and read some viewer comments on this site) the more appropriate this approach felt. After all, the whole appeal of this story to the public was that a highly successful physician and the Headmistress of a prestigious boarding school were involved in a rather tawdry situation. Two highly educated, superior-acting, society folks who took themselves *way* too seriously were involved in affairs, drugs and cheap catfights. If the shooting scene at the beginning of the film seemed ridiculous and unbelievable, well, that was exactly how Jean Harris described the events herself. So after much consideration, I think that some aspects of the film that other viewers here have criticized were perhaps an effort by the filmmakers to underscore the absurd in this story. This makes "Mrs. Harris" not the typical murder drama/documentary and definitely worth seeing.
So comes down to this: Great cast, great performances (the cameo performances as well) and it accurately portrays the complexities of the situations and the people involved in this story. It is also somewhat disturbing--you won't leave with a feeling that justice was necessarily served, or that anything was really resolved, or with any sense of empathy for the characters. But hey, that's what happens in real life.