The Professor and the Madman
Seen it?2019 | 124 min | History, Drama
Weeknight WatchWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With just 41% on Rotten Tomatoes and a box office loss, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for history buffs. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 4 min.
- What might put you off
- Critics were cooler on it than audiences.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsWeak
41% on Rotten Tomatoes, 27 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.1 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerWeak
$5 million worldwide on a $25 million budget
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 137K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Farhad Safinia
- Mel GibsonJames Murray
- Sean PennDr. William Chester Minor
- Natalie DormerEliza Merrett
- Eddie MarsanMuncie
- Jennifer EhleAda Murray
- Jeremy IrvineCharles Hall
- David O'HaraChurch
- Anthony AndrewsBenjamin Jowett
- Ioan GruffuddHenry Bradley
- Stephen DillaneDr. Richard Brayne