Friday Flashback: Rec. #132: Wit

I decided to start doing Friday Flashbacks in case you missed some early posts the first time around. You're busy; I understand.

What: Mike Nichols directed Emma Thompson in this adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Not a bad pedigree, and the film deserves every superlative people throw at it. Wit follows English professor Vivian Bearing as she struggles with ovarian cancer while clinging tenaciously to her specialty, the metaphysical poetry of John Donne. Given the subject matter, Wit really does live up to its name. Don't get me wrong, though --- you may laugh at times, but this is not a comedy. It is gut-wrenching.

Comparable to: Angels in America is another gut-wrenching HBO adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize-winning play. It also features Emma Thompson.

Representative quote: "My next line is supposed to be something like this: 'It is such a relief to get back to my room after those infernal tests.' This is hardly true. It would be a relief to be a cheerleader on her way to Daytona Beach for spring break. To get back to my room after those infernal tests is just the next thing that happens."

You might not like it if: You are not currently in the mood to have your guts wrenched.

How to get it: Rent it, buy it, borrow it. I also highly recommend reading the play by Margaret Edson.

Connection to previous Wreckage: Other successful play adaptations I've already recommended are Rope (Rec. #5), Wait Until Dark (Rec. #26), Born Yesterday (Rec. #94), and The History Boys (Rec. #115).




[Originally posted 5/23/11.]