Starring:
Year of Release: 2004
Rated: R
Director: Bill Condon
Approx. Running Time: 185 minutes
Format(s): DVD
My Rating: 4 stars (Out of 5)
Trailer:
From Back Cover:
"One of the Best Movies of the Year!
-New York Post
Liam Neeson stars as Alfred Kinsey, a man driven by scientific passion and personal demons to investigate the elusive mystery of human sexuality. Laura Linney garnered a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her compelling performance as Kinsey's free-thinking wife. This provocative drama dares to lift the veil of shame from a society in which sex was hidden, knowledge was dangerous and talking about it was the ultimate taboo.
My Comments:
There is some debate as to the accuracy of the events and methods portrayed in this film, because there is still controversy surrounding the research itself. Accusations have been made that Alfred Kinsey employed pedophiles to conduct research on sexuality in infants and pre-pubescent children, and that he himself may have molested children. These accusations have, of course, come primarily from ultra-right-wing conservatives, while supporters of Kinsey's research and indeed sexual research as a whole maintain that Kinsey only documented data that had already been collected by pedophiles whose sexual histories he happened to take.
Regardless of what may or may not be the truth, the film stands as a testament to how sexually repressed our society was during Kinsey's day, and how far we, as a society, still have to go before we reach a true understanding and acceptance of our own selves.
On a side note, keep an eye on Peter Sarsgaard as "Clyde Martin," his performance is amazing and he commands the screen with a quiet confidence that is riveting to watch.
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K
Rated R (MPAA)
4 Stars
2004
Biographical Films
Gay Interest
Historical Features
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