Wit (2001) (TV)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers (WGA):

Margaret Edson (play)
Emma Thompson (teleplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 March 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

It appears to be a matter of life and death.

Plot:

A renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer.

Plot Keywords:

Cancer | Professor | Doctor | Nurse | Ovarian Cancer

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 9 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Emma Thompson	...	Vivian Bearing
Christopher Lloyd	...	Dr. Harvey Kelekian
Eileen Atkins	...	Evelyn 'E.M.' Ashford
Audra McDonald	...	Susie Monahan
Jonathan M. Woodward	...	Dr. Jason Posner
Harold Pinter	...	Mr. Bearing (Vivian's Father)
Rebecca Laurie	...	Vivian aged 5
Su Lin Looi	...	Nurse (as Su-Lin Looi)
Raffaello Degruttola	...	Technician 1
Miquel Brown	...	Technician 2
Hari Dhillon	...	Fellow 1 (as Harry Dillon)
Benedict Wong	...	Fellow 2
Alex Gregor	...	Fellow 3
Lachele Carl	...	Fellow 4
David Menkin	...	Student 1
Rachel Siegel	...	Student 2
Shauna Shim	...	Student 3
Matt Blair	...	Student 4
David Zayas	...	Code Team Blue Head
Tassia Messimeris	...	Code Team Blue 2
Norman Naudain	...	Code Team Blue 3
Emma Bernbach	...	Code Team Blue 4
Jenny Jules	...	Code Team Blue 5
Gary Beadle	...	Code Team Blue 6

Directed by
Mike Nichols

Writing credits (WGA)
Margaret Edson		(play)
Emma Thompson		(teleplay) &
Mike Nichols		(teleplay)

Produced by
Simon Bosanquet	....	producer
Cary Brokaw	....	executive producer
Michael Haley	....	co-producer (as Mike Haley)
Paul A. Levin	....	associate producer
Julie Lynn	....	co-producer
Mike Nichols	....	executive producer
Charles F. Ryan	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki

Cinematography by
Seamus McGarvey

Film Editing by
John Bloom

Casting by
Leo Davis
Ellen Lewis
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Stuart Wurtzel

Art Direction by
Sarah Hauldren		(supervising art director)

Set Decoration by
Michael Seirton

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Linda DeVetta	....	hair stylist
Linda DeVetta	....	makeup artist
J. Roy Helland	....	hair stylist
J. Roy Helland	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Joanna Beckett	....	unit manager
Rachel Neale	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ben Dixon	....	third assistant director
Michael Haley	....	first assistant director (as Mike Haley)
Mark Layton	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Harry Alley	....	painter's laborer
Les Benson	....	props sourceman
Roy Biggs	....	chargehand stagehand
Guy Bradley	....	junior draughtsman
Emma Caplin	....	art department assistant
Paul Carpenter	....	carpenter
Darryl Carter	....	supervisory carpenter
Jack Carter	....	construction controller
Martin Duffy	....	carpenter
Colin Ellis	....	dressing props
Simon Faldon	....	carpenter
David Ford	....	production buyer: USA
Brian Groves	....	supervisory painter
Cliona Harkin	....	stand-by art director
Gary Hedges	....	chargehand carpenter
John Hedges	....	construction buyer (as Johnny Hedges)
Kevin Hedges	....	carpenter
John Hogan	....	dressing props
Geoff Hubbard	....	carpenter (as Martin Hubbard)
David Jones	....	stagehand
Paul Lawlor	....	carpenter
Ron Lee	....	construction buyer
Poppy Luard	....	draughtsman
Simon Marjoram	....	carpenter
Maxie McDonald	....	property master
Jim McNeil	....	carpenter
Stephen Murray	....	carpenter
Neil Murrum	....	dressing props
Paul Nash	....	carpenter
Mitch Niclas	....	stand-by props
Norman North	....	painter
Paul Nott-Macaire	....	stand-by carpenter
Jason Phelps	....	carpenter
Claire Nia Richards	....	assistant art director (as Claire Richards)
Ron Ross	....	carpenter (as Ronnie Ross)
Michael Simpson	....	carpenter
Anthony Strong	....	stagehand
Jeff Sullivan	....	stand-by painter
Alan Titmus	....	stand-by stagehand
Paul Turner	....	stand-by props
Sara Wan	....	production buyer: UK
Kenneth Welland	....	chargehand painter
John Whitby	....	carpenter
Colin Woodbridge	....	carpenter
Alba Leone	....	buyer: U.S.A. (uncredited)

Sound Department
Kam Chan	....	foley editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (as Marko Costanza)
Paul Cridlin	....	boom operator
Kay Denmark	....	adr boom operator
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chris Fielder	....	assistant sound editor
David John	....	sound mixer
Gareth John	....	second boom operator
Frank Kern	....	foley supervisor
George A. Lara	....	foley engineer
Blake Leyh	....	sound effects editor
Debora Lilavois	....	assistant sound editor (as Debbie Lilavois)
Philip Stockton	....	supervising sound mixer
Deborah Wallach	....	adr editor
Paul J. Zydel	....	adr engineer (as Paul Zydell)

Visual Effects by
Matt McDonald	....	digital compositor
Toby Brockhurst	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Gareth Milne	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Keith Batterbee	....	rigger
Roy Branch	....	best boy
Trevor Coop	....	camera operator
Clive Coote	....	still photographer
Barney Davis	....	clapper loader
Carlos De Carvalho	....	focus puller
Stephen Devlin	....	rigger
Toby Flesher	....	electrician
Paul Harris	....	electrician
Joseph Hassell	....	video playback assistant
Stephen Mathie	....	electrician
Mark Milsome	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Peter Myslowski	....	key grip
Jennie Paddon	....	camera trainee
Rebecca Peters	....	video playback operator
Eddie Sansom	....	stand-by rigger
Paul Sharp	....	electrician
Lee Walters	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Jennifer Euston	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jenny Hawkins	....	wardrobe supervisor
Sarah Higbid	....	wardrobe buyer
Andrew Hunt	....	wardrobe mixer
Michelle Matland	....	assistant costume designer
Jane Wrigley	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Don Ciana	....	color timer
William E. Githens	....	post-production assistant
Ann Gray	....	post-production coordinator
Antonia Van Drimmelen	....	associate editor
Joe Violante	....	color coordinator: Technicolor

Music Department
Ray Espinola Jr.	....	music coordinator
Evyen Klean	....	music supervisor
David Latuiffe	....	music consultant
Nic Ratner	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Tony Bradley	....	transportation coordinator
Terry Catlin	....	unit driver
Jeremy Jacobs	....	unit driver
Mark Kerrison	....	unit driver
John Smith	....	unit driver
John Swan	....	unit driver
Darren Thackeray	....	unit driver

Other crew
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer
Steve Barry	....	assistant accountant
Francesca Castellano	....	production coordinator
Ben Cocks	....	stand-in: Ms Thompson
Patsy de Lord	....	production coordinator
Claire Edgcombe	....	production runner
Poppy Field	....	floor runner
Carlton Jarvis	....	medical advisor: medical special effects
Jane Levy	....	assistant: Mr. Nichols
James Manning	....	floor runner
Kathleen McGarry	....	assistant: Ms. Thompson
Joyce Noakes	....	assistant accountant
Andrew Nokes	....	financial controller
Reg Poerscout-Edgerton	....	production runner
Justine Redfern	....	assistant: Mr. Bosanquet
Linda Schickedanz	....	medical advisor
David Tellefsen	....	assistant: Mr. Brokaw
Samantha Thomas	....	location manager
Dan Turner	....	floor runner (as Daniel Turner)
Dennis Watson	....	supervising rigger
Beverly Winston	....	script supervisor
Wendy Zych	....	assistant production coordinator
Mary Bailey	....	script consultant (uncredited)

Thanks
Derek Anson Jones	....	in memory of

Production Companies

• Avenue Pictures Productions
• HBO Films

Distributors

• Flashstar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Flashstar (Brazil) (VHS)
• Home Box Office (HBO)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2005) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Balsmeyer and Everett  title design (as Balsmeyer & Everett Inc.)
• C-5  post-production facilities
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Compuhire  computer playback
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Magno Sound and Video  post-production facilities
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Sound One Corporation  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

W;t (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some thematic material.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-3 | USA:PG-13 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Avenue Pictures Productions

Trivia:

The play "Wit" won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1999.

Goofs:

Continuity: The size of Vivian's and Susie's popsicles.

Quotes:

Vivian Bearing: Published *and* perished.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Serenade Adagio

Margaret Edson's play becomes tour-de-force for Emma Thompson...

A female professor--wry, canny, tough, fragile--goes through a wrenching medical experience fighting ovarian cancer. One of those cable movies that looks great on TV, but would it also play successfully on the big screen? In this case, yes, but television--being a far more intimate medium--certainly allows the viewer a bird's-eye glimpse into this story about sickness. Just because "Wit" isn't on the movie screen doesn't mean its not an all-encompassing, breathtaking drama. Director Mike Nichols hasn't been this focused in a long time (he flashes around in this woman's life with uncanny accuracy, and always returns to the present at just the right moment). The pacing of the movie is gentle but not doddering--this isn't a melodrama about pity, nor is it a medical expose or a squeamish thing with lots of needles. It is a quietly absorbing, exceptionally well-rounded chapter of a woman's life, and that woman--Emma Thompson, doing precise and brilliant work--is an embraceable subject. We let her into our hearts, making the finale that much more emotional. ***1/2 from ****