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The Professor and the Madman

Play trailer 2:21 Poster for The Professor and the Madman 2019 2h 5m History Drama Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
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42% Tomatometer 33 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Professor James Murray begins work on compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid-19th century.
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The Professor and the Madman

Critics Reviews

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David Stratton The Australian 02/25/2020
3/5
If only The Professor and the Madman as a whole matched the central performances, but it falls short on a number of levels. Go to Full Review
Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald 02/19/2020
2/5
The film is a bombastic dirge verging on the preposterous. Go to Full Review
Elizabeth Kerr The Hollywood Reporter 05/25/2019
Ironically, for a movie about words, the dialogue only sparks to life on rare occasion. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 07/29/2025
3/5
...an intellectual film, and the result is never boring. Those seeking a break from lowest-common denominator film-making will appreciate the erudite tone and the determination to tell a story which challenges our closeted notions of social respectability Go to Full Review
Nadine Whitney Mr. Movie's Film Blog 09/17/2023
The film is stuffy, sanctimonious, and so wholly riddled with self-indulgence that it has already been consigned to the dust bin of cinematic history as an abject failure. Go to Full Review
Martha K. Baker KDHX (St. Louis) 01/05/2021
Winchester's well-written book evolved into a mess of a movie. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jim H @Medora1918 1d It is one of the best movies I’ve ever watched. The acting was superb and brought me to tears in several parts. It lends credence to the quote „“the truth is stranger than fiction“. Should have been nominated for several Oscar’s. See more keven Q @kevenquinlan Mar 31 For a movie I didn't give much hope to- I thought it ended up being really enjoyable. I'm keeping it for my collection. See more HotRod D @HotRodD Feb 19 Once again the critics got another one wrong! (But what else is new?) they are a bunch of self indulgent fools This movie was really good. I didn’t know what the story was about going in. But I knew the cast always delivers This was one of my favorite performances from Sean Penn. and that’s saying a lot because he always brings the characters he plays to life. Mel Gibson never disappoints either. The story of forgiveness and forgiving yourself is great in this movie. Don’t take my word for it. Take the time to invest yourself into the story and you won’t regret it See more BBGard T @BBGard Jan 2 I think the critics really missed it on this movie. I didn't watch it for years because I'm not a Sean Penn fan, but was bored over the holidays and read the overview, then watched it. Penn was amazing in his portrayal of mental illness. The entire cast was good to excellent in their part. Yes, there's a lot of liberties taken from the history, but how do you make the making of a dictionary worthy of cinema? It's definitely a thinkers drama. Glad I took the time. See more LA T @RT64631665 Nov 9 I disagree with any bad review of this movie. The movie is based on a true story and one that is important for everyone to know of. The story taps into our human mind and shines a light on mental health issues, and how one of the most complex books of our time (the Oxford Dictionary) was written by a person with no school degree and a man suffering from severe PTSD and other mental health issues. And this incredible story was delivered by a phenomenal cast with sensational acting. Anyone that gives this movie a bad rating does not appreciate the history being told and the complexity of this story. See more Jace T @CineChamber Oct 6 The Professor and the Madman is an intriguing title for a film, yet the concept sounds rather lackluster to most people. I had heard great things about this film from a friend and I was not disappointed in the execution of this film. Mel Gibson did a great job with this film and his role in it, sitting on this movie for years and years before it was produced. There was sadly some behind the scenes drama that lead to this movie not being very well promoted. Sean Penn did amazing as The Madman. This is a must watch in my opinion. It's also hilarious how the audience genuinely seems to enjoy this film, but the critics panned it pretty hard. Sean Penn is the one behind bars in this Prison Drama for a crime that he committed and tries to atone for. He is also losing his mind for the Psychological Drama aspects of this film, which makes him a sad character. One could say this is a Biography since it is based on real people and real events. The Drama in this film is always there around every corner and it's portrayed excellently. This is mostly true History based on how the original Oxford dictionary was created. See more Read all reviews
The Professor and the Madman

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Movie Info

Synopsis Professor James Murray begins work on compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid-19th century.
Director
Farhad Safinia
Producer
Nicolas Chartier, Bruce Davey
Screenwriter
John Boorman, Todd Komarnicki, Farhad Safinia
Distributor
Vertical Entertainment
Production Co
Icon Entertainment International, Fastnet Films, Voltage Pictures
Genre
History, Drama, Biography
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 10, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 10, 2019
Runtime
2h 5m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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