I watched this at home on DVD from my public library. It also has a couple of interesting extras on how this movie was made. Set mostly in 1929 and 1930s New York, it was shot in England, Manchester and Liverpool most prominently.
What is it about? What does the "Genius" reference mean? According to the filmmakers, and it becomes clear when viewing, it is really about both the genius of creative novel writing and the genius of editing a book to bring it to the masses.
The editing genius was Max Perkins, played wonderfully by Colin Firth. He had served as editor for such greats as Ernest Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald. He was a kind and organized man, husband, father of five daughters, but also a bit of a workaholic.
The writing genius was Thomas Wolfe, Southerner from North Carolina, played well by Jude Law. Graduating from high school early and from college at 19 with a BA, he attended graduate school at Harvard, receiving a Master's at 21. He arguably was a genius, and certainly Max Perkins considered his writing genius. But Wolfe was very undisciplined and often rude, at one point he asks Perkins, "Do you expect me to grow up like you?" To which Perkins replies, "No I just expect you to grow up."
Perkins and Wolfe could not have been more different, but Perkins became a sort of father figure for Wolfe and his biggest task was to help him cut down his drafts to size suitable for publishing. Wolfe loved his prose, it was always painful for him to cut anything out.
The movie also includes Nicole Kidman in a good role as Aline Bernstein, a married woman 18 years older who became Wolfe's lover and patron. Plus Laura Linney in a good role as Louise, the wife of Max Perkins. In small but important roles we see Guy Pearce as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dominic West as Ernest Hemingway.
A really good biographical movie, it is nominally about Perkins but more about his relationship with Wolfe, who died young from tuberculosis of the brain.
What is it about? What does the "Genius" reference mean? According to the filmmakers, and it becomes clear when viewing, it is really about both the genius of creative novel writing and the genius of editing a book to bring it to the masses.
The editing genius was Max Perkins, played wonderfully by Colin Firth. He had served as editor for such greats as Ernest Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald. He was a kind and organized man, husband, father of five daughters, but also a bit of a workaholic.
The writing genius was Thomas Wolfe, Southerner from North Carolina, played well by Jude Law. Graduating from high school early and from college at 19 with a BA, he attended graduate school at Harvard, receiving a Master's at 21. He arguably was a genius, and certainly Max Perkins considered his writing genius. But Wolfe was very undisciplined and often rude, at one point he asks Perkins, "Do you expect me to grow up like you?" To which Perkins replies, "No I just expect you to grow up."
Perkins and Wolfe could not have been more different, but Perkins became a sort of father figure for Wolfe and his biggest task was to help him cut down his drafts to size suitable for publishing. Wolfe loved his prose, it was always painful for him to cut anything out.
The movie also includes Nicole Kidman in a good role as Aline Bernstein, a married woman 18 years older who became Wolfe's lover and patron. Plus Laura Linney in a good role as Louise, the wife of Max Perkins. In small but important roles we see Guy Pearce as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dominic West as Ernest Hemingway.
A really good biographical movie, it is nominally about Perkins but more about his relationship with Wolfe, who died young from tuberculosis of the brain.