Iris (film)

Iris
Theatrcial poster
Directed by	Richard Eyre
Produced by	Robert Fox Scott Rudin
Screenplay by	Richard Eyre Charles Wood
Based on	Elegy for Iris by John Bayley
Starring	Judi Dench Kate Winslet Jim Broadbent Hugh Bonneville
Music by	James Horner
Cinematography	Roger Pratt
Editing by	Martin Walsh
Distributed by	Miramax Films
Release date(s)	14 December 2001 (2001-12-14)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United Kingdom United States
Language	English
Budget	$5.5 million
Box office	$16,153,953

Iris is a 2001 biographical film that tells the story of British novelist Iris Murdoch and her relationship with John Bayley. The film contrasts the start of their relationship, when Murdoch (played by Kate Winslet) was an outgoing, dominant individual as compared to her timid and scholarly partner Bayley (played by Hugh Bonneville), and their later life, when Murdoch (now played by Judi Dench) was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and tended to by a frustrated Bayley (played by Jim Broadbent) in their North Oxford home in Charlbury Road.

The film, which was directed by Richard Eyre, is based on Bayley's memoir Elegy for Iris. The beach scenes were filmed at Southwold in Suffolk, one of Murdoch's favourite haunts.

Broadbent receives the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role. Dench and Winslet were both nominated, for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively.

Plot

When the young Iris Murdoch meets fellow student John Bayley at the University of Oxford, he is a naive virgin easily flummoxed by her libertine spirit, arch personality, and obvious artistic talent. Decades later, little has changed and the couple keeps house, with John doting on his more famous wife. When Iris begins experiencing forgetfulness and dementia, however, the devoted John struggles with hopelessness and frustration to become her caretaker, as his wife's mind deteriorates from the ravages of Alzheimer's disease.

Cast

• Judi Dench as Iris Murdoch
• Kate Winslet as Young Iris Murdoch
• Jim Broadbent as John Bayley
• Hugh Bonneville as Young John Bayley
• Penelope Wilton as Janet Stone
• Juliet Aubrey as Young Janet Stone
• Timothy West as Maurice
• Samuel West as Young Maurice
• Kris Marshall as Dr Gudgeon

Awards and nominations

• Academy Awards
  • Best Actress in a Leading Role: Judi Dench
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jim Broadbent - WON
  • Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Kate Winslet

Academy Awards record
1. Best Supporting Actor
BAFTA Awards record
1. Best Actress in a Leading Role
Golden Globe Awards record
1. Best Supporting Actor

• BAFTA Awards
  • Best British Film
  • Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Jim Broadbent
  • Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Judi Dench - WON
  • Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Hugh Bonneville
  • Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Kate Winslet
  • Best Screenplay - Adapted

• Broadcast Film Critics Association
  • Best Supporting Actor - Jim Broadbent

• Golden Globe Awards
  • Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama: Judi Dench
  • Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture - Jim Broadbent: WON
  • Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture: Kate Winslet

• Los Angeles Film Critics Association
  • Best Supporting Actor: Jim Broadbent (also for Moulin Rouge!) - WON
  • Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet - WON

• Satellite Awards
  • Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama: Judi Dench
  • Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama: Jim Broadbent
  • Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama: Kate Winslet

• Screen Actors Guild Awards
  • Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Judi Dench
  • Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Jim Broadbent

External links

• Iris at the Internet Movie Database
• Iris at AllRovi
• Iris at Rotten Tomatoes
• Iris at Literary Fiction, BellaOnline