Getting of Wisdom (1977)
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(2 ratings)
The suffocating repressiveness of the Victorian era is superbly realized by director Bruce Beresford in The Getting of Wisdom. Thirteen-year-old Laura (Susannah Fowle), an incorrigible free spirit from the Australian outback, is enrolled in a prestigious girl's boarding school. The… More The suffocating repressiveness of the Victorian era is superbly realized by director Bruce Beresford in The Getting of Wisdom. Thirteen-year-old Laura (Susannah Fowle), an incorrigible free spirit from the Australian outback, is enrolled in a prestigious girl's boarding school. The indoctrination process is a rough one, and Laura very nearly loses her individuality and sense of self-worth. When she does mature, however, it is on her terms, and not the school's. Intriguingly, The Getting of Wisdom is based on the reminiscences of a 19th-century female writer who used the pen name of Henry Handel Richardson. Despite its somber dramatic overtones, the film contains moments of uninhibited humor, a trademark of director Beresford. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Bruce Beresford
- Genres
- Drama
Unrated,
Critic Reviews
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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
The Getting of Wisdom demonstrates the painful aspects of trying to win the approval of one's peers during adolescence.
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Cast
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Susannah Fowle
as Laura
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Barry Humphries
as Rev. Strachey
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John Waters
as Rev. Shepherd
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Sheila Helpmann
as Mrs. Gurley
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Patricia Kennedy
as Miss Chapman
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Julia Blake
as Isabella Shepherd
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Dorothy Bradley
as Miss Hicks
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Kay Eklund
as Mrs. Rambotham
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Max Fairchild
as Mr. O'Donnell
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Jan Friedl
as Miss Snodgrass
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Diana Greentree
as Maisie Shepherd
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Monica Maughan
as Miss Day
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Candy Raymond
as Miss Zielinski
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Terence Donovan
as Tom Macnamara
- Celia Deburgh
- Jo-Anne Moore
- Amanda Ring
- Karen Sutton
- Kerry Armstrong
- Stephanie Blake
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Maggie Kirkpatrick
as Sarah Mrs. Rambotham's companion
- Alix Longman
- Gerda Nicolson
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Hilary Ryan
as Evelyn
- Janet Shaw
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Sigrid Thornton
as Maria
- Richard Butler
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Kim Deacon
as Lilith
