Tom & Viv (1994)
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33% of critics liked it
(12 reviews) -
59% of users liked it
(1,273 ratings)
Willem Dafoe stars as groundbreaking early 20th century American poet T.S. Eliot in this biopic focusing on Eliot's disastrous marriage. Young Tom Eliot meets the flamboyant Vivienne Haigh-Wood (Miranda Richardson) while they are both students at Oxford University in England in 1914. Eliot is… More Willem Dafoe stars as groundbreaking early 20th century American poet T.S. Eliot in this biopic focusing on Eliot's disastrous marriage. Young Tom Eliot meets the flamboyant Vivienne Haigh-Wood (Miranda Richardson) while they are both students at Oxford University in England in 1914. Eliot is studying under the famous writer and philosopher Bertrand Russell (Nickolas Grace). Tom and Viv elope after a very brief courtship, without the consent of her parents and against the advice of Viv's brother Maurice (Tim Dutton). On the honeymoon, Tom learns that Viv suffers from a severe hormonal imbalance which causes frequent menstruation. She is under the care of a doctor who calls her problems emotional and prescribes medications which worsen her condition. Viv is moody, often despondent, and frequently drunk. While Tom works as a bank clerk and tries to establish himself as a writer, Viv serves as his secretary and sometimes his muse, but more and more often she embarrasses them in public with her behavior. Yet her influence prevents Tom, who wants to become thoroughly British and a member of the Church of England, from becoming too staid. Eventually, Tom reluctantly commits his wife to a mental asylum and their troubled marriage continues to plague his life and color his work. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Directed By
- Brian Gilbert
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
- In Theaters
- Dec 2, 1994 Wide
- Studio
- Miramax
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Miranda Richardson gives a distinguished, Oscar-nominated performance as poet T.S. Eliot's first, troubled wife in this disappointing and superficial biopic.
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Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
An uninvolving, pretentious bore.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Willem Dafoe
as Tom Eliot
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Miranda Richardson
as Vivienne Haigh-Wood
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Rosemary Harris
as Viv's mother
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Tim Dutton
as Viv's brother Maurice
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Nickolas Grace
as Berty
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Philip Locke
as Viv's father
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Geoffrey Bayldon
as Harwent
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Lou Hirsch
as Captain Todd
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Simon McBurney
as Dr Reginald Miller
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Joseph O'Conor
as Bishop of Oxford
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John Savident
as Sir Frederick Lamb
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Linda Spurrier
as Edith Sitwell
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Roberta Taylor
as Ottoline Morrell
- Donald Paul Pemrick
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Christopher Baines
as Verger
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Clare Holman
as Louise Purdon
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Hugh Simon
as Concierge
- Michelle Guish
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Anna Chancellor
as Woman
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Joanna McCallum
as Virginia Woolf
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Michael Attwell
as W.I. Janes
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James Greene
as Dr Cyriax
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William Osborne
as Curate