

The Professor and the Madman
Oscar winners Mel Gibson and Sean Penn lead this true story about how a professor and a convicted murderer created the Oxford English Dictionary. Co-stars Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones).
The compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary began in 1857 and was one of the most ambitious, and revolutionary projects ever undertaken. Professor James Murray (Gibson) took on the challenge of creating the most comprehensive dictionary ever compiled, but knew that it would take him and his team over a century to compile all known definitions. However, by “crowd sourcing” the work, that is, by enlisting definitions from people all over the world, the dictionary could be compiled in mere decades.
As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor Murray, discovered that one man, Dr. W.C. Minor (Penn), had submitted more than ten thousand words. When the committee insisted on honouring him, a shocking truth came to light: Dr. Minor, an American Civil War veteran, was a convicted murderer and being held at an asylum for the criminally insane.
The film saw delays due to legal battles that saw Gibson and Icon Productions contend with Voltage Pictures. The latter denied director Farhad Safinia final cut privileges and additional days of shooting.
LessThe Professor and the Madman | Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes® Score
All reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Stuff
Expecting not much, I walked out of The Professor and the Madman happy enough to have seen it.
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Hollywood Reporter
Ironically, for a movie about words, the dialogue only sparks to life on rare occasion.
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FilmInk
… the film’s musings on language, definition and redefinition, and its dual character study at its core, it makes for decent viewing.
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Roger Ebert
We'll never know where Shemran's movie truly lost its way, but its current form of saving face by sounding smart will make viewers want to simply move on from it, just like its star and director and have.
Full reviewThe Professor and the Madman | Trailers
The Professor and the Madman | Release Details
The Professor and the Madman is available to stream in New Zealand now on Google Play and Apple TV and Neon and Neon Rentals.