(2004)
4
Karl Williams
On the heels of the critically acclaimed Gods and Monsters (1998), writer/director Bill Condon scores again with another meticulous, intelligent biography of a prominent but little-understood historical figure struggling with his controversial sexuality. In the case of Kinsey, sexuality is at the core of his hero's intellectual and physical journey, giving the filmmaker a chance to pose difficult questions about nature versus nurture, human sexual behavior, and the role of psychology in reproduction. Answers, even theoretical ones, to those questions are not always forthcoming. In one sequence Kinsey mutilates himself in an effort to examine the line between pleasure and pain, but his motivations are never fully explored. In another, his son explodes with frustration at his family's frank dinner-table discussion of coitus, but the character then disappears, as do the uncomfortable but completely justifiable criticisms he raises. While imperfect, however, Condon is to be applauded for mining such a rich, complex, and still-controversial subject, achieving a provocative and absorbing final result. The performances of Liam Neeson, Peter Sarsgaard, and Laura Linney are uniformly excellent and emotionally layered, and the filmmaker introduces a sneaky sense of humor into his material that renders it more accessible than his previous efforts. Kinsey (2004) joins the ranks of A Beautiful Mind (2001) and the TV film Longitude (2000) as a sterling example of the sci-bio subgenre.
Trailer
awards for Kinsey on AllMovie
Kinsey (2004)
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress
|
2004 |
American Film Institute
Berlin International Film Festival
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Nominated |
In Competition
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2005 |
Broadcast Film Critics Association
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Nominated |
Best Picture
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2004 |
|
Nominated |
Best Screenplay
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2004 |
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Nominated |
Best Supporting Actor
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2004 |
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Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress
|
2004 |
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
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Nominated |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
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2004 |
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Nominated |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
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2004 |
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Nominated |
Best Picture - Drama
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2004 |
Independent Spirit Awards
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Nominated |
Best Actor
|
2004 |
|
Nominated |
Best Picture
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2004 |
|
Nominated |
Best Screenplay
|
2004 |
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Nominated |
Best Supporting Actor
|
2004 |
London Film Critics Association
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Nominated |
Best Actress
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2005 |
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Nominated |
Best British Actor
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2005 |
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
National Board of Review
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Nominated |
Best Picture
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2004 |
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Won |
Best Supporting Actress
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2004 |
National Society of Film Critics
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Won |
Best Supporting Actor (Runner-up)
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2004 |
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Won |
Best Supporting Actress (Runner-up)
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2004 |
Screen Actors Guild
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Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress
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2004 |
Telluride Film Festival
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Nominated |
Film Presented
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2004 |
Toronto International Film Festival
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Nominated |
Film Presented
|
2004 |
Writers Guild of America
|
Nominated |
Best Original Screenplay
|
2004 |
