Iris (2001) on Netflix
R20011h 31mBiographyDramaRomance
At Somerville College, Oxford, Iris Murdoch meets John Bayley, a naive scholar flummoxed by her confidence and artistic talent. Decades later, forgetfulness sets in and John becomes her carer.
- Netflix3.5/5
- IMDb7.0/1019,976 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes79%
Trailer
Plot summary
Iris Murdoch, a novelist and philosopher, teaches at Oxford, where she meets fellow student John Bayley, whose awkward manner stands in contrast with her spirited self-confidence. He is a naive scholar, and her libertine spirit and obvious artistic talent leave him at a loss. The two fall in love and marry. Decades later the couple keep house in North Oxford, and John dotes on his wife, who is the more famous of the two. When Iris begins experiencing forgetfulness and dementia, John struggles with frustration and a sense of hopelessness. He becomes her carer as her mind deteriorates from Alzheimer's disease.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Iris (2001)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The film is drawn from Elegy for Iris, the 1999 memoir John Bayley wrote about the novelist Iris Murdoch and his relationship with her, adapted by Richard Eyre and Charles Wood.
- Jim Broadbent won Best Supporting Actor at the 74th Academy Awards for his role as Bayley, with Dench nominated for Best Actress and Winslet for Best Supporting Actress; the film grossed $16 million on a $5.5 million budget.
- The beach scenes were filmed at Southwold in Suffolk, which had been one of the real Iris Murdoch's own favorite haunts.
